How a fabric feels to the touch, including its softness, smoothness, stiffness and surface texture.
Handfeel, also called fabric hand or handle, describes sensations assessed by touching a material. Evaluators may touch, rub and squeeze swatches, then rate qualities such as softness, flexibility, roughness or warmth using paired descriptors. Consistent presentation and handling procedures help people compare samples and repeat an assessment under similar conditions. AATCC provides guidelines for subjective evaluation and a separate instrumental method that compares mechanical properties with those of a reference fabric. The instrumental values are not known to correspond to human tactile sensations. A measured relative hand value and a person’s description of a swatch therefore provide different kinds of evidence.
In job listings
This is the language of fabric developers, designers and product teams, and it may also appear when a role judges samples. Expect to describe it in specific terms, such as soft, dry or crisp, since the word itself says little. Search local jobs for “fabric”.
