Drap

French term for a very thin wool fabric that is soft and shiny with a smooth, silken surface or nap. Originally only carded, it is today also used semi-carded and combed. The combed fabric is used for elegant formal suits such as tuxedos and tail-coats; the carded fabric is used for men’s overcoats. Its typical qualities are obtained in the finishing, during which the fabric is fulled, gauzed, clipped, brushed, and pressed.