What is "camlet"

Camlet \Cam"let\, n. [F. camelot (akin to Sp. camelote, chamelote, It. cambellbito, ciambellotto, LL. camelotum, camelinum, fr. Ar. khamlat camlet, fr. kaml pile, plush. The word was early confused with camel, camel's hair also being used in making it. Cf. Calamanco] A woven fabric originally made of camel's hair, now chiefly of goat's hair and silk, or of wool and cotton. [Sometimes written camelot and camblet.]

Note: They have been made plain and twilled, of single warp and weft, of double warp, and sometimes with double weft also, with thicker yarn.
--Beck (Draper's Dict. )

n. 1 A fine fabric made from wool (originally camel, but later goat) and silk. 2 A garment made from such a fabric.

1. n. a garment made of camlet fabric

2. a fabric of Asian origin; originally made of silk and camel's hair

Camlet, also commonly known as camelot or camblet, is a woven fabric that might have originally been made of camel or goat's hair, later chiefly of goat's hair and silk, or of wool and cotton. The original form of this cloth was very valuable; the term later came to be applied to imitations of the original eastern fabric.

In the 18th century, England, France, Holland, and Flanders were the chief places of its manufacture; Brussels exceeded them all in the beauty and quality of its camlets, followed by England.

A variety of terms have been used for camlet in different forms:

• Figured camlets are of one color, on which are stamped various figures, flowers, foliages, etc. The figures were applied with hot irons, passed together with the fabric, under a press. In the 18th century, these were chiefly brought from Amiens and Flanders. In antiquity, figured camlets were much more sought after than in modern times.
• Water camlets, after weaving, received a certain preparation with water; and were afterwards passed under a hot press, giving them a smoothness and lustre.
• Waved camlets feature impressed waves, as on tabbies.

Manufacturers of camlets had to take care not to introduce any unnecessary pleats in the fabric, as they were almost impossible to undo. This difficulty was so notorious, that a proverb existed, stating that someone "is like a camlet—he has taken his pleat."