Jersey is not a weave but a knit: a fabric looped from a single continuous yarn rather than woven from warp and weft. This is why jersey is naturally elastic — it stretches and recovers, softly hugging the body without fastenings or darts. It takes its name from the island of Jersey, and Coco Chanel brought it into high fashion, freeing women from corseted tailoring. Jersey is made from wool, cotton, viscose or synthetics and is cut into T-shirts, clingy dresses, roll-necks and sportswear. Its weakness: the edges can curl, and fine jersey snags and stretches.
