---
title: "Felt"
description: "Felt is a non-woven textile made by matting and compressing fibres, usually wool, with moisture, heat and friction."
type: Glossary
url: https://teazle.art/glossary/felt
published: 2026-10-14
updated: 2026-10-14
author: "The Teazle editors"
---

# Felt

*Felt is a non-woven textile made by matting and compressing fibres, usually wool, with moisture, heat and friction.*

Felt is not woven or knitted. Wool fibres have tiny scales that lock together when they are wetted, heated and rubbed, so a loose mass of fibre shrinks into a dense, strong sheet. It may be the oldest textile technique.

## Why is felt important in dress?

It can be shaped while damp, so it is the material of many hats; [milliners](https://teazle.art/glossary/milliner.md) block felt over wooden forms. It also makes boots, coats and, in Central Asia, entire dwellings.


## Sources

1. [Felt (AAT 300014107)](http://vocab.getty.edu/page/aat/300014107). Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus
2. [Felt (Q189964)](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189964). Wikidata

Canonical: https://teazle.art/glossary/felt