:: May 2002 
Feature
The Road to Damask
One of the loveliest fabrics to wear and sew is damask (pronounced dam¢esk). Damask is a single color fabric on which plain weave and satin weave are combined to make a figure or floral weave. Either side of the fabric may be used as the right side. If the side with the warp floats (vertical long stitches) is selected, the background will have a matte finish and the floral pattern will be shiny. If you choose to use the side with the weft floats (horizontal long stitches), the background will be shiny and the floral pattern will have a matte finish.
Damask may be made of silk, linen, rayon, wool, or synthetic fibres. It belongs to the category of fabrics known as jacquards. A jaquard weave is produced by a computerized loom based on the 19th century mechanized loom of Frenchman Joseph-Marie Jacquard. Jacquard was the first person to devise a system for the production of figure weaving -- utilizing plain, satin, and twill weaves – that no longer required the time and expense of hand labor.
The earliest examples of damask are from China and were made of silk. From China, handwoven damask was sold to Europeans by traders in Damascus, thereby giving it its name. Damask has an elegant drape in a garment, and its ability to absorb and reflect light make it a lustrous visual delight.
Brocade (pronounced bro-kad') is another member of the jaquard family. It is heavier than damask and is not reversible. Brocade is made of the same fibres as damask, but it is usually woven of more than one color and may include metallic threads. The word, brocade, comes from the Italian verb, broccare, which means to prick or embroider.
If you are not positive whether you are buying damask or brocade, CyberFibres encourages you to announce stoutly to the person poised to measure your fabric, "I'd like four yards of this jaquard, please." You'll be right every time!
Sources:Julie Parker in All About Cotton (see Review)
Webster's New World Dictionary