纺织工业涉及的领域很多，分类方式也有几种，可以按照纺织加工的材料来分：

• 棉纺
• 丝绸加工
• 麻纺
• 毛纺
• 化纤
• 纺织品检测

也可以按照织造的方法分为：

• 针织
• 机织
• 无纺

各道工序都有化学加工存在，不过存在化学加工最多的要数化学纤维工业和染整工业。

Textile manufacturing is a major industry. It is based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into clothes. Different types of fiber are used to produce yarn. Cotton remains the most important natural fibre, so is treated in depth. There are many variable processes available at the spinning and fabric-forming stages coupled with the complexities of the finishing and colouration processes to the production of a wide ranges of products. There remains a large industry that uses hand techniques to achieve the same results.