The objective of this research is to explore structural characteristics (loop length and stitch density) and electrical resistivity (volume and surface) of plain weft-knitted flax fabrics, both before and after pilling. Pilling in these fabrics was conducted using a Martindale device equipped with two abrasives: the knitted fabric under examination and a wool woven fabric. A decrease in loop length and stitch density of the knitted fabrics after pilling with both abrasives was noted, except for loop length in two lightweight samples. Before pilling, a reducing loop length and increasing other structural characteristics of the fabrics correlated with reduced resistivity. After pilling, all examined samples displayed decreased volume and surface electrical resistivity, except the sample characterized by the highest structural values, which displayed increased surface electrical resistivity after pilling with both abrasives. Fabrics subjected to pilling with the wool woven fabric showcased lower values in both volume and surface electrical resistivity.

Textile materials are widely used in diverse applications, yet their anisotropic structure and large deformations present major challenges in mechanical characterization. Conventional uniaxial tensile tests can quantify bulk properties but offer limited insight into local strain distributions. In this work, it was shown that a 2D Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique captures full-field strain data in three types of woven cotton fabrics with distinct weave patterns and densities, each tested in warp and weft orientations. In controlled tensile experiments conducted per EN ISO 13934-1, DIC revealed that strain in the loading direction (EpsY) was highly orientation-dependent (p < 0.001), whereas strain perpendicular to loading (EpsX) was unaffected by orientation (p = 0.193). These findings contrast with traditional tensile data, which indicate significant orientation effects on maximum force and elongation (both p < 0.001). Compared to point-based techniques, 2D DIC provided richer information on anisotropic deformation, including the ability to detect local strain concentrations before failure. The strong interaction between fabric type and orientation indicates that each fabric exhibits distinct strain response when loaded along warp and weft directions, underscoring the importance of evaluating both orientations when designing or selecting textiles for multidirectional loading. By combining standard tensile testing with full-field optical strain measurements, a more comprehensive understanding of textile behavior emerges, enabling improved material selection, enhanced product performance, and broader applications in engineering and textile fields.