- raffia: fiber from species of Madagascar palm used for making hats, bags, and fabrics
- ramie: strong, soft, lustrous fiber, somewhat similar to linen from inner bark of ramie plant, formerly imported from China
- raw silk: silk fiber reeled from cocoon while still containing the gum or sericin that gives it a rough, slightly sticky feel
- rayon: generic fiber name for manufactured cellulosic fibers regenerated from short cotton fibers or wood chips
- ready-to-wear: apparel that is mass-produced in standard sizes
- retailer: individual or firm that sells merchandise to the public
- retro look: the return to the fashion look of earlier decades
- rib: corded effect in fabrics caused by use of heavier yarns in either lengthwise or crosswise directions
- ribbon: long narrow strip of silk, cotton, or rayon woven with selvages on both sides
- rise: men's tailoring term for distance from crotch to top of waistband in pants
- ruching: trimming made by pleating a strip of lace, ribbon, net, fine muslin, or silk so that it ruffles on both sides
- ruffle: strip of cloth, lace, or ribbon gathered along one edge or cut in a curve to produce a ripple
