Throughout the ages, textile producers have faced the need to control costs, while improving the quality and longevity of fibers and fabrics. These incentives continue to drive textile innovation today, as you’ll see in The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World, a new book by Virginia Postrel, a contributor to publications including The Wall Street Journal. Below, Postrel answers a few of our questions about the book, released late last year:

What are the likely implications of 3-D knitting?

3-D knitting substitutes for cut-and-sew production. It’s slower but more exact and flexible, and it allows apparel makers ...