What does Hand (also Handle) mean?

How  fabric feels, described as crisp, soft, smooth, springy, stiff, cool, warm, rough, hard, limp, soapy etc.

Heddels explains Hand (also Handle)

The hand, or handle, of a fabric refers to the tactile characteristics of the fabric such as thickness, smoothness, stiffness, luster, stretchability, and draping qualities. It offers more of a subjective view of the material rather than a technical one.

Additional Resources

A snapshot showing the rigid, stiff handle of denim:

Source: flickr.com/photos/emanueljones/