The stuff to make us faint? (7)

I believe the answer is:

fustian

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'the stuff' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see a link between them that I can't see?

'make us faint?' is the wordplay.
'make' is an anagram indicator.
'us'+'faint'='usfaint'
'usfaint' is an anagram of 'FUSTIAN'.

'to' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for fustian that I've seen before include "Bombastic (style)" , "Thick twilled cotton cloth, or pompous language" , "Bombast" , "Hard-wearing fabric; pompous language" , "Hard-wearing twilled cloth -- it's faun (anag)" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

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