This paper reviews the advanced design of fibrous flexible actuators for smart wearable applications, focusing on the past five years of progress. It highlights the integration of flexible actuators into smart wearables, emphasizing the superior body compliance, lightweight nature, and programmable architectures of fibrous textiles. The review covers functional materials, innovative architectural configurations, external stimuli, and their applications in smart wearables. Key aspects include actuating materials, textile architecture formation techniques, actuating behavior, performance metrics, and design challenges for next-generation smart wearables. The paper also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different textile-forming technologies such as knitting, weaving, braiding, and bonding. Finally, it provides perspectives on the future development of flexible textile actuators in smart wearables.This paper reviews the advanced design of fibrous flexible actuators for smart wearable applications, focusing on the past five years of progress. It highlights the integration of flexible actuators into smart wearables, emphasizing the superior body compliance, lightweight nature, and programmable architectures of fibrous textiles. The review covers functional materials, innovative architectural configurations, external stimuli, and their applications in smart wearables. Key aspects include actuating materials, textile architecture formation techniques, actuating behavior, performance metrics, and design challenges for next-generation smart wearables. The paper also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different textile-forming technologies such as knitting, weaving, braiding, and bonding. Finally, it provides perspectives on the future development of flexible textile actuators in smart wearables.