In order to determine the strain distribution in the plies of a thermo-plastic 5-harness satin weave composite, a comprehensive experimental and numerical analysis is conducted under uni-axial static tensile load. In textile composites, depending on the local constraints posed by surrounding plies, the out-of-plane deformation behavior of a yarn crimp in the laminate inner layers is different from that of surface layers, which are relatively more free to deform compared to the inner layers. The above mentioned difference in deformation behaviour of various plies may cause the difference in the local strain behaviour for a chosen ply in the laminate. In order to validate the above hypothesis, local strain distribution on the laminate surface is quantified using digital image correlation technique. Internal strains in the composite laminate were measured using embedded fibre optic sensors. Finally, unit cell meso-FE analysis provided the substantial evidence to understand the effect of internal yarn shifting on the local strain behavior of the 5-harness satin weave composite.