Textiles 101: fabrics and fibers
Happy belated national textiles day, which is celebrated on May 3rd! The first class that I have ever taken in fashion was textiles. Let me tell you it was a very difficult course with its specific terminology and advanced chemistry involved. At the same time, it was a fun class where we burned fabrics to identify if they were made of synthetic or natural fibers; counted the number of threads per square inch using the loupe. The best part was doing fabric manipulation and shibori (Japanese tie-dye technique). The Art of Manipulating Fabric book is a great source of inspiration if you would like to try it yourself.
The most important thing that I learned in that class served me for many years as a designer and consumer. It was the difference between fabrics and fibers. I often hear phrases like “This silk has nice drape” when referring to a polyester satin or “I don’t wear lycra” in regards to a knit. There seems to be confusion between the fabric, fiber content, and weave. I used this comprehensive Dictionary of Textiles by Fairchild for definitions. Let’s discuss what it all means.
fiber
the fundamental component that is used in the assembly of textile yarns and fabrics
Fibers are divided into natural and manmade. Natural fibers are widely known such as cotton, wool, silk. They are sourced from plants, animals, insects respectively. Manmade or manufactured fibers are made by humans using technology. They are classified by natural and synthetic polymers. The examples of the natural origin are lyocell, rayon, acetate. Synthetic manmade fibers are acrylic, nylon, polyester, polyurethane, spandex, etc. When you are shopping for clothing, you can always look at the label to see what fibers were used. The Federal Trade Commission requires a garment to have fiber content, country of origin, care instructions, and the manufacturer’s information on the tag.
yarn
a continuous strand of textile fibers that may be composed of endless filaments or shorter fibers twisted or otherwise held together
fabric
a flexible sheet material that is assembled of textile fiber and/or yars that are woven, knitted, braided, netted, felted, plaited, or otherwise bonded together to five the material mechanical strength.
There is a large variety of fabrics, and this is where it gets interesting. The names of the fabrics have their own history. For example, denim is named after a twilled fabric made in Nimes, France (serge de nîmes). Jacquard inherited its name after the type of weaving that allows the creation of repeated patterns. Sateen is a cotton fabric with a satin weave. You should not stress about memorizing every single fabric type, but it is helpful to understand the structure and properties. All fabrics are divided into 4 types: woven, knitted, non-woven, and hides.
woven fabrics
Composed of two basic series of yarn: warp and weft (vertical and horizontal). The specific manner in which the two sets of yarns are interlaced determines the weave. There may be two or more sets of yarns.
Wovens are satin, organza, chiffon, brocade, and many more. Garments made of woven fabrics are pants, shirts, dresses, jackets. There are three types of weaves, plain (looks just like it sounds with yarns alternating 1/1), twill weave like in jeans (2/1 or 2/2), and satin, the lustrous fabric used in lingerie (4/1 or more). Some of the more complicated weaves are dobby (smaller patterns), jacquard, pique (polos are made from it), and pile fabrics (velvets, terrycloth).
knitted fabrics
A method of constructing fabrics by interlocking a series of loops of one or more years.
There are many types of knits: jersey, tricot, seamless, circular, rib knit, intarsia, etc. The knit fabrics are popular for athleisure and sportswear.
nonwoven fabrics
A textile structure produced by bonding or interlocking of fibers, or both. Some examples are felt, crochet, macrame, lace.
A good example is faux leather or vinyl, however, oftentimes the woven backing is used.
hides
Animal skin cured and prepared for fabrication into products.
Sustainable materials
It should be noted that not all fibers and fabrics are created equally. Natural is not always good for the environment, and synthetic does not mean it is bad. Here is a list and explanation of some of the popular materials that you may have seen and did not know what they meant. For a complete list, read the Sustainable Jungle site and CFDA materials list.
Natural
Organic bamboo
An insignificant amount of this fiber comes directly from the bamboo plant and is classified as a natural fiber. The vast majority is regenerated cellulose and is classified as a manufactured fiber. The fiber in its natural state has both antibacterial and antimicrobial properties but these properties have not been documented in manufactured fiber.
Organic cotton
Cotton fiber from plants grown in fields that have not been treated with inorganic chemicals for at least three years.
Manufactured natural
Lyocell
Generic classification for solvent-spun cellulosic fiber. The process of production is more environmentally friendly than the production of rayon. Tencel® is often used to indicate lyocell, it is a trademark for a high-performance, solvent spun cellulosic fiber.
Modal
Is also a generic fiber category for manufactured fibers of cellulose. It is also a trademark name for regenerated cellulose manufactured fiber. Modal is different from viscose (rayon), it does not lose its shape and is stronger when wet. Modal is not as organic as lyocell.
Leather alternatives
Piñatex
This is such a cool material because it is faux leather made of pineapple leaves. Pineapple fibers are very fine and strong with 1-1 ½ ft in length (30-50 cm). It works great for bags, shoes, and clothing, see examples on the Piñatex site here.
Desserto
This is another vegan leather made of cactus plant grown in Mexico. It is strong enough to be used for shoes, handbags, and apparel. The company has a program for students if you are still in school and interested in applying the material in your designs.
Sustainable silk and silk-like fibers
Cupro (cupra)
Cuprammonium rayon is a silk alternative that is produced from regenerated cellulose. Cellulose derived from wood pulp or cotton linter is dissolved in an ammoniacal copper solution.
Peace silk
Anyone who is familiar with the production of silk fabric knows how cruel it is. Peace silk is produced without harming silkworms, they can turn into a butterfly after silk filament has been collected.
Wool
Recycled cashmere, mohair, lamb
It is wool produced from pre-consumer waste, all the waste created in the production process before it hits the stores. A good example is Re.Verso™.
Manufactured synthetics
Recycled nylon
Recycled nylon made of pre-consumer waste, fishnets, carpets, and other materials. Econyl® is used in swimwear by many popular brands. There is also another recycled nylon-like Umorfil® N6U®.
Recycled polyester
It is often collected from plastic bottles. It is used for a variety of projects: shoes, socks, accessories, clothes. The brand names are Umorfil® T, Repreve®.
Whether you are a designer or just enjoy fashion, it is necessary to know fibers and fabrics to make better decisions. I hope you found this guide helpful. Subscribe to stay updated to weekly posts!
May the 4th be with you,
Modeliere