Fabric of the week: Satin

I dedicated one weekly fabric post to the basic weaves, including satin. Today, satin the fabric.

One mistake that is sometimes made is calling satin ‘silk.’ It certainly could be made of silk, and it has a silky feel, but all satin is not silk. (By the way, silk is relatively easy to distinguish in a burn test. There’s a burn test how-to in the VFG Fabric Resource.)

Another small issue with satin is the spelling: Satan does not get its spelling corrected, and pretty vintage ‘satan’ dresses show up regularly on eBay and Etsy!

Satin 

Satin is the name of one of the basic weaves, and also a fabric made in this weave. Owing to its silk or manufactured filament yarns and its uninterrupted warp yarn face, satin is very lustrous. Satin originated in China, and takes its name from Zaytoun, now Guangzhou, in southern China. 

Uses: Apparel (particularly evening wear), lingerie, lining 

See also: Satin weave, 
Duchesse satin

Silk satin, shown close enough to see the weave ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

Good examples of satin’s formality are in my shops right now, including:

50s silk satin gown by Helga

50s rayon satin strapless dress

Fabric term of the week: Crepe

It is a little pet peeve of mine that people describe a fabric as crepe, not indicating the fiber or any other aspect of it. Crepe—the word alone—is not actually a fabric, but a texture which is made in a number of ways. The name is applied to many fabrics, as you can see.

As always, this comes from the VFG Fabric Resource:

Crepe 

Crepe is a texture, which is probably best described as grainy, puckered or crinkled. The texture can be achieved by the type of fiber (especially hard or crepe twist yarns, textured yarns), chemical treatment, textured weave, or embossing. It may be made of any fiber and may be woven or knit. The name comes from the French word for crimped, crêpe. 

A wide range of fabrics are crepes.

See also:
Chiffon
Cloqué
Crepe de chine
Crepe-back satin
Crepon
Georgette
Matelassé

Rayon crepe

Worsted wool crepe

Woven nylon with embossed crepe texture ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

This 1940s rayon crepe dress is currently in my Etsy store. Those who have experience with it really appreciate the natural give and drape of the fabric. Just be sure not to wash (it shrinks) or iron (it shines) rayon crepe.

Fabric term of the week: Lamé

Happy New Year! If your party dress sparkled recently, it might have been thanks to lamé, the fabric term of the week. 

This is from the VFG Fabric Resource:

Lamé

A general term for a metallic effect, lamé is usually created using yarns made of aluminum laminated between layers of film. Lurex, which became a household name in the 1980s, is the name trademarked by The Lurex Company for plastic-coated aluminum yarn. Lamé is most often gold or silver in color (with the color added to the film or adhesive) but can be any color. 

A more traditional method of adding the gleam of metal to a fiber is by winding flattened metal wire around a thread. The metal may be gold (as in the expensive Indian jari thread), silver or aluminum. Actual gold and silver fiber, made of fine wire or flattened ribbons of metal, has been used in weaving the finest and costliest cloth since ancient times. 

Uses: Lamé threads may be used in any type of fabric, woven or knit. It is often light and can be used for anything from a sweater to evening wear. Heavier fabrics can be used for interior decorating. Metallic fibers are also used for their conductivity and ability to insulate.

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

60s silver lamé damask dress

60s gold lamé cocktail dress

50s iridescent taffeta with gold metallic threads

Fabric of the week: Velvet

Welcome to the day-after-Christmas edition of the fabric of the week, and what more perfect fabric for a the winter holidays than velvet? Each and every one of you know velvet, but perhaps not how it is made, or the many velvet variations and similar fabrics (under See also below).

As usual, I am pulling this from the VFG Fabric Resource:

Velvet 

Sumptuous fabric with a soft pile, velvet is constructed with a plain or twill weave back with one set of warp and one set of weft yarns. An extra set of warp yarns forms the pile. Velvet is now usually constructed by weaving two cloths together with pile ends connecting to both surfaces. The two are cut apart to give two pieces of velvet (double-cloth method). It may also be made by wires which lift and cut the pile. 

Velvet may be treated and varied in a number of way—including embossing, crushing, burning out—and can be made to be water- and crush-resistant. It is made of silk or manufactured filament fibers. If made of cotton it is called cotton velvet. 

The name velvet stems from the Latin vellus, or hair. 

Uses: Suits, coats, dresses, evening wear, shoes, hats, trim 

See also:
burn-out velvet, chiffon velvet, ciselé velvet
crushed velvet, dévoré velvet, façonné velvet
nacre velvet, panne velvet, tapestry velvet
velour, velveteen

Rayon velvet

Rayon velvet, rumpled to show pile

Cotton velvet

Cotton velvet, rumpled to show pile  ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

Right now I have a number of examples of velvets of different fibers and of Victorian through early 1970s era:

Victorian silk velvet capelet

50s velvet (most likely rayon) short cape

60s velvet-striped organza party dress

70s cotton velvet jacket by Granny Takes a Trip

Fabric of the week: Assuit

This is not an ordinary, run-of-the-mill fabric, assuit. I have a 1920s assuit shawl right now and I feel very fortunate to see it in person. I don't know when I will get another chance. Apparently, there is a modern assuit, but it is of vastly inferior quality to that made in the 1920s and before.

This (and all my fabric-of-the-week posts) is from the 

VFG Fabric Resource:

Assuit

Assuit is a netting fabric embroidered with metal. The embroidery is done by threading wide needles with flat strips of metal about 1/8” wide. The metal may be nickel silver, copper or brass, and it is threaded through the holes in the net, folded over, cut and flattened, making little packets of metal. When finished, the metal packets are further flattened by rolling and/or hammering over the fabric. The netting is made of cotton or linen. The fabric is also called tulle-bi-telli, an Arabic term meaning “net with metal.”

The patterns formed by this metal embroidery include geometric figures as well as plants, birds, people and camels.

Assuit has been made in the Asyut region (where it gets its name) of Upper Egypt since the late 19th century, although the concept of metal embroidery dates back to ancient Egypt, as well as other areas of the Middle East, Asia, India and Europe. A very sheer fabric is shown in Ancient Egyptian tomb paintings and the metallic embroidery is referenced in Exodus 39: “and they did beat the gold into thin plates and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the very fine linen, with cunning work.”

With the invention of the bobbinet machine, the netting fabric could be machine made, and during the French Protectorate this machine was introduced to the Asyut region (a textile center) by the French. The fabric was first imported to the U.S. for the 1893 Chicago Exposition, and again became popular with the fascination surrounding the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922. The geometric motifs were well suited to the Art Deco style of the time. Assuit is generally black, white or ecru. It is found most often in the form of a shawl, but also seen in small squares, large pieces used as bed canopies and even traditional Egyptian dresses. Assuit shawls were made into garments by purchasers, particularly during the 1920s.

The fabric’s name is seen in many alternate spellings including asyut, assyut, asyute, asuit, assuite and azute.

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

Here is the assuit shawl from which these photos were taken:

Deco-era Egyptian Assuit Shawl in Ecru with Silvery Metal Embroidery

There is a remarkable variety of assuit (and you will definitely see the name spelled differently here as elsewhere) in an exhibit at the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles, with a slideshow on their website.

Fabric of the week: Chinchilla cloth

Chinchilla cloth can be a confusing name for a fabric, given that it contains no chinchilla fur or fur fiber. A friend of mine speculated that it is called chinchilla cloth because chinchillas would rather you wear it than their fur! The real reason for the name? Read on...

This is from the VFG Fabric Resource:

Chinchilla cloth

Constructed like fleece with a long nap, chinchilla cloth is given a machine finish which rubs the nap into nubs. It is made of wool or wool blends, and the warp may be cotton for strength. The town of Chinchilla, Spain, is where the present fabric was first made. 

Uses: Coats, hats 

See also: Fleece

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photo by Hoyt Carter

Right now I have a soft-as-a-blanket 1950s chinchilla cloth coat in my Etsy shop.

That “100% Sheeps Wool” seems to be directed at the confusion possible with the fabric’s name.

Fabric of the week: Jersey

This week, with cold weather settling in, I feel like a knit. Jersey is the most basic knit, the kind you learn to do first when you knit by hand. Jersey is also made by knitting machines, in all weights and fibers.

But first: I’m happy to see the VFG Fabric Resource is in threadsmagazine.com Threads Daily Blog this week! Associate editor Stephani Miller discusses the ways to search for a mystery fabric in the resource.

This is from the VFG Fabric Resource:

Jersey

Jersey (also called single knit) is the simplest plain knit fabric, with two distinct sides. The face has vertical ribs while the reverse has horizontal rows. Sometimes the fabric is used with the technical back on the outside. 

Jersey can be light to heavy and made of any natural or manufactured fiber, although originally wool. It gets its name from its history of being made on the island of Jersey, in the Channel Islands off the English coast, and traditionally used for fishermen’s garb. 

Uses: Wide range from socks, underwear and sleepwear, to day wear and sportswear, to evening gowns

See also: Lisle

Wool jersey, face

Wool jersey, reverse ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

Acetate/nylon jersey dress, in my Etsy shop

Fabric term of the week: Basic weaves

There are various ways to organize fabrics, such as fiber, and their weave or knit. Today, from the VFG Fabric Resource, I am pulling out the three basic weaves: Plain, satin and twill. There are variations (see leno weave and basket weave) but they are based on these three plans.

First this definition:

Weaving 

The interlacing of yarns to create a fabric. Weaving can be done by hand or by machine.

Here are the three basics. Of course, knits are separate and have their own basic patterns. (Click on any highlighted word to see its definition.)

Plain weave 

The most basic, common and important weave, in plain weave each weft yarn passes alternately over and under each warp thread. Tabby weave is synonymous. 

Sharkskin, filament type

Satin weave 

Satin is one of the basic weaves, along with plain and twill. The warp yarns in a satin weave cover the weft yarns as much as possible (less common is the opposite where weft covers warp). This creates a lustrous surface. The pattern is most often 4/1 but can also be 7/1 or 11/1. In these patterns, warp yarns float over weft yarns in numbers of 4 to 1, 7 to 1 and 11 to 1, and the interlacings do not occur in rows, giving the most uninterrupted gloss possible. 

Satin originated in China, and takes its name from Zaytoun, now Guangzhou, in southern China. Fabric called satin was originally and still is made of silk, or may be made of manufactured filament fiber. Satin weave fabric may also be made of cotton. 

See also:
Satin

Silk satin

Twill 

Twill is one of the basic weaves, along with plain and satin. It is characterized by a diagonal rib, and there are a number of variations possible, including right-hand twill, left-hand twill and broken twill. 

The diagonal wales are formed by the weaving pattern, which varies somewhat but always involves weft yarns crossing two or more warp yarns. In successive rows the weft float will move in position by one warp yarn to the right or the left. The weave is inherently sturdy: Twills have more yarns per square inch than plain weaves. 

A 2/1 twill is called an uneven twill and a warp-face twill, uneven because of the two to one ratio, and warp-face because there will be more warp than weft yarns on the surface. Gabardine is an example. Even more sturdy is a 3/1 twill, because the warp is stronger than the weft. Examples are drill and denim. 

A 2/2 twill is an even twill, and such a twill shows its diagonal wale equally on its face and its reverse. Wool fabrics such as serge and authentic tartans and district checks are even twills. 

Wool and silk twills have traditionally been woven with their diagonal wales angling up to the right (right-hand twill), while cottons have traditionally angled to the left (left-hand twill)—although there are exceptions. 

Another distinction in the twill weave group is the angle of the twill. The steeper the angle (from a horizontal line), the more warp yarns are employed, and the sturdier the fabric. A 63˚ angle is considered steep, 45˚ is regular, and 23˚ is reclining. This last is relatively rare. 

A broken twill has variations in the regular twill line. A broken twill line that reverses directions at regular intervals is called herringbone.

Worsted wool gabardine

Chino

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text and diagrams by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

Fabrics of the week: Tartan and plaid

Dress Gordon tartan kilt, Gordon tartan bagpipe bag

I grew up with a father who was the pipe major of several bagpipe bands (oh yes, I learned the pipes) and I very often heard that no plaid-patterned fabric that wasn’t a genuine tartan should ever be called a tartan. For those of you who didn’t have this drilled into your consciousness at an early age, I offer today’s fabrics of the day, from the VFG Fabric Resource:

Tartan

Tartan is traditional Scottish right-hand twill weave wool in distinct criss-cross patterns. The pattern is called a sett. Each tartan is tied to a clan, regiment or district of Scotland, and there have gradually been added further officially-recognized tartans, such as those of Canadian provinces and U.S. states. All tartans are registered in Edinburgh, by the Scottish Register of Tartans, maintained by the National Records of Scotland. All tartans are plaids, but no plaids without official recognition should use the name tartan. 

For each clan there may be a number of official tartans, such as dress, hunting and ancient (which use more muted colors—from the days of natural dyes). Originally worn as the belted plaid (long straight shawl belted at the waist), then the pleated, wrapped kilt, tartan has also historically been worn in the form of trousers, or truis. 

The best known tartans are generally thought to be Royal Stewart and Black Watch. 

Now tartans may be made of any fibers, but still are most characteristically wool. 

The origin of the word tartan is thought to come from a combination of the French tiretain (probably derived from tirer, “to pull,” referring to a woven cloth) and the Gaelic breacan, “many colors.” 

Uses: Kilts, plaids and trousers are traditional, also now used for everything from coats to evening wear 

See also:

Plaid (below)

Wool tartan (Buchanan)

Plaid

Plaid is a pattern of bars and/or lines that criss-cross at right angles. 

The name plaid comes from the traditional Scottish tartan woolen shawl, fastened with a brooch at the shoulder. Confusion arises in regards to its nomenclature since in the U.S. it is the name of a fabric pattern. A plaid without official registration as a tartan should not be called a tartan. 

See also:

District checks

Glen plaid 

Madras

Tartan (above)

Plaid taffeta ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

One additional note: I find the House of Tartan Reverse Tartan Search helpful for finding the names of true tartans, such as this one, which I found to be Dress MacDonald.

Detail from a previously sold Pendleton wool jacket

Pendleton 49er jackets can be found in tartans, but this one, currently available in my Etsy shop, is a plaid

Fabric term of the week: Manufactured fiber

Many people want to know when fabrics were first available, especially those that were newly created in the 20th century.

I used quite a few sources to come up with these dates, and found there is some discrepancy, but I believe it should help with dating items.

For more specific information about the history of each of the manufactured fibers, including the date of invention, go to each of the fabrics by name.

Manufactured fiber 

Formerly known as man-made fiber, manufactured fiber is defined as “any fiber derived by a process of manufacture from any substance which, at any point in the manufacturing process, is not a fiber.” (Textile Fiber Products Identification Act, 1960) 

Manufactured fibers include those regenerated from natural materials, synthetic fibers and inorganic fibers. 

Regenerated fibers include those based on cellulose (rayon, acetate, triacetate) and protein-based fibers (azlon). 

Synthetics include acrylic, modacrylic, nylon, olefin, polyester, spandex and vinyon. 

Inorganic fibers include ceramic, glass and metallic fibers.  

Timeline of first commercial use of manufactured fibers 

1905 rayon in the U.K.
  

1910 rayon in the U.S.
 

1918 acetate in the U.K. (called celanese)
 

1924 acetate in the U.S. (trademarked Celanese)
 

1939 nylon
 

1939 vinyon
 

1950 acrylic
 

1953 polyester
 

1953 acetate and rayon given separate groupings by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission
 

1954 triacetate
 

Late 50s Modal
 

1959 Spandex
 

1961 Olefin
 

1993 Lyocell

Fabric of the week: Bouclé

It’s getting cold here, time for a cozy fabric like bouclé, with its small loops that insulate, as well as decorate. This comes from 

VFG Fabric Resource

.

Bouclé

Characterized by loops on one or both sides, bouclé comes from the French word for “buckled,” “ringed” or “curled.” Some versions of the fabric combine looped sections with plain; others are looped all over. Most commonly wool—with mohair a fine choice for this treatment—bouclé may also be acrylic or other fibers. It may be woven or knitted. 

Uses: Coats, suits, sweaters 

See also:

Bouclette, Poodle cloth, Ratiné, Terry cloth

Woven mohair bouclé

Wool knit bouclé

Bouclé and plain yarns ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

Right now I have a number of items made with bouclé yarns, including this red coat:

Classic woven bouclé, the loops seen all over the surface

The bouclé yarn in stripes

Wool bouclé knit

Fabric of the week: Corduroy

Vintage corduroy: The beloved 1968 children's book about a teddy bear in corduroy overalls

Parlez-vous français?

If so, you probably believe that the word corduroy means something like “cord of the king,” with some sort of royal lineage. When preparing the VFG Fabric Resource saw that there is not a consensus on this in references.

Corduroy

There is argument about the derivation of the name corduroy, with many claiming it got its name from the French corde du roi, or King’s cord, and that it was used for the clothing of servants in French royal households in the 17th and 18th centuries. It may have been a form of marketing (wear a fabric worn in the presence of French nobility!) by an English entrepreneur. Whatever the origin of its name, corduroy is a rugged and sturdy fabric, most often made of cotton, although today cotton blends are common. More rarely, and expensively, it is made of silk. 

The wales (ridges) of corduroy are formed by having extra filling yarns woven into a background. The filling yarns float over several or more warp yarns, then under one or two. The yarns floating over the surface are then cut, leaving tufts of yarn that are brushed up into soft vertical ridges. The wales are rounded as the float threads are longer at the centers of the ridges. Corduroy’s ground is plain or twill weave, and these are called tabby back and Genoa back, respectively. 

There are many weights of corduroy, defined by the number of wales per inch. The lighter, finer corduroys have tiny wales and as many as 25 wales per inch in the case of featherwale, while widewale (also called jumbo and elephant cord) can have as few as two wales to the inch. Corduroy can be made with alternating wider and narrower wales—called thick and thin corduroy. 

Uncut corduroy is a fabric that has a corded appearance, but without the velvety ridges of the cut floats. Very sturdy, it is used for sportswear. 

Uses: Depending on the weight, everything from dresses and shirts to upholstery, with suits, coats, slacks, children’s clothing, workwear and accessories in between. 

See also:
 Featherwale corduroy, 
 Midwale corduroy, 
Pinwale corduroy, 
Widewale corduroy

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photo by Hoyt Carter

I would be thrilled to see and touch a silk corduroy someday! For now, I have a couple fine cotton corduroy items in my Etsy shop:

50s pinwale cotton corduroy coat

A flaring skirt dress, also from the 1950s, in pinwale corduroy

Fabric of the week: Surah

Did you ever wonder what to call that silk fabric used for so many scarves? You know, the elegant light fabric with a diagonal twill weave? 

From the VFG Fabric Resource:

Surah 

Surah is usually made of silk, or sometimes with silky manufactured fibers. It is found in a right-hand twill weave with the diagonal pattern of the twill visible on both sides. It is soft, smooth and fine and can be printed or solid. The French name surah comes from Surat, India, where the fabric was either first made, or dealt in, depending on the source of information. 

Uses: Neckties (it is sometimes called tie silk), scarves, blouses, dresses, and lingerie 

See also:
Foulard

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photo by Hoyt Carter

Although scarves are certainly more common than dresses made of surah, it makes a beautiful dress fabric—as Claire McCardell must have thought in designing this dress (from my web store).

  

Fabric term of the week: Wool

I talked about rayon last, week, and with temperatures dropping...how about wool? This is from the VFG Fabric Resource.

Wool 

Wool is a natural fiber from sheep coats. It can be spun into a yarn with qualities that have never been entirely reproduced with manufactured fibers. It is strong and flexible, an excellent insulator, flame resistant, naturally water repellent and also able to absorb up to 50% of its weight in water. The fibers are naturally crimped and springy. The crimping makes the spinning of wool much easier with the fibers naturally binding together. In addition, the microscopic sections or scales along wool fibers allow them to stretch and bend as well as to lock together—giving wool its felting property. 

Not all sheep hair is the same—with variations on one animal, from animal to animal, and between breeds. Kemp is the more hair-like portion of a sheep coat, with little or no crimp and of larger diameter and coarser feel. The highest grade of wool is one with the narrowest diameter and with the highest number of crimps in its fiber. Ultra-fine merino wool can have up to 100 crimps per inch. 

The domestication of wild sheep took place sometime before 6,000 B.C.E., and the earliest wool fleece and fibers positively identified date from about 4,000 B.C.E. We get the name wool from Old English wull, and many other languages base their name for the fiber on the Latin lana. 

Also, note that various wools may come from other animals, primarily angora goats (from which we get mohair), cashmere goats (cashmere), angora rabbit (angora), alpaca, camel, and vicuna.

See wool and wool-like fabrics collected in the VFG Fabric Resource.

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain

Like most vintage clothing sellers, I have plenty of wool items in stock. Here are just a few in my Etsy shop:

100% angora sweater dating from the 1980s

Italian-made 60s wool knit suit

50s black duvetyn jacket of 85% wool/15% fur fiber

Fabric term of the week: Rayon, viscose

Before I present my definition of rayon from the VFG Fabric Resource let me say this: I am no chemist. Understanding the processes used in creating manufactured fibers such as rayon, nylon and polyester was an interesting challenge for me. Having read, then read again (and again) about the invention and creation of these fibers, they finally stuck with me and I was able to present them in what I hope is understandable detail. I hope it is even a little interesting!

Rayon is a fiber that many vintage clothing aficionados love dearly. Its ability to take and hold dyes, its versatility and its long history, have made it a favorite of vintage wardrobes.

1940s “date for the ballet” novelty print rayon

Rayon 

Rayon is a generic name for a group of fabrics made from cellulose. Cellulose is a structural component of plants. For the purpose of textile production, wood pulp from trees is the main source of cellulose.  There are several different manufacturing processes, which yield rayon types called viscose, cuprammonium, high wet modulus (modal) and lyocell. 

Rayon was the first man-made fiber. One part of the process, the extraction of cellulose from the inner bark of a tree, was achieved by the Swiss chemist Georges Audemars in 1855. In 1884, Frenchman Hilaire de Chardonnet developed a nitrocellulose process for creating the fiber—a process which involved exposing cellulose to nitric acid. Nitrocellulose could then be extruded, through a tiny hole, as a filament fiber. The fiber was expensive and dangerous to make—as evidenced by the number of early factories that blew up processing the highly flammable nitrocellulose. This earliest incarnation of rayon was called Chardonnet silk. 

The much safer cuprammonium process was developed by the Bemberg Company of Germany in 1890. In this process, cellulose from purified wood pulp is exposed to a solution of copper and ammonia (cuprammonium), converting the cellulose to a liquid form. After spinning and washing, the cellulose is regenerated into a filament form. This process yields a smooth, fine filament fiber. Bemberg Italy still makes this fiber, under the trademark name Bemberg. Cupro is the generic name often used for rayon produced by the cuprammonium method. 

In 1892, the viscose process was patented in Britain by Charles Frederick Cross and his partners. Unlike cuprammonium, viscose rayon does not require lignin-free (purified wood pulp) cellulose, making it cheaper and more practical to produce. This process, which takes place in many stages, allows for more modifications to the fiber. Soon after its patent—and to this day—the viscose method has been the principal method used for making rayon. 

The viscose rayon fiber, first known as artificial silk, was in commercial production by 1905 in Britain. In 1909, because of high import tariffs, the British company Samuel Courtauld and Co. Ltd. obtained the rights to produce rayon using the viscose process in the United States. The first U.S. rayon plant, in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, was in business by 1910. Courtauld called this new venture the American Viscose Company. 

The multistage viscose process follows a progression that changes wood pulp into a viscose substance, then into a filament fiber. It is a very versatile process. Viscose rayon can be blended with any other fiber, and the finished textile can be soft and silky or sturdy and strong. It can have a dull or bright finish, and can be silken, linen-like or even wool-like. It takes dye well. Its clothing uses range from delicate lingerie to heavy coats. The 1930s saw the first use of staple fiber rayon, allowing rayon to not only emulate the silk that inspired it, but also cotton. 

The name rayon (“beam of light” in French) was first used in 1924 in the U.S., whereas viscose was used as the name of the process and the cellulosic liquid from which the rayon was made. In Europe, viscose was adopted as the name of the fabric itself (with the name rayon disappearing after the 1970s). The U.S. Federal Trade Commission now considers viscose an alternative name for rayon. 

Viscose rayon’s biggest practical weakness is its lack of strength when wet. High Wet Modulus (HWM) or modal rayon was developed in the 1950s; it is a variation of viscose rayon which makes for a stronger fiber. 

Lyocell was developed starting in the late 1970s by Courtaulds Fibres UK, and first manufactured in 1987. It differs in production from viscose rayon in that the solvent is reused, reducing its environmental impact (a major problem with older rayon processes). Tencel was the first trade name used for the staple fiber lyocell in North America, dating from 1992. Lyocell is also spun into filament fibers for silk-like textiles.

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photo by Hoyt Carter

I've just added this dress made of rayon faille to my web store

Fabric of the week: Dotted swiss

One of the first fabrics I could call by name was dotted swiss (also called swiss dot). It is often used for girl’s clothing so I may have had a dress made of it early on. I remember asking for it by name when my mother was sewing something for me. I loved it, and still do.

In researching for the VFG Fabric Resource, I found out that there are a number of ways to achieve dotted swiss’s tiny regular dots. Read on...

Dotted swiss 

Traditionally made of a fine plain weave cotton—now sometimes a blend with manufactured fiber—dotted swiss always is covered in small dots placed at regular intervals. These can be woven in, flocked or printed. Colors may be introduced, although the most common is all white. The original and finest was first made in Switzerland on a swivel loom. Other woven varieties are clip-spot (spot-dot, clip-dot or American dotted swiss) and lappet woven. 

Flocked dots are made by applying tiny fibers with glue. Neither the flocked nor the printed versions of dotted swiss are as durable as the woven varieties, although they are less expensive to produce. 

Uses: Blouses, dresses, wedding gowns and curtains 

See also:
 Flocked fabric

Dotted swiss, clip spot, face

Dotted swiss, clip spot, reverse

Dotted swiss, flocked

 ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

This week I’ve listed a 1950s formal with the charm of sheer red dotted swiss, the tiny white dots achieved by the clip-spot method. 

50s red dotted swiss strapless dress in my Etsy shop

Fabric term of the week: Iridescent

You know what iridescence looks like (and, if you are like me, you have to concentrate to get the spelling right!) but maybe you don’t know how it is achieved with fabric.

This is from the VFG Fabric Resource.

Iridescent 

Iridescence is a display of radiant colors which seems to change when seen from various angles. 

Also called chameleon, changeant, pearlescent, luminescent, glacé, changeable or shot (in the case of taffeta), iridescent fabric is created by the weaving of two different colored yarns in the warp and weft. This may also be achieved in the dyeing of a fabric with two different fibers taking dye differently. Any fiber may be used, but the more lustrous the fiber, the more dramatic will be the iridescence.

Iridescent dupioni silk

The same iridescent silk, showing the two colors

Iridescent organza

Printed iridescent cotton—note the subtler effect ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photos by Hoyt Carter

Bronze iridescent taffeta dress and jacket, in my web store

Fabric of the week: Alaskine

If you are fond of 1960s fashion, you will know the fabric I'm highlighting this week from the VFG Fabric Resource. That is, you will probably know the look, but you may not know the name...

Alaskine

Lustrous and relatively crisp fabric of 35% silk and 65% wool, with the silk in the warp and the wool in the weft. The name Alaskine was trademarked in 1960, although used commercially starting in 1956. The trademark was cancelled in 2001. The elegant fabric was especially popular in the 1960s. 

Uses: Suits, formal wear, dresses

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photo by Hoyt Carter

This 1960s ice pink alaskine dress by Nat Kaplan is in my web store

Fabric term of the week: Polyester

MUTTS by Patrick McDonnell

Polyester has a bad rap, and some of it may be deserved. Particularly in clothing made of 100% polyester from the 1960s and early 70s, the fiber can be less than perfectly pleasing to the touch. However, it can be washed and worn and makes a good day-to-day wearable. Polyester-strengthened blends appeared starting in 1953, and you may not even always sense its presence. By around the mid 1970s, 100% polyester fabrics started to improve in quality.

This comes from the new VFG Fabric Resource. You can click on the links for the definitions of these terms in the resource.

Polyester

The inventor of nylon, Wallace Carothers, first created a polyester fiber in the 1930s. However it was the Englishman Dr. J.R. Whinfield who first supplied a commercially viable product in 1941. Still, polyester was not commercially introduced until 1953 in the U.S., and 1955 in Britain. The first British trade name (held by Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd.) was Terylene. DuPont was the first U.S. manufacturer, under the trade name Dacron. Many other manufacturers and trade names have existed and continue to exist today.

Polyester fiber is manufactured from a synthetic polymer in which the polymer units are linked by ester groups. The spun fiber makes a strong and washable, relatively inexpensive fabric— one that is abrasion-, fade-, wrinkle-, insect- and mold-resistant. Its most significant drawbacks as a finished fabric are its lack of absorption, its tendency to hold onto oil-based stains, and the difficulty to remove its pilling. Although it acquired a bad name through overuse in the 1960s and 70s, polyester fabrics can now be found with a wide range of aesthetic qualities. Frequently a component in blends, polyester is by far the most common fiber used for fabric today.

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain

From my Etsy shop: Late 70s polyester jersey wrap dress by Mr. Suli - Toronto

Fabric of the week: Melton

If you have ever felt a vintage wool coat and sighed with bliss, there is a pretty good chance it was made of melton. This fabric has a surface that has been finished to give it a felt-like, weather-resistant nap, and in the finest wool it makes a velvety soft coat.

This definition is from the new VFG Fabric Resource, which is filled with many fabrics that will make you sigh with bliss, or so I hope. All the linked words will take you to definitions in the resource, in case you aren’t familiar with the terms.

Melton

Melton looks much like thick felt with its twill weave or plain weave obscured by fulling and shearing of its nap (although the back of the fabric may show its weave). The dense, thick construction makes it wind and rain resistant and extremely warm. It is almost always dyed a solid color.

The best melton is all wool and almost velvety. Less costly variations can have a cotton warp and woolen weft, and sometimes manufactured fibers are also used. Melton takes its name from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, UK, where it was first woven and used to make jackets for fox hunting.

Uses: Winter coats, uniforms, riding habits

See also:
Doeskin

©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain,  photo by Hoyt Carter

This 1940s black coat from my web store is made of a blissfully fine wool melton. As with the best of this fabric, it has a velvety feel.