Fabrics

Fabrics

All fabrics are created from tiny hair-like fibers. These can be less

than an inch in length or long, strands that goes on and on. These

fibers are mixed by twisting them together making a yarn. The yarns

are woven , knitted or they are ironed onto the fabric.

Manufactured Fibers

Manufactured fibers are made from raw substances through being

processed in factories. They are not fabrics that are made from

natural sources.

In the year 1910, rayon was the first man-made fabric that was

commercially produced in the United States of America. It was created

from a fibrous substance that is found in all forms of plant life. The

first fiber made that was made completely from chemicals was nylon.

Nylon was commercially made in the year 1939. Since then, a wide

variety of man-made fibers have been made.

Man -made fibers are placed into two groups according to their

composition and characteristics . These two groups are cellulosic and

non-cellulosic fibers. Cellulosic fibes are made of a fibrous

substance that is found in plants. Non- cellulosic fibers are made

completely with chemicals only.

Each one of these groups has a genetic name or family name. Each of

the fiber that comes from the same family also has the same general

characteristics. The genetic fiber name must appear on the label of

any garment or fabric that is being sold. When and if you know the

genetic name of a fiber, you will automatically know what to look for

from the fiber in terms of performance and care requirements.

In addition to a genetic name, the fiber will also have a trade name.

Trade names are used by the company to identify their fibe...

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... or clustered , muted or bold. All will affect how the fabric suits

looks on you.

Fabric patterns; just like texture , can make illusions in design.

Small designs in subdued colors usually lowers apparent size. Larger

overall designs increase the size. Widely spaced motifs make you look

larger than you really are. Prints with big curves give a feeling of

added roundness and size.

When choosing striped or plaid fabrics, follow the main theory of line

and illusion .Select prints , stripes and plaids that are in scale, or

in proportional size with your own body size. Small

designs/decorations look better on a small, to average person, but

they appear out of place and lost on a large figure. On the other

hand, large designs are best worn by the average to tall person a

these designs can overwhelm a small figure.