Some Clarity on Fabrics
When I sit down with a new client, there’s an inevitable statement that always pulls into the stations. “I don’t want anything heavy, so no wool.”
Deep inhale
Wool falls into 5 Categories: Lightweight 4z-6oz, Medium Weight 6oz-8oz, Medium Heavy 8oz-10oz, Heavy 10oz-12oz, Very Heavy 12oz+ - Now these are not a agreed upon standard, but a guideline to use. What I have found is that when people think of Wool, they think of those thick socks their mother would make them wear, or that 5lbs sweater grandma would give for the holidays. In reality wool is the most versatile fabric available and you would be lucky to have 100% wool garments in the dead of summer or winter.
But bringing the truth wool will be my never ending crusade, let’s take a look at some other fabrics for Fall/Winter!
What is flannel?
Flannel is a soft, medium-weight cotton fabric that has a napped, fuzzy, finish on one or both sides. This napped finish either comes from brushing or from its characteristic loose weave. Its soft, cozy feel makes it the perfect fabric to keep you warm and comfortable all winter long. It’s often woven with patterns, especially plaid and tartan, and is a favorite fabric for sheets during the winter.
Flannel has been made since the 17th century and likely originated in Wales. Though it was once made of wool, by the 20th century, flannel was more commonly made with cotton, sometimes mixed with silk. Nowadays, the softest, coziest flannel is 100% cotton.
What is corduroy?
Corduroy is a fabric with evenly spaced vertical rows of soft pile. These rows are arranged in a distinct pattern called a “cord” or a “wale.” Corduroy, as a fabric, dates back to eighteenth century England, where it was primarily a rough wool cloth, rather than contemporary corduroy, which is soft to the touch and usually made from 100% cotton.
There are different types of corduroys, which are classified by the number of lengthwise pile rows per inch—feathercord has 20-25; pinwale has 16-23; regular wale has 14; wide wale has 6-10; and broad wale has 3-5.
What is denim?
Denim is a sturdy cotton twill fabric woven with an indigo, gray, or mottled white yarn. Denim is perhaps one of the most well-known and commonly worn fabrics there is, from the classic blue jeans to jackets, dresses, overalls, and more. For almost a hundred and fifty years the blue jean has been a symbol of classic Americana.
Denim jeans were invented in the 1870s by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss, the same Levi who founded Levi’s Jeans. Jacob Davis, his business partner, was the first to use copper rivets in men’s denim and cotton duck cloth trousers in order to reinforce the weakest points of the piece of clothing. This technique made the trousers stronger for a laborer’s daily wear. On May 20, 1873 a patent was granted to Davis and Levi Strauss & Co. for the jeans we know and love today.
If you want to read more about these fabrics and other, this info was pulled from: Fabric of Our Lives click the link to read more!
and This season, try a new type of fabric! Give Chords a try, I know that’s in the works for me.
