10 4 Clothing and Textiles
10 4 Clothing and Textiles
10 4 Clothing and Textiles
When you look around your house you will find that there are various types of fabrics
used for different things. Like, fabric used for curtains is different from the fabric used for
apparel or intimate garments. You will find that a particular type of fabric is used for a particular
end use. The difference in fabrics is due to difference in fabric properties which, you know,
depends on fiber, yarn, fabric construction techniques and also the finishes given to the fabric.
While making any garment you have to choose the right fabric. Fabric is the most
important thing that you should give importance to. It determines the overall style and beauty of
your dress.
❖ If you prefer silk fabric then it is prominent that you want a gorgeous and elegant look for
your dress.
❖ If you choose chiffon fabric for the item that means that you are for a sensuous and lean
look to flaunt.
❖ Cotton fabric is eco friendly and durable but needs to be washed regularly and ironed.
There are many other types of fabrics like organza and linen.
❖ Organza is a fabric which is made of silk or a silk like fabric that resembles organdy and
linen is a fabric woven with fibers from the flax plant.
Selection of fabrics:
Fabric plays an incredibly vital role in the creation of clothing. It can be challenging to
figure out which fabric is the best. The material must be perfect so that you can bring your
vision to life and form something comfortable enough to wear. Here are three factors to consider
when selecting the right fabric.
Fabric Stretch
You need to consider the stretch, or elasticity, of fabric. This characteristic can alter the
appearance of the design when a person wears it on their body. Too much elasticity will make the
design stretch out excessively. On the other hand, inadequate elasticity will cause the garment to
be too uncompromising for many people to wear. The fabric stretchiness also depends on the
practical application of the garment. For example, many sportswear clothes like yoga pants,
headbands, t-shirts, and leggings use bullet print fabric because of its incredible elasticity and
ability to conform to the body’s shape as it moves.
Fabric Weight
This aspect matters because you don’t want to make a summer dress from something
thick or a winter sweater from something thin. The unit of measure for fabric is grams per
square meter (GSM). People categorize materials with three GSM-based categories: lightweight,
medium-weight, and heavy-weight.
Fabric Drape
The last factor to consider when selecting the right fabric is the drape. This factor
describes how the material flows. When a fabric is stiff, it has less drape, and when a fabric is
more fluid, it has more drape. Very simple. So, a dress with a more drape will seem to float and
trail after the person wearing it, while a dress with less drape will stick closer to the body.
Typically, lighter fabrics tend to possess more drape, while thicker ones are stiffer.
Factors affecting selection of fabric:
The selection of clothing should be done on the basis of age, season, income, occasion and fashion.
Age:
● While selecting fabric one has to think of the age group of the child.
● For small children, dainty prints in soft colors can be chosen.
● Nursery prints are not suitable for elementary school children.
● When the children enter the late childhood stage, the boys like masculine colors, for
example blue, grayish blue, and brown and girls like to wear feminine colors like pink,
green and red.
● Some fabrics, which are delicate, are chosen for girls clothing whereas rough textured
fabrics are suitable for adolescent boys.
● The style of the dress also changes according to the age group of the child. The A-line
dresses are suitable for toddlers and infants.
● Later on, dresses with lots of gathers are suitable for girls’ frocks. In the same way type
of collars are suitable for younger age group, for example baby collar is not suitable for
adolescent
Season: Some fabrics and colors are suitable for winter while others are not, for example
synthetics; silk and wool are suitable for winter as they are bad conductors of heat. Cotton and
blends of cotton with synthetics are good for summer as they are good conductors of heat and
absorptive. There are cool and warm colors. The cool colors are associated with coolness, for
example, blue, green, white etc. Warm colors are bad conductors of heat and associated with
warmth for example, red, golden yellow and orange. So warm colors are suitable for winter,
whereas cool colors are chosen for summer.
Income: The budget of the family is influenced by different factors that affect the decisions
pertaining to clothes i.e., the quantity, the quality, the style, the types of the garments and the
associated accessories; the buying frequency and the place of purchasing.
Occasion: Selection of clothes also changes according to occasion. For daily wear or informal
wear, durable dresses with simple designs can be chosen but for occasional or formal wear novel
fabrics with new styles are chosen.
Fashion: Fashionable clothes look beautiful. One looks odd when one goes out of fashion. Few
fabrics and colors are in fashion while others are not. Some clothes should be brought according
to fashion and others should be simple. Children belonging to high-income groups can wear
fashionable clothes to a great extent as compared to low-income groups. Too much fashion
should be avoided.
(ii) Selection of readymade garments. Factors affecting selection of readymade
garments: fit, color, workmanship, cost, maintenance.
LAUNDERING
The term “laundering” means only washing of clothes. But actually it includes washing
as well as proper drying and finishing. Proper care and maintenance of textile materials is
essential in prolonging their durability and appearance.
LAUNDRY EQUIPMENTS:
The equipments required to launder any cloth will require the following:
Sinks, boilers, tubs & buckets, enamel bowls & basins, scrubbing boards & brushes, suction
washer, drying racks/clothing line and iron/ironing boards.
2. Wool
● Wool is very delicate and shouldn’t be boiled or washed with chlorine-based products.
● Dry cleaning or hand washing is best, but you can machine-wash wool mixes. Always
check the laundry label and set your machine to a short non-spin program.
● Hand-wash wool at a maximum temperature of 30 using special wool washing products
and without soaking.
● Gently scrub and rinse in lukewarm water, gently squeezing the water out and rinsing in
cold water.
● Dry flat on a clean towel. Always steam when pressing wool. When possible, press on the
reverse side of the fabric. When necessary to press on the right side, use a press cloth to
avoid a shine. Lower and lift the iron, don’t slide it back and forth.
● Rest wool garments 24 hours between wearing. Hang on a shaped or padded hanger
leaving lots of space between other garments to shed any wrinkles and return to the
garment's original shape.
3. Silk
● Only pre-washed silk can be washed but dry cleaning is preferred.
● If hand washing, use mild soap and lukewarm water then lay flat on a clean neon-colored
towel to dry.
● Never twist or squeeze to remove water.
● Iron while still damp on the reverse side. Never expose the fabric to sunlight as this can
yellow the fabric, leading to discoloration.
4. Rayon
● Dry cleaning is recommended but some rayons can be hand or machine washed.
● Check the garment label.
● To wash, use lukewarm or cool water. Gently work suds(The frothy soap bubbles you
make when you wash your hands are suds.) through the fabric and rinse in lukewarm
water.
● Don’t wring or twist.
● Lay flat on a clean neon-colored towel to dry. Press on the wrong side while damp with
an iron set at moderate.
● No chlorine bleach allowed.
5. Linen
● Any stains should be treated prior to washing.
● Some linen is washable, while others are dry clean only.
● Be sure to check the label. Washable household linen, handkerchiefs and apparel can be
washed easily and become softer with use.
● White linens should be dried in the sun to keep their whiteness.
● Linen fabrics may need frequent pressing, unless treated for crease resistance.
Linen items can be both hand washed and machine washed - either of these methods are fine and
won’t stretch or shrink your linens. If you do experience damage during wash, it may be related
to the quality of the fabric or chemicals involved.
Machine wash:
1. Separate white, dark, and colored linens. For best results, wash separately from other fabrics.
2. Wash in lukewarm water (<40°C/104°F). High temperatures may cause shrinkage of up to
10% and weaken the linen fiber.
3. Use the gentle machine cycle and don’t overload your washing machine.
4. Use mild detergent formulated for delicate fabrics. Don't bleach.
Products other than the cleansers, required to give good finish to the fabrics during the
process of laundering are known as Auxiliaries. Some of the auxiliaries in laundering are Blues,
Optical brightening agents and Chemical bleaches.
Have you ever noticed that after 2-3 wears and washings your white cottons and linens
lose whiteness and get a yellowish tint. Therefore, yellowness of white fabrics can be removed
by Blues, Optical Brightening agents and Bleaching agents.
Blues:
● A blue is defined as a chemical used as a fabric whitener.
● It is obtained from chemical, vegetable and mineral sources and is available in the market
in powder or liquid form.
● There are many types of blues and their color varies from violet to blue to bluish green.
● Wherever blue has to be applied– - it should be applied just before the last rinse - the blue
water should be mixed thoroughly before putting fabric into it.
● This will help avoid formation of blue speckles on the fabrics and helps in even
application of blue, eg., ultramarine blue and prussian blue.
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