Fabric 101
A Crash Course in Choosing the Right Fabric
Choosing the right fabrics for your garment is a crucial piece of the product design process. The fabric you choose can dramatically change how your product looks, fits, and feels. In addition to changing the design of the product itself, the fabric you select will impact your cost and price and be influenced by available suppliers.
In my previous article, I shared insights on how to source materials for your product with confidence. In this article, I’m sharing the basics about fabrics you should understand as you start planning out your product concept and move into pattern-making.
What You Need to Know About Fabric
Some fabrics are made from a single type of fiber, such as 100% cotton, linen, or acrylic. These single-fiber fabrics are great but have their limitations, so we began blending different fibers together to enhance the benefits of each into one material.
Fibers (also called staples) are the smallest visible part of the fabric and are best imagined as a single hair-like strand. While fibers are the foundation of all fabrics, there are actually only two categories: natural and man-made.
Natural Fibers
Natural fibers are either cellulose-based (from a plant) or protein-based (from an animal). Cotton is an example of a cellulose-based fiber and wool is an example of a protein-based fiber.
Man-made Fibers
Man-made fibers are just that, they're man-made. Man-made fibers also come in two variations: manufactured and synthetic.
Manufactured man-made fibers use a natural base such as cellulose, protein, or minerals for their foundation. With some human ingenuity and additional steps, the strands are turned into the desired fiber. Some examples you may be familiar with are modals, lyocels, bamboo, and rayon.
Synthetic man-made fiber means they're purely chemical-based. These include your nylons, polyesters, and the very well-known spandex.
Turning Fibers Into Yarn
The thing about fibers is that they are relatively short. They reach maybe half an inch to 18 inches. This means they need to undergo a process that turns them into longer lengths called yarn. The yarn is what is used to weave or knit the very fabric that you know and love today and from which your beautiful design will eventually be lovingly cut and sewn. The easiest way to understand how fibers are turned into continuous lengths of yarn is to understand one of our most basic inventions and how it works: the spinning wheel.
The Origin of the Spinning Wheel
This cool contraption was invented somewhere between 500 AD and 1000 AD. It took us a very long time to figure out, but it dramatically changed our existence, so much so that we are still using this process today only through the use of machines and automation.
A spinning wheel is essentially a contraption that an operator sits at while using their feet to run pedals that turn a big wheel. Imagine the operator has a big pile of staple fibers next to them, such as cotton or wool. The operator is taking clumps of the material and hand-teasing the lengths into the spinning wheel where it is then twisted as it's pulled to make a long continuous strand.
How Length is created
The twisting gives those fibers strength while integrating them together for length. Once we have the length, we can start weaving those yarns into sheets of fabric. Now, the neat thing about using the spinning wheel as an example to understand how thread is made is that you can easily imagine how blends are created. That pile of staple fiber next to the operator could be a mix of anything. So that shirt you have that's 80% cotton and 20% polyester came from a pile of staple fibers that were blended together first before being pulled and twisted into a yarn.
Of course, the process nowadays is much more complex than this, but you begin to understand the concept of how yarn and fabrics are created.
The Structure of Wovens
In textiles, "weave" refers to the pattern or structure formed by interlacing threads or yarns to create a fabric. The way these threads intersect determines the characteristics and appearance of the fabric. Here are the main components of a weave:
The Warp: This is the set of yarns or threads that run lengthwise on a loom and are held under tension.
The Weft: This is the set of yarns or threads that are woven over and under the warp threads, running crosswise.
The Three Basic Weaves Types
Plain Weave
A plain weave is the simplest and most common type of weave. Each weft thread crosses over and under each warp thread alternating. Examples of this are most quilting fabrics, muslin and mens’
Twill Weave
This weave is characterized by diagonal lines on the fabric surface. Each weft thread crosses over one or more warp threads and then under two or more warp threads. A common example is denim and canvas.
Satin Weave
When you think of a satin, you likely imagine a shiny, smooth surface and think of it as a fabric, but it’s actually a type of weave. The weft threads pass over multiple warp threads before going under one, with the interlacing distributed to avoid the diagonal effect of twill.
The Structure of Knits
A knitted structure is made up of a series of intermeshing loops. The columns of loops are called wales and the rows are called courses. There are two distinct types of industrial knitting technologies available, warp knitting and weft knitting.
The Two Basic Knits Types
Weft Knitting
Weft knitting is characterized by yarns that run horizontally, looping across the width of the fabric. This type of knit is generally more stretchy and flexible than warp knits and is commonly used in t-shirts, sweaters, socks, and casual wear.
Some examples of weft knitting include jersey knit, rib knit, purl knit, interlock knit, and double knit.
Warp Knitting
Warp knitting is characterized by yarns that run vertically in parallel columns. This style of knit is more stable and less stretchy than weft knits. It is commonly used in netting, lace fabrics and sportswear.
Examples of warp knitting include tricot (fine, vertical ribs in front, horizontal in back) and raschel (more open and lace-like).
Factors to Consider when Choosing Materials
Purpose
The first thing to ask yourself is if the design needs stretch. If it’s tight fitting or you want added comfort across a wide range of body shapes/sizes then a knit is the way to go. You can choose a woven but make sure it has a blend with Spandex to increase the stretch. Keep in mind a woven with spandex generally won’t stretch as well as a knit with spandex.
Climate or Environment
Natural fibers, such as cotton and linen, are better for warmer climates, while wool is suited for colder weather. Where will your customers be using or wearing your garment, and what type of climate will they be in? This answer will influence the fabric blend you choose.
Care Requirements
Some fabrics require special care, such as dry cleaning for silk or delicate washing for wool. If you’re designing a product specifically for travelers, you might want to pick a fabric that stands up well in a suitcase and is easily washable.
Comfort
When choosing a fabric for a garment, you’ll want to consider how the fabric feels against the skin, its breathability, and stretchability, especially how it relates to the main purpose and environment.
Durability
How well does the fabric hold up to wear and tear? Will it last for the intended use? For example, a designer making heavy-duty work pants will choose from a different selection of fabrics than someone designing casual pants for customers with limited mobility concerns. Both products are pants, but their purpose and environment are so very different, the fabrics they’ll need will also be different.
The Advantages of Fabric Blends
One of the main reasons why you might consider a fabric blend is to capture the best features of different fibers. For example, 100% cotton is comfortable but can degrade with long-term UV exposure. Combining polyester fibers with cotton can retain the comfort and feel of cotton while giving it the strength and UV resistance of polyester.
The Limitations of Fabric Blends
While there are many benefits fo fabric blends, there are a few limitations as well. Notably, blends are endless and can be confusing. It’s okay to decide on a fabric simply due to its feel rather than agonizing about the blend amounts. Another limitation is that each fiber's benefits are slightly reduced by adding other fibers to the blend. For example, 100% cotton has excellent breathability, but cotton blended with man-made fibers has lower breathability.
Start Sourcing Your Materials
Now that you have an idea of the different types of fabrics and blends you’re ready to start sourcing swatches online or in store. You can learn more about the dos and don’ts of sourcing materials in our article: How to Source Materials for Your Sewn Product.
>>Ready to turn your idea into a concept board? Learn more about our Design Concepting Course.
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