First thing first: A fabric is a web of single or multiple types of fibers/fibres and a fiber/fibre is the single strand or unit of fabric.
Fibers
What is Fiber?
Fibers are the essence that is significantly at least 1000 times longer than its diameter.
How many types of Fibers are there?
There are mainly two types of Fibers, Natural Fibers, and Man-made Fibers.
Natural Fibers
Natural fibers are those fibers made by the geological processes, from bodies of animals or plants. These are normally soft, water-absorbent, lightweight, and pricy. We can divide the Natural fibers into Plants made, animals made.
Animal Fibers
From animals, we produce Animal fibers. These fibers contain proteins. For example, these are every kind of natural silks, leathers, and wool. In silk, there are Silk georgette, Silk voile, Silk crepe. And in wool, there is Alpaca wool, Bison wool, Cashmere wool, and more.
Plant Fibers
As well as, from Plants, we produce Plant fibers For example, there is various kind of kinds of cotton, jute, Flex, etc. Plant fibers can be divided into two types, Vegetable fibers like Cotton, Hemp, jute, and Wood fibers.
Mineral Fibers
These fibers are not exactly related to Fashion Design. By melting materials like glass, we (Every time I am saying we, means humans, Not I. !!!) produce Mineral fibers.
Man-Made or Chemical Fibers
Man-made fibers are what is exactly the name is suggesting. These are made in labs, with proper chemicals. In man-made fibers, there are also Regenerated fibers made from natural fibers. In addition, there are two more Man-made fibers are called Semi-Synthetic fibers and Synthetic fibers.
Regenerated Fibers
Regenerated Fibers are generated from Cellulose, where Cellulose is made from ethers obtained from bark, wood, or leaves. For example, Rayon, SeaCell (Regenerated from seaweed), Lyocell, Polysonic, Bamboo fiber (Regenerated from Bamboo Natural plant fiber), etc.
Semi-Synthetic Fibers
From natural raw materials like long-chain polymers, we produce Semi-Synthetic fibers. For instance, Viscose, Acetate, Triacetate, Azlon are semi-Synthetic Fibers. Most semi-synthetic fibers are cellulose regenerated fibers.
Synthetic Fibers
Synthetic fibers are made entirely by humans. There are short and long synthetic fibers. For example, Nylon, Acrylic, and Polyester are Synthetic Fibers, used for textile. Polymer fiber is Man-made synthetic fiber. In addition, Acrylic Polyesters are used as a synthetic replacement for wool.
Fabrics
What is Fabric?
Fabric is a sheet produced from weaving or knitting Fibers.
How many types of Fabrics are there?
There are multiple ways how we can divide Fabrics. It mainly can be divided by its content (which is the Fiber types I discussed before), Structure, and Mixed different Fabrics. Here I listed 150 Types of Fabrics.
Structure of Fabric
There are four types of Fabrics in general, according to how its made not according to the material or fiber. These are Woven fabrics, Non-woven fabrics, Knitted fabrics, and Braided fabrics.
Woven Fabrics
Woven fabric is made by creating an interlocking bundle of threads that are made by spinning raw fibers (Natural or Synthetic fiber I talked about before). Raw fibers are twisted for a long length. Woven fabrics are stretched diagonally between the wrap and the weft direction. Wefts are horizontal threads whereas Warps are vertical threads. This warp and weft can be woven together in different variations. The three basic weaves are Plain, Twill, and Satin. (Info from here)
Knitted Fabrics
Knitted fabric is the process of inter looping of threads or intermeshing of loops. Sound same with the Woven fabric? Well, Knitted fabrics are more flexible, stretchy than Woven fabrics. Knit fabrics can be assembled from one continuous yarn, or many yarns with one stitch. Winter clothes like sweaters, mufflers are often knitted. In knitting also there are Weft and Wrap.
Non-Woven Fabrics
Nonwoven Fabric is made from short but staple fiber and a long continuous fiber bonded together or glued together by heat, chemicals, or solvent treatment. These fabrics are neither Woven nor Knitted fabrics. Nonwoven fabrics lack sufficient strength. These are broadly defined as sheets. Usages of Nonwoven fabric are in Surgical gowns, caps, gloves, shoe covers, etc. (Info from here)
Braided Fabrics
Braided fabrics are produced from interweaving two or more fibers. It can be hand or machine-made. Caps, In caps, handbags braided fabrics are used.
This was a very basic article to get an idea of Fibers and Fabrics. Please follow this article now for detailed information on varieties of Fabrics.
That's all for today! I hope you liked it (❁´◡`❁)
