Continuing From ➡
150 Types of Fabric (76-100)
76. Lace
Lace is very delicate, knitted, crocheted, crafted, needle, tape, or Bobbin lace. Lace is the common name for different kinds of laces. I have discussed many types of lace through the Fabric Series. It can be made by hand or machine. Before lace was made from silver, gold, or silk threads. Bobbin lace (Chantilly) is made with bobbins (made from bone, wood, or plastic) and a pillow where the lace was being placed by pins. Crocheted lace (Filet Crochet) is made with a single hook. Crochet stitches can be single, double, or treble. The primary look is followed by a chain.
77. Lame Fabric
Lame is woven or knitted Gold, Copper, or Silver fibers. It’s a very shiny fabric that comes in rich colors. Lame is available in various types. Some popular Lame fabrics are Tissue lame, Hologram Lame, Pearl Lame. Tissue lame is a lightweight mylar woven Nylon filament fabric, used for decorations and special costumes. Hologram lame is made of about 60% Polyester and 40% Nylon fabric used for costumes. Pearl lame is made of Silk with distributed metallic threads, used for gowns, dresses.
78. Laminated Fabric
When any fabric is bonded with pre-made Polymer, Cotton film using glue, heat, pressure to improve the quality of the original fabric is called Laminated fabric. Lamination is made for increasing the longevity of fabric or paper. It can be water-resistant or waterproof if made from Polyurethane. Laminated fabrics are used for raincoats, baby products, etc.
79. Lampas
Lampas is a woven Silk fabric with Gold and/or Silver fibers with background weft. It is a luxurious fabric developed in the 17th century in Lyon, France. Lampas is a very decorative, colorful fabric. It is used for upholstery items like curtains, cushions, wallpapers. Sometimes it is also used for exclusive dresses.
80. Lawn Fabric
Lawn fabric is plain-woven Cotton, Batiste, or Linen fabric. Originally any plain-woven linen was called Lawn fabric, now it’s usually Cotton. The fabric was first invented in Laon, France. It’s a lightweight, crispy fabric. The usage of Lawn is handkerchiefs, underwear, dresses, aprons and in the household like curtains.
81. Leather Fabric
Leather is durable, treated animal skin like cattle, sheep, goats, buffalo, etc. Animal skin may be bleached, limed, tanned, crushed, or chemically treated to prevent corrosion. There are various tanning methods, Chrome tanned, Vegetable-tanned, etc. Leathers from Horse are very durable while Lamb and Deerskin are used for soft leather. Leathers are the sophisticated, affluent fabric used for shoes, watches, bags, purses, even in dressmaking like jackets, pants, gloves, linings sometimes, etc.
82. Leatherette
Leatherette is synthetic leather made from PVC. It’s less durable than leather, and most of the time the coat of PVC is torn apart easily. Because it is cheap and looks like leather, everything is made from it what made from leather. But leatherette is not very comfortable to wear the whole day, especially in summer because air does not pass through leatherette.
83. Linen
Linen fabric is made of linen fiber from the flax plant. Linen origin is in the historical era. Dyed flax fibers were found in a cave in Europe, which suggested the use of Linen which is almost 36 thousand years ago! It’s very strong, water-absorbent, thin, comfortable to wear. Now linen is used for fine clothes like shirts, dresses, tops, blouses, lingerie, suits, linen blazers, etc.
84. Linsey Woolsey
Linsey Woolsey is a rough, coarse, twill Linen warp and Wool weft fabric. Lin is an archaic word for flax, from where Linen came, and as it’s blended with wool the fabric is named Linsey Woolsey. It is a cheap fabric but it’s warm and durable. In the 18th century, this fabric was used for bed covers. Linsey Woolsey was primarily was in blue and white color and was popular in Britain in the 17th century. It is used for clothing, sheets, etc.
85. Loden
Loden is made from thick, water-resistant wool. It’s a term for thick woolen fabric. It was first produced in Austria from mountain sheep. The traditional color of Loden is olive, deep green, taupe, blackish colors. It was mainly used for coats, long coats. Now it is produced in various colors and used for multiple purposes. German word Lode or Lodo means coarse cloth. The fabric is wind-resistance but breathable, also dirt repellent.
86. Mackinaw Fabric
It is a heavy, rough water repellent fabric. Mackinaw jacket or coat was made from Mackinaw in 1811 by Metis women. It was generally a red and black patterned short, durable jacket and named after Straits of Mackinaw. The fabric is used for sportswear, workwear, shirts, blankets, etc (reference).
87. Madras Fabric
Madras is a lightweight cotton fabric. The fabric is named after the city Madras (Chennai), India. In the 16th century. Madras was morphed from printed, elegant Cotton. The fabrics are normally plaid, or stripes, dyed with semi-permanent vegetable color. That’s why the finishing product gives a soft muted look. In the 1980s turquoise and pink check patterned Madras was popular. It is used for dresses, jackets, shorts, pants, etc.
88. Mockado
Mockado is made of Linen or Worsted Wool. It was first produced in Flanders in the 16th century. Mockado fabric is used for carpets, wall-hangings, stools, chair covers, etc. Before it was used for dressmaking like Doublets (traditional clothing of the west in the 17th century), Farthingale (underskirt for European women in the 16th-17th century), Kirtle (One-Piece garment).
89. Moire Fabric
Moire is a woven Silk, Wool, Cotton, or Rayon fabric. It is a French term. Originally Moire was made from only Silk taffeta and used for ladies’ dresses, capes. It is finished by a technique called Calendering. Calendering is a technique used to apply a smooth thin coat to a material. And because of it, Moire fabric gives a watery patterned look. It’s a delicate fabric but more delicate when it’s not finished with Calendering. The fabric is also known as Moire Anglaise. Changeable Moire is a fabric with a warp in one color and weft in another color, which gives the finished product different looks under different lights. Now it’s also used for evening and wedding gowns.
90. Moleskin
Moleskin is a heavy, woven Cotton cloth. It’s a soft and durable fabric. Normally carded Cotton is used for weaving. Carded is a mechanical process that cleans and intermixes fibers to produce a continuous web. Cotton Sateen is also like Moleskin. The uniforms of the West German Army in the late 1900s were made from moleskin. Moleskin is mainly used for men’s wear like trousers, in lavalier mics.
91. Muslin or Mousseline
Muslin is lightweight, delicate, thin to the thick cotton fabric. It’s a plain-woven fabric, first manufactured in Mosul, Iraq. From Mosul probably it’s named Muslin. At an early age, Muslin was known as Mulmul or Malmal. It was/is always popular in Eastern India, in fact, in Dhaka, Bangladesh finest Muslin is produced. Before it was produced from Phuti Karpaaas which was Cotton grown beside the river banks of Brahmaputra. Muslin was famous in the Mughal empires for the Mughal Maharaja and Maharanis. Muslin is still used for dressmaking, shawls, etc.
92. Nankeen
Nankeen is Yellowish colored Cotton. It was originally made in Nanking (Nanjing), China in different yellow shades. Blue Nankeen is a hand-printed fabric of creative elegance and simplicity. Blue Nankeen was originated on the Silk Road. From Nankeen manny animals/birds were named after it. Eucalyptus populnea is a tree also known as Nankeen Gum. Nankeen kestrel is a falcon bird also known as the Australian kestrel. Nycticorax caledonicus is a heron, known as the Nankeen night heron. The usages of Nankeen are Trousers, Bobbin Lace, etc.
93. Narrow Fabric
Narrow fabrics are non-elastic woven Polyester, Nylon, Fiberglass, Spendes, Rubber, or Cotton thick fabric. That’s right Narrow fabric is the ticker version of wrapping fabrics. Narrow fabrics were initially used for garments like corsets, lingeries, military uniforms, hats. Now it’s also used for military accessories like helmets, belts, body armors. Also in many household items, seat belts, shoelaces, backpacks, etc.
94. Net
Net is a looped, knotted, fused thread. The finished fabric will be sheer because it has open space between threads, or is very loosely woven. Net is not durable for this. There are various types of nets, used for different purposes. For fishing net is the main equipment. Tulle is a lightweight, fine net used for gowns, ballet tutus. Net is also used for medical purposes, tents, etc.
95. Oilskin
Oilskin is a durable, waterproof, PVC coated, Synthetic fabric. The first usage of this fabric as a garment was in the late 1700s. The modern oilskin garment was designed by Edward Le Roy in 1898. He used worn-out sailcloth painted with a mixture instead of oil and wax to make them suitable to wear in stormy weather. Now oilskins come in two parts, jackets for the upper body and trousers which are also known as Bibs.
96. Organdy Fabric
Organdie is a plain woven, very sheer, and crispy Cotton fabric. It seems similar to Batiste and Lawn fabric. But Organdy is sheer and crispy because of parchmentising (acid stiffened) but Lawn fabric is finished with starch or resin and Batiste is a soft fabric. Sulfuric acid is used for treating the fabric and then extra acid is removed later to neutralize. In the 20th century, Organdy was used for children’s dresses. Now it is used for bridal dresses, blouses, party dresses, linings, etc.
97. Organza Fabric
Organza is a plain-woven, thin, sheer Silk, Polyester, or Nylon fabric. Originally it was only made of Silk beside the Yangtze/Yangzi river, now it’s also made from synthetic fibers like Polyester, Nylon. A rough Organza is made in Bangalore, India. Delux silk organza is made in France and Italy. It is used for bridal dresses, evening dresses, hair accessories, especially puff sleeves attached with the main garment, also for daytime garments and curtains.
98. Ottoman Fabric
Ottoman is a woven or knitted ribbed, thick, and stiff, heavyweight Silk fabric. It is a corded fabric, a thick yarn in the weft with a very thin warp to create stripes running across the width of the fabric. Now it’s also available in Cotton and Synthetic fibers like Rayon. The fabric is commonly used for upholstery and dressmaking like evening gowns, coats, dresses, uniforms, etc.
99. Oxford Fabric
Oxford is woven cotton, or Cotton and Elastane blended fabric. From this fabric, fine formal shirts, dress shirts are made. While plain or Pinpoint Oxford is used for casual button-down shirts. Pinpoint Oxford is made from finer yarn and woven tighter than plain Oxford. It has a dot effect in the texture.
100. Paduasoy
Padusoy is a luxurious Grosgrain Silk. Padusoy was first used in 1736, in London. The original French term is peau de soie means Silk Skin. Now it’s available in Rayon, Grainy, Viscose. Padusoy is usually reversible fabric. It was used for dresses, evening gowns, coats.
