Textiles, Clothing and Fashion Design: Fibres, Fabric Construction and Design Principles
Fibres and their properties
Natural fibres include cotton and jute (plant) and silk and wool (animal). Man-made fibres split into regenerated (rayon, acetate - made from cellulose) and synthetic (polyester, nylon, acrylic - made from petroleum). Staple fibres are short; filament fibres are continuous.
Properties that drive exam answers:
- Cotton - absorbent, good conductor of heat, low resilience, creases, burns quickly, stronger when wet.
- Silk - filament, lustrous, strong but weakest when wet, damaged by sunlight and perspiration.
- Wool - scales cause felting and shrinkage, warm, elastic, damaged by strong alkalis and hot water.
- Polyester - hydrophobic, quick-drying, thermoplastic, strong, builds static.
Yarn and fabric
Yarn twist gives strength. Fabrics are woven (plain, twill and satin weaves), knitted (loops, stretchy) or non-woven (bonded). Finishes include bleaching, mercerisation of cotton, calendering and water repellency.
Design and colour
Elements of design: line, shape, colour, texture, space. Principles: balance, rhythm, proportion, emphasis, harmony. Colour schemes: monochromatic (one hue), analogous (neighbours on the wheel), complementary (opposites). Warm colours advance; cool colours recede.
Worked example
A candidate must choose fabric for a summer dress for a schoolteacher in a hot, humid district. Reasoning: the requirement is absorbency and heat conduction, so cotton or a cotton–viscose blend is right. Pure polyester is hydrophobic and traps heat, so it is a poor choice despite easy care. A plain or twill cotton weave in a light colour also reflects heat.
Traps
- Calling rayon synthetic - it is regenerated.
- Saying satin is a fibre - it is a weave.
- Writing that silk is strongest when wet; that property belongs to cotton.