Textiles, Apparel, and Fashion
Textiles, Apparel, and Fashion covers fiber properties, fabric construction, care, pattern work, and the fashion cycle. The exam asks you to connect fiber structure to performance and to interpret care and label information.
Fibers and fabrics
- Natural fibers: cotton (absorbent, breathable, wrinkles, shrinks), linen (strong, cool, wrinkles), wool (warm, elastic, felts), silk (strong, lustrous, sensitive to light).
- Manufactured fibers: rayon (cellulosic, absorbent, weak when wet), polyester (durable, oleophilic, quick-drying), nylon (strong, abrasion-resistant), spandex (elastic).
- Staple fibers are short and spun; filament fibers are long and continuous.
- Weaves: plain (balanced), twill (diagonal, durable), satin (floats, lustrous). Knits stretch because of looped structure.
Apparel and care
Pattern pieces include grainline, selvage, notches, and bias. Cutting on the wrong grain affects drape and fit. Care labels use standardized symbols; “dry clean only” means the manufacturer says the item cannot be safely washed. The fashion cycle moves through introduction, rise, peak, decline, and obsolescence.
Worked example
A shirt labeled 100% cotton, machine wash cold, tumble dry low. Why cold and low? Cotton is absorbent and prone to shrinkage and wrinkling; cooler washing and lower drying reduce fiber stress and shrinkage. Hot water and high heat may fade color and shrink the garment. The label reflects fiber properties, not a random rule.
Traps
- Confusing warp (lengthwise) with weft (crosswise).
- Calling satin a fiber-it is a weave.
- Assuming natural fibers are always more sustainable or easier to care for.
- Ignoring bias when cutting, causing poor fit.