What’s stamped on your pants label, something like 80% cotton and 20% spandex? If so, your pants are made of a woven fabric. Does that mean this fabric is really strong? Yes, which is why woven fabrics are an excellent pick for sturdy, long-lasting clothing.
Woven fabrics can be created from wool, silk, flannel, cotton, and more, depending on the clothing design and purpose. Even though you can find similar combinations in knit fabrics, the two are different.
How are Woven Fabrics Different from Knit Fabrics?
Woven and knit fabrics have a considerable difference in their thread or yarn structure. Knit is made of a single yarn that is continuously looped. A woven fabric is made of multiple threads woven at right angles into a criss-cross pattern. As a result, knits stretch in both length and width, whereas woven fabrics only stretch diagonally.
Additionally, the knit construction creates small cells that result in a warmer product than woven. Knitted stitches trap more insulating air than woven stitches, while a finer woven fabric allows better airflow that keeps you cooler. Knit fabrics are best for a body-hugging fit. On the other hand, woven fabric is a good choice for a crisper material that stays away from the body. You can visit sites like Bella + Canvas to look for first-rate woven fabric clothing that is both comfortable and stylish.
Now that you know the difference between the two, do you know that woven fabrics come in a wide variety?
Types of Woven Fabrics
Denim Fabric
Traditionally, denim was a cotton twill fabric dyed with a warp face. Its warp is usually colored in shades such as green, maroon, or blue with a white weft. Denim is generally made of two weights (lightweight and midweight), making it suitable for overalls and sportswear. The most celebrated use of this fabric is the evergreen fashion item – jeans. With the continual changes in clothing trends, how denim is fashioned is also changing. To keep up, designers are looking to style it into new adventurous shapes and designs. Denim fabrics are now available in variations that are stretched, printed, and made from flexible yarns.
Chiffon Fabric
Chiffon fabrics are translucent, light fabrics made from hard twisted yarns. They were initially made of silk fabrics, but are now made of polyester or rayon. Chiffon is favored for use in making women's evening dresses.
Crepe Fabric
Crepe fabric is crumpled and wrinkled on the surface. It is created by highly twisted yarns in the warp, weft, or both. Similar crepe effects can also be made using regular threads or synthetic fabrics. It is mainly used for women's dresses and statement tops.
Organdy/ Organza Fabric
Originally, this was a fabric that had a stiff surface. Now, it is available in more graceful variations, used primarily for women’s clothing. Organdy is a thin, smooth fabric that always consists of more warps per inch than wefts. An acid is used in the treatment of the fabric to make it transparent and less flowy, creating a light, nearly non-existent texture. It is dyed in bright and light shades to create fresh, rejuvenating fashion looks.
Cambric Fabric
Cambric is a lightweight fabric woven in a plain weave and made with a stiff finish. It may be dyed in several colors, and is suitable for women's and children's clothing.
Velvet Fabric
Velvet is a pile fabric with a warp cut, originally made from silk. Today, it is also manufactured with rayon. Velvet is a soft and shiny fabric mostly used for women’s and children’s clothing. It is also produced from special high-spun yarns, single-ply or layered yarns.
Lawn Fabric
Lawn is a light, fragile fabric made of cotton or linen. It has a high thread count that gives it a silky texture. This fine, lightweight fabric is mainly used as a lining for dresses, but is also ideal for creating warm weather garments.
Flannel Fabric
Flannel is a woolen fabric woven in a plain or twill weave with a characteristic soft handle. It looks bulky because of the milling that is usually done on this fabric. Flannel fabric is versatile enough to be used for shirts, suits, trousers, and even baby clothes. Its famously extreme softness is often used in fall and winter clothing, including sleepwear.
Corduroy Fabric
Corduroy is a sheared pile fabric available in solid colors. The cut hair fibers are visible on the surface as ribs. This fabric is mainly used on trousers, jeans, shirts and jackets for both men and women.
Buckram Fabric
Buckram is a rigid coated fabric made from a lightweight loose weave permeated with adhesives and fillers. This fabric is used as an interface to support and maintain the shape of necklines, collars, bands, cuffs, waists, button fastenings, and more.
Georgette Fabric
Georgette is a translucent, lightweight fabric woven in a plain weave. It has a coarse texture created by the hard twisted ply and yarns in the warp and weft. Originally made from silk, today it is also made from rayon and polyester. This fabric is especially suitable for women's evening wear.
Chintz Fabric
Chintz is a medium-weight material that is made with plain woven cotton yarn. It often has a glazed finish which can be temporary or semi-permanent. Glazed chintz is available in solid colors and floral prints. These are usually made from cotton/polyester or rayon blends. Chintz is used for skirts, dresses, blouses, pajamas, and even household items such as curtains.
Khadi Fabric
Khadi is a very sustainable, hand-spun, hand-woven fabric. It is made mainly from one cotton fiber and a mixture of two or more threads. Khadi is celebrated for its durability and simplicity, and is suitable for overalls, trousers, and even home textiles.
Woven fabrics are versatile and durable, and are a major component of today’s thriving fashion sector. From the regular-wear average buyer to the high-end fashion shoppers, woven fabrics are the materials spun into fashions that meet a variety of consumer expectations. Now that you’re armed with a good amount of information about the construction and types of woven fabrics, go out and test your knowledge, look around, see if you can detect any of them.
