Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Fabric 101: A Quick and Dirty Guide Part I: Synthetic vs. Silk
This guide won’t really be dirty, I just thought I’d try to make it sound a little more exciting. I don’t know how many parts there will be. This could be epic.
Many fabrics come in silk and synthetic versions, and I’ll get into different types of fabric later (example: there are silk chiffons, satins, taffetas, and so on…). This will just be quick lowdown on what the big differences are.
1) Silk is a natural fiber. This means that it breathes more, but also that it can have imperfections that are just part of the "natural beauty" of the fabric. Also, silks won’t come in a bright white for that same reason- the natural fiber cannot be bleached. Silk whites tend to be like diamond whites, and you’ll see many silks called “natural” or ivory.
2) Synthetics are man made fabrics, and are usually much more budget friendly than silks. Most people cannot tell the difference between a silk and a quality synthetic fabric and, many silk dresses will have a synthetic lining.
3) Silks can be more delicate to care for, although all bridal fabrics tend to be on the delicate side. Many silks will be marked by water droplets, although some synthetics are water sensitive as well ( most taffetas, for example).
4) Some synthetics will tend to wrinkle less easily, although this will also depend on the type of fabric (satin vs. taffeta vs. chiffon) so synthetics won’t always be easier to take care of, although this tends to be the case.
5) Most gowns that are silk will be adverised as such, so if you don't see anything saying silk, it's most likely not.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment