TEXTILE SCIENCE

         Importance of studying textiles to a fashion Designer

·       Acts as a professional career

·       Helps designers to make a sensible choice of choosing fabrics that complement their design

·       Enables designers to make different type of fabrics under fabric construction methods

·       Designers acquire knowledge on how to care for different textile products

·       Designers are able to improve the aesthetic value of different fabrics

                          General properties of fibers

In order to qualify as suitable substance for use, a textile fiber must possess some properties

1)    Primary properties- They are characteristics that must be possessed by a textile. They include:

Tenacity-They must possess sufficient strength to be worked on and processed by machine.

Flexibility /Pliability

ü  Ability of the fibers to bend without breaking.

ü  Fibers must be pliable in order to form yarns, fabrics that can be creased and have quality of draperbility and ability to move with the body.

Cohesiveness/Spinning quality – Ability of the fiber to stick together in the yarn    manufacturing processes

Uniformity – The fibers must be similar in length and width in the spinning quality and flexibility

2)    Secondary properties- They are characteristics applied to the textile fibers in order to increase consumer satisfaction by improving their choice qualities and to improve performance. They include:

Physical shape

ü  Average length

ü  Surface contours

ü  Cross section

Lustre

ü  Refer to the gloss, shin that fiber possess

ü  Determines the fiber’s brightness/dullness

 

Color

ü  Natural color of fibers varies from pure white to grey and black

ü  Natural fibers exhibits the greatest color differences

ü  Man-made fibers are usually white or off- white as they are  manufactured

Moisture regain and absorption

ü  Fibers have a certain amount of water as an integral part of their structure

ü  Fibers with good moisture regain will accept dyes and finishes more readily than those with low moisture regain

Elongation –Amount of stretch/elongation that a fiber will accept

Elastic Recovery-Ability of the fiber to return to original length after tension that produced elongation and after the fiber has been released.

Resiliency –Ability of a fiber to return to shape following compression, bending or similar deformation

Flammability and thermal reactions-The burning characteristics of fibers are important in determining care and use of textile products.