Chiffon fabric: description, composition, properties and application

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

A woman is the embodiment of style and taste. To look flawless and feminine, you need to be able to choose outfits not only for the occasion, but also for other parameters. To get rid of problems and create an image of a sophisticated and stylish person, just add chiffon items to your wardrobe.

Chiffon allows you to create original and light models of dresses, blouses, shawls, scarves. Don't limit yourself to special occasions, chiffon outfits are great for everyday wear too. What is chiffon, its composition, how and with what to wear, which type is better to choose? Read about all this in the article.

A bit of history

Few people know that chiffon in French means "rag". It's hard to believe! After all, it is from this fabric that dresses and outfits for world famous people are sewn. Fashion designers have even come up with the expression “red carpet clothes” for such occasions.

The birthplace of chiffon fabric is China. The first mention of chiffon dates back to the 18th century. Masters have created a new type of weaving, the basis of which is a cross. This technique made it possible to create bumps on a thin, lightweight fabric. The cost of such material was quite high, since the raw materials were expensive, the work was difficult. But over time, they learned how to make artificial silk, so chiffon began to cost much less. Fortunately, this did not affect its demand in any way, on the contrary, it even increased.

What is chiffon

Chiffon is a thin transparent or dense fabric that creates a feeling of weightlessness and lightness. Chiffon emphasizes not only femininity, but also gives the image airiness. This is the reason for its popularity among the fair sex. Thanks to the variety of colors and textures, every woman will be able to choose an outfit according to her taste and preferences.

Chiffon blouses and dresses can be both everyday and evening, dedicated to some special event. Chiffon is also used to create shawls and scarves. The material is not only beautiful and airy, but also durable.

Chiffon properties

Chiffon has the following characteristics:

1. This is a lightweight fabric.
2. Slim.
3. Flowing.
4. Durable.
5. Clear or thick.
6. Does not accumulate static electricity.

Types of fabrics

Types of chiffon can be very diverse. This is due to the fact that during production several bases can be mixed at once.

Due to a different combination, you can change not only the appearance, but also the strength. Below is a list of chiffon fabrics withdescription:

1. Jacquard chiffon - smooth, opaque, almost wrinkle free. From it sew summer dresses of bright colors and various lengths. Lightweight trouser suits are also made from this fabric
2. Crepe-chiffon differs from other types in its strength and relative density. Wide skirts, flared blouses and free-cut dresses, as well as summer overalls are made from this fabric. This type is more commonly used to make men's blouses.
3. Chiffon-chameleon. This type of fabric is popular for its transparency, shimmers in the light, especially in the sun. Offered in a wide color palette. It can be used for scarves, as well as for decor. The color of chiffon depends on how the light falls.
4. Chiffon-satin. Such chiffon is most often made using rep threads. The fabric is designed for evening dresses or other outfits. The material appears smooth and flowing, emphasizing the woman's silhouette. Often decorated with a romantic ruffle, which adds splendor to the product. Such images make you feel like a queen.
5. Pearlchiffon. As can be seen from the very name of the species, the fabric has a mother-of-pearl hue. This is most often used for costumes of artists, for example, in the theater they use such material to highlight the main characters against the general background.

Chiffon composition

This fabric is rather unusual and perhaps not many people know what it is made of. The composition of different species differs, not only in external data, but also in what is used as a basis.

• Silk. The thinnest threads from the cocoon of a butterflysilkworms are woven in a special way to create a beautiful, iridescent material.
• Cotton. Technology does not stand still, and therefore ordinary cotton on special machines becomes a thin and strong thread, which subsequently serves as the basis for light but durable chiffon.
• Viscose. To obtain viscose threads, cellulose is processed, separated and driven through special forms. This thread is used to make thin fabric.
• Polyester. Completely artificial fabric. The strongest and most durable.
• Polyamide. Like the previous type of base, it is artificially made from plastic. This allows the material to be more resistant to mechanical damage.

Scope of application

Chiffon is very relevant not only for evening wear, but also for daily wear. It is used in their wardrobe not only by women, but also by representatives of the stronger sex. Soft flowy blouses, skirts and dresses accentuate the silhouette and add zest to the look.

Experienced fashion designers have long noticed chiffon as a huge field for fantasy. Thanks to this material, you can create original stage costumes, ball gowns, scarves and stoles.

Many needlewomen often want to use chiffon for tailoring their wardrobe, but do not dare because they lack experience. Despite this, the beauty of the products is fascinating, and beginners are ready to try to sew something out of it. In order for the product to turn out beautiful, you must follow a few rules.

Correct cutting

In order for the material not to lose its appearance, it is necessary to use a circular knife, as well as a tailor's stand. The stand is quite expensive, so you can use several layers of paper or a piece of natural calico. The paper is highly cut, and it will take a lot. The sheet of paper must match the width and length of the product so as not to move the material. In order for the cut patterns to turn out even, it is necessary to evenly smooth the chiffon on the first layer of paper, and cover it with another sheet of paper on top. And only after that apply a pattern and cut it out. If fabric is used as a substrate, it is necessary to lay chiffon on it, smooth it with your palms and then draw a pattern with chalk. Next, only the chiffon is cut. Leave the bottom material on which it lies untouched. Needle pins should not be used, as chiffon is a very delicate and thin fabric, it can be damaged by sharp objects such as safety pins.

How to sew properly

In order not to damage the fabric, you should use only new sharp machine needles and very thin threads. If the needle is thick, you risk getting unwanted holes on the chiffon, sometimes the material can get under the needle. It will not be easy to fix this, not only time will be lost, but the fabric will also lose its attractive appearance. It is better to adjust the seams as follows: the average number of stitches per 1 cm should be 7-9 pieces. It is also a mustcheck that the seam is even without waves and gathers.

To prevent the fabric from slipping and lying flat, you can use hairspray, but before that you should check if it leaves stains on the fabric. The processing of seams and allowances must be done very carefully, it is best to use an overlock. Sometimes a double French seam is used for fastening. For this, the edges of the product are folded with the wrong sides, the allowances are ground off, then the parts are folded with the front sides, and a line is laid along them along the lines marked in advance. In this way, the seams will be hidden or run exactly along the fold.

Most often, such a seam is used to trim the neckline on a transparent dress. An inlay is added to it, due to this, the edge is strengthened. This is done after the back clasp is ready. The French seam on the chiffon product looks the most neat. And it is worth considering that the thinner the chiffon, the better the product.

How to iron and care for products

If your product is made of natural silk chiffon, then you can not do without dry cleaning. And in the case of synthetic fiber, you can wash it in a washing machine on a gentle cycle or by hand. For washing, it is better to use soft liquid detergents. Also, don't forget about the conditioner, which gives smoothness, softens the fabric, and also makes ironing easier.

Chiffon is ironed at fairly low temperatures. Many modern irons are equipped with programs that adjust to a specific type of fabric, among them there should beprogram for ironing chiffon. Experienced housewives talk about how to process chiffon, according to their advice, it is best to use a steamer. In this case, things should be hung on a hanger, steamed and left for about an hour. Exposure to steam favorably affects the fibers of the fabric, making them softer, so the fabric will smooth out much faster.

The product will wrinkle less if during washing the fabric was not subjected to squeezing, twisting, and also dried in an upright position. Care and ironing largely depends on the quality of the fabric, as well as what kind it is. If the fabric is heavy and dense, such as jacquard chiffon, then in order to give it the correct shape, you need to iron out all the folds, this will be quite problematic, but still possible.