Preserving Your Wedding Gown
Choosing the right wedding gown fabrics is just as important as choosing the right style if you are having your gown made. Having the right style of dress, which suits your body type perfectly, and then choosing the wrong fabric to go with it just wont do.
Lets take a look at the more common wedding gown fabrics which are used in gowns today,
Back to wedding gowns...
Wedding Gown Fabric
Chameuse
A popular, lightweight fabric for wedding dresses that is soft and drapes beautifully. It is very smooth, has a semi-lustrous satin face and a dull back. It is typically made of either silk or polyester.
Chiffon
A plain woven sheer fabric with a soft drape. Not just for bridal gowns, chiffon also appears in evening dresses and scarves.
Chiffon can be made from silk, polyester, or rayon. Chiffon might pose some problems for a novice sewer. Cutting silk chiffon may also prove difficult.
Crepe Back Satin
A reversible satin fabric that has been a mainstay for wedding dresses. Consider using both sides of the fabric for a dyed-to-match look. Binding the neckline or hemline of bridal gowns with the crepe side is very effective.
Georgette
A sheer lightweight fabric, often made of silk or polyester. It is slightly heavier and more opaque than chiffon. The twisted crepe fibers from which georgette is made gives it a springy quality that makes it seem to move on its own. This quality makes georgette somewhat more difficult to sew the results are well worth the effort.
Peau de Soie
A medium to heavy, drapeable fabric with a satin weave and de-lustered finish. This is a traditional fabric for wedding dresses that is also used for bridesmaids gowns, mothers-of-the-bride dresses and elegant cocktail suits. The dull luster is more flattering to most body shapes and sizes than high luster satins. Polyester de-lustered satin is more forgiving than silk satins.
Organza
A crisp, sheer, lightweight plain weave fabric made of silk, rayon, nylon, or polyester. In silk, the stiffness comes from the natural gum that remains on the fibers after processing. In man made fibers, the stiffness is engineered. In bridal gowns with an overskirt, organza is a beautiful choice, having just enough body to stand out yet still move nicely. In bridal gowns that have large puffy sleeves, an interlining of organza will hold the shape without adding bulk. It is also used as an interfacing where sheerness is a factor.
Tulle
A lightweight, extremely fine, machine-made netting, usually with a hexagon shaped mesh effect. End-uses include dance costumes and bridal veils. Tulle is typically made of nylon or lace.
|
