Fabric drape
Fabric Drape is used to describe the way a fabric hangs under its own weight. Fabric durability is an important factor from an aesthetic point of view.
It is important to know how a garment looks in use, and it is known by fabric drape testing.
The draping qualities of the fabric depend on fabric end usage. therefore a given value for a drape test cannot be classified as either good or bad it's only judged by its end-use application.
I.e. - Knitted fabrics are relatively floppy and garments made from them will tend to follow the body contours while Woven fabrics are relatively stiff when compared with knitted fabrics so that they are used in tailored clothing where the fabric hangs away from the body and disguises its contours.
The quality of ‘drape’ is important to a designer because this property influences a garment’s appearance.
The draping qualities required from fabric will differ depending on its end use, e.g. knitted fabrics are relatively floppy and garments made from them will tend to follow the body contours.
Woven fabrics are generally stiffer than knitted fabrics due to structural characteristics. Therefore, woven fabrics are used in tailored clothing where the fabric hangs away from the body and disguises its contours.
Other usage like curtains, tablecloths, or women’s clothing needs to exhibit good drape shape and appearance that's why the woven fabric is more suitable for these applications.
Good draping leads to the fitting of fabric over a surface without undesirable wrinkling or tearing.
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Measurement of fabric drape quality
Drape quality is measured by the drape coefficient (F).
The drape coefficient of fabric is the degree of drape and drape shape configuration, and modality.
A lower F value means the fabric is softer, and its drapability is better. While the higher the drape coefficient (F) the stiffer the fabric is.
The drape coefficient is relevant to the capability of fabrics but is not sufficient for characterizing drape formation.
Fabrics with the same drape coefficients may form different drape shapes. Hence other parameters such as the number of nodes (folds) and node dimensions are also used to describe the drape quality.
Questions -
- What is a drape of fabric?
- Why drape is an important quality?
- How drape is measured?
References
Booth, J. E. :. (n.d.). Principles of textile testing an introduction to physical methods of testing textile fibres, yarns, and fabrics. London: National Trade Press Ltd,1961. from https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Principles-Textile-Testing-Introduction-Physical-Methods/19989810376/bd
Cenote, M. (2015). Google Books. In The SAGE Guide to Key Issues in Mass Media Ethics and Law (pp. 847–858). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Ferreiro López-Riobóo, J. I. (2015). Long-term (2001–2012) study of a proficiency testing scheme for textiles. Accreditation and Quality Assurance, 20(4), 239–245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-015-1128-1
Measurement of Specific Handle Force of woven fabrics. (2020, September 15). Textilecoach. https://www.textilecoach.net/post/measurement-of-specific-handle-force-of-woven-fabrics
Objectively evaluating fabric handle. (n.d.). Innovationintextiles.com. from https://www.innovationintextiles.com/objectively-evaluating-fabric-handle/
Sinclair. (2018, November 17). Fabric hand. Polymerexpert.Biz; Polymer Expert. https://polymerexpert.biz/blog/150-objective-evaluation-of-fabric-hand
Subjective Evaluation of Fabric Hand. (2015, February 5). Textile Protection And Comfort Center. https://textiles.ncsu.edu/tpacc/comfort-performance/subjective-evaluation-of-fabric-hand/
(N.d.). Researchgate.net. from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258195795_Objective_Evaluation_of_Fabric_Handle_by_Simple_Measurement_Methods
Further reading
Part-1 Fabric drape introduction
Part-4 Fabric stiffness tester - Shirley and pneumatic
Part-6 Measurement of shear property of the fabric
Writer - DSPAT Team
