Fashion and Textiles

• Technical Textiles

  Engineered to have a specific performance characteristic that suits a specific purpose.
• Technical Textiles

  • Gore-Tex
  • Nomex
  • Carbon Fibre
  • Kevlar
• Gore-Tex

  • Laminated fabric with a hydrophyllic membrane that repels and releases moisture
• Carbon Fibre

  • Strong and lightweight.
  • Made from crystaline filaments of carbon.
• Kevlar

  • Heat-resistant synthetic. Strong fibre. Used on bulletproof vests and racing sails.
• Nomex

  • Flame resistant
  • rigid
  • durable
  • Used in firefighting.
• Biosteel

  • High strength fiber based material made of proteins extracted from goat milk, 7-10 times as strong as steel
• Interactive textiles


  Contain a device or circuit that reacts with the user
• Photochromic pigment


  • Can be added to fabrics for aesthetic purposes or to indicate overexposure to UV
• Thermochromic pigment


  • Changes colour in response to heat or UV. In wound dressings they indicate infection because of heat.
• Woven fabrics

  • Have more structure and are more stable
• Knitted fabrics

  • Have the ability to stretch
• Warp


  The yarn that runs vertically, it is the strongest
• Weft

  The yarn that runs horizontally, known as the cross grain
• Plain weave

  • Most common
  • strong and stable
  • evenly distributed
• Twill weave

  • Stronger,
  • heavy duty uses
• Satin weave


  • Warp lays over weft
  • used in dresses
  • prone to sagging
• Weft knit

  • Made from one continuous yarn
  • horizontal loops
  • unravels easily
  • stretches easily
  • can be made by hand or machine
• Warp knit

  • Made from one continuous yarn
  • vertical loops
  • more stable
• Laminating


  Consists of two or more layers of fabric

  held together by adhesives or a plastic film that is heat set to bond the layers
• Faux leather

  • An example of a bonded fabric
• Felted fabrics

  Made from wool, the scales on the wool matt together when exposed to moisture and mechanical action
• Aesthetic qualities

  • Texture and lustre are important, the consumer judges the physical attributes rather than the actual construction
• Economic factors

  • The cost of the fibre used
  • The quality and time taken
• Performance

  • Considers fabric construction and finish
  • Done to ensure the product is suitable
• Standard roll widths


  • 90 cm
  • 150 cm
  • 180 cm
  • 200 cm
• Fat quarters


  45 x 55 cm

  commonly used for smaller projects
• One off bespoke or job production

  Made by small teams

  long time to make,

  extremely expensive,

  high quality
• Batch production

  Produce a specific amount of identical products in one time scale, made by large teams, used by seasonal clothing
• Mass production / continuous

  Produced 24/7, used for large scale products like socks and underwear
• Computer Aided Manufacture

  Used for mass production of clothing based on average human anthropometrics
• Quality control

  • Ensures all products are of equal quality, includes standard checking measurements
• BSI kitemark

  • Regularly tests samples of a range of products and awards certification that the product is up to a stated British or European standard
• CE mark

  • Shows the product complies with the health, safety and environmental requirements of European laws
• Lion mark

  • Toy safety logo introduced by the British Toy and Hobby Association, classifies toys as safe for children to use
• Modern Smart materials

  • Interactive - contain a device that reacts with the user
  • Photochromic pigment can be added to fabrics for aesthetic purposes or to indicate overexposure to UV
  • Thermochromic pigment changes colour in response to heat, can indicate infection in wound dressings
• Weft knit


  Made from one continuous yarn, unravels easily if cut, stretches easily
• Warp knit


  Made from one continuous yarn, more stable than weft knit
• Cell production

  Work force is divided into self-contained teams
• Straight line production

  Uses an assembly belt or mechanised cable