CMTA 231: STAGECRAFTS I
Costume Tools and Materials – part 2 Reading: Chapter 17 in text
fibers, filaments & fabrics study guide
Man-made, non-cellulostic fabrics make up approximately 50% of all the fabric made into
clothing today. Synthetic fabrics are often less expensive than natural fabrics. Consequently a
costumer may select a synthetic or blend for a costume even though the historically accurate
choice would be silk, wool, cotton or another of the “natural” fiber fabrics.
Synthetic fabrics, carefully selected, may even be a better choice for a period costume by making
it more affordable, more durable, easier to wear, or easier to clean. To make a good choice, the
costume technician needs to know basic information about natural and man-made fibers, the
fabrics that are made from them, and their characteristics.
NATURAL
MANMADE & SYNTHETIC
(all begin as filaments)
PLANT BASED
Cotton – vegetable seed
fiber 1 ¼ “ long
Flax -- bast fiber taken
from stalk of Linum
usitatissimum plant.
Usually 15” to 25” long
(both yarn & fabric are
called linen)
Ramie –bast fiber
related to flax. Softer &
takes dye better than
linen.
Jute – bast fiber
Hemp – bast fiber
PROTEIN BASED
PLANT BASED
SYNTHETIC
Silk filament
300 to 1600 yards long
Wool fiber
1” to 14” long
1886 - “artificial silk ”
1924 - rayon
Acetate
1944 - Acrylics –coal,
petroleum etc.
1927 - Nylon –coal
May 1940 first nylon
hosiery sold in the US.
Hair fibers: camel,
kashmir goat, angora
rabbit, angora goat,
llama, alpaca
triacetate
1939-41 Polyester –
petroleum
1958 - Spandex
Metallic Modacrylic – fake fur
Olefin – polypropylene
variant lightweight,
wicking qualities: cold
weather garments &
insulating materials such
as Thinsulate
The main difference between fibers and filaments are length and surface qualities. Filaments are
long, smooth, and reflective producing fabrics that are lustrous or shiny. Man-made filaments can
be as long as the manufacturer chooses. Some man-made fabrics are processed to reduce their
reflective qualities. Natural fibers are much shorter and have uneven surfaces allowing them to be
spun into a yarn. The uneven surfaces of natural fibers also tend to absorb light, creating fabrics
with matt rather than reflective surfaces.
Silk is the exception. Although natural rather than man-made, it begins as filaments and produces
a naturally lustrous fabric. Raw silk has a duller surface than cultivated silk because of the slub or
irregularities in the original filament.
There are basically two types of man-made fibers – cellulose based fibers and non-cellulostic or
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synthetic fibers based on polymerization. Rayon, acetate and triacetate are derived from
regenerated cellulose from natural sources most commonly cotton and wood. Non-cellulostic
fibers are derived from the basic chemicals found in water, coal and petroleum. To create manmade fibers, the first step is to chemically liquefy the raw materials, step two is to force this
solution through a spinneret (a devise similar to a shower-head with small holes), which in turn
produces thin hair-like filaments that, when solidified, can be processed into different types of
yarn.
According to The Costume Technician’s Handbook by Rosemary Ingham and Liz Covy, “The
Federal Trade Commission has assigned generic names to twenty noncellulostic man-made fibers.
Each differs significantly from the others in chemical composition and behavior. They are:
acrylic, anidex, aramid, azlon, glass, lastrile, metallic, modacrylic, novoloid, nylon, nytril, olefin,
PBI, polyester, rubber, saran, spandex, sulfer, vinal, vinyon.” (1992,70)
The synthetic fibers (man-made noncellulostic) most commonly found in costume shops are:
nylon, polyester, acrylic, spandex, modacrylic, metallic, and olefin. These are often blends.
FABRIC CONSTRUCTION
WEAVES: Plain, Basket, Twill, Satin, Pile
KNITS
FELTED
FABRIC FINISHES
FUNCTIONAL: Permanent Press, Mercerization, Flameproofing, Preshrinking, Antibacterial
DECORATIVE: Bleaching, Dyeing, Printing, Texturing
SPECIAL-EFFECTS TREATMENTS OF FABRICS
DYEING
PRINTING
PAINTING
AGING/BREAKING-DOWN/BEATING-UP
MATERIALS COMMONLY USED IN COSTUME CONSTRUCTION
FABRICS
NOTIONS
OTHER MATERIALS
Brocade
Jersey
Elastic
Leather
Buckram
Lace
Bias tape
Canvas
Linen
Seam binding
Plaster bandages
Chiffon
Muslin
Hem tape
Thermoplastics
Corduroy
Net
Twill tape
Metal
Crepe
Sateen
Sculptural Arts Coatings
Crinoline
Satin
Fusible webs
Polycarbonate (Lexan)
Denim
Spandex
Fusible interfacing
Drill
Taffeta
Non-fusible interfacings
Felt
Velour
Flannel
Velvet
Gabardine
Vinyl
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Fabric is woven under tension - yarns stretched on the loom under tension are know as the warp.
Warp yarns are on the straight of grain. Because the warp is under tension, the straight-of-grain
of woven fabrics has the least amount of stretch.
The selvedge edge of the fabric is the manufacturer’s finished edge. It runs parallel to the
straight of grain.
Weft threads or yarns are woven over and under the warp threads, perpendicular to the warp.
Weft yarns create the cross-grain of the fabric. The cross-grain of a woven fabric has more
stretch or “give” than the straight-of-grain.
Fabric bias is anything at an angle to the straight-of-grain or cross-grain on a piece of fabric.
True bias is a 45degree angle to the straight-of-grain or cross-grain on a piece of fabric. It has the
greatest amount of “give.”
When constructing a garment, vertical lines, such as the crease on a pair of trousers or button line
on a shirtfront, are generally on the straight-of-grain. This places the cross-grain, which has
more “give,” so that it goes around the body. The curve of necklines and arm openings are
generally on the bias with even more “give.” All of this is designed to give the wearer a better
fitting garment with ease of movement. Garment ease will be discussed in the unit on
measurements and fitting.
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