| | Silk taffeta is one of the oldest luxury fabrics, woven in the early part of the third century by the
Persians, who called it " taftah" or " taftan" . Today' s version is a fine, smooth, tightly woven fabric with
very finecrosswise ribs, made with a plain weave, fine warp yarns and heavier filling yarns.
Taffeta looks the same on both sides and has approximately the same number of yarns in both
directions. The fabric is flat, with a distinctive rustle and a dull luster. It may be soft or stiff,
and light to medium in weight. Acetate and nylon variations are common.
Taffeta is often fiven a moire finish by passing the fabric through engraved rollers and applying steam,
pressure, and/ or chemicals. The finished fabric has a wavy or rippled pattern that resembles
a water stain or mark, with dull and lustrous areas that relfect light differently.
Moire, which is French for " watered" , was originally applied to lustrous fabrics of gold,
silver and silk as early as the 15th century. Today, it is used on a variety of fabrics and fibers.
It is usually permanent on synthetics, but washes out of silks and rayons. | | |
|
)