Brocade dresses

For centuries, brocade clothing has been associated with luxury and royal grandeur. Once upon a time, only very rich and noble ladies could afford outfits from this extraordinary fabric. Today, any girl can feel like a very august special, dressed in a brocade dress.

The word "brocade" is of Persian origin. The fabric itself was brought to Europe from the East, where it has been produced since antiquity. Brocade is a heavy material, richly decorated with patterns that are embroidered with the finest metallic thread. Thanks to the special texture, even the simplest brocade outfit looks truly luxurious.

Our today's article is about brocade dresses. We will tell you about the features of this material, its varieties, as well as fashionable styles of brocade dresses.

Any material has its positive and negative sides, and brocade is no exception. Let's first list the benefits of this fabric. So, the advantages of brocade include:

• spectacular appearance;
• strength;
• pliability - brocade drapes well, forming beautiful, soft folds;
• compatibility with other materials - brocade can be combined with various types of fabrics, for example, with velvet or lace;
• density - brocade keeps its shape well, so no lining is needed for dresses made of this material.

Speaking about the shortcomings of brocade, the following features of this fabric are usually remembered:

• high price - brocade made from natural fibers is quite expensive;
• Difficulty in care - there are strict recommendations for washing and ironing brocaded clothes;
• rapid wear - over time, metallized fibers deform and lose their color.

In the old days, only natural materials were used for the production of brocade - silk fibers, gold, silver threads. Later, brocade began to be made from cheaper materials - cotton, flax, semiprecious metal alloys.

Today in stores you can find both completely natural and synthetic brocade.

They learned to make this fabric from viscose, lycra and other artificial materials. The cost of brocade directly depends on its composition: the more natural ingredients it contains, the more expensive it is.

Basically, there are three types of brocade:

• silk-based;
• on a viscose basis;
• on lycra basis.

Traditionally, brocade has been used to sew fancy dresses for the most solemn occasions. Therefore, the classic brocade dress is a ball gown with a long, puffy skirt. Modern girls are rarely given the opportunity to wear such an outfit, but, nevertheless, brocade is firmly entrenched in our wardrobes.

Today, a brocade dress is not necessarily a chic outfit to go out. On the contrary, the designers compensate for the luxury of the material with the simplicity of the silhouette. Therefore, straight or semi-fitted brocade dresses are so popular - shifts, cases, baby dollars, etc. At the same time, the skirt can be of medium length or mini.

Girls who feel like real princesses often choose brocade dresses for the wedding ceremony - it is not for nothing that royalty preferred to marry in such an outfit. This choice is quite justified: against a snow-white background, gold and silver threads look incredibly beautiful and luxurious.

Since the material itself is richly decorated, the styles of brocade dresses are usually very simple. The most popular among brides are silhouette dresses with a rigid bodice that accentuates the chest, and a long skirt with a flare from the waistline or from the middle of the thigh.

A great option for an evening out in the cool season is a brocade dress. Evening and cocktail models of brocade dresses are very diverse. It can be either elegant outfits with a floor-length skirt or rather revealing mini ones.

• Before washing, carefully study the composition of the product: if it contains threads made of real metals, it is best to dry-clean the dress.
• If synthetic fibers were used for embroidery, then hand or automatic washing on a delicate cycle is permissible.
• It is recommended to wash brocade dresses in warm water, at a temperature not exceeding 40 degrees.
• Iron such products should be turned inside out.

Brocade is a very self-sufficient material, it is so beautiful and unusual that it does not need reinforcement in the form of very bright and catchy accessories and ornaments.

Of course, this does not mean that when wearing a brocade dress, you should give up details. Just choose jewelry that is as simple as possible, not attracting attention. Avoid accessories richly decorated with shiny stones, beads and rhinestones.