What is gabardine and what is it like?

Back in 1879, Thomas Berbury, creating a unique gabardine fabric, could not have imagined that it would remain popular in a hundred years. This fabric received recognition not only in its homeland - in England, but also in other countries, especially where weather conditions require wearing clothes made of waterproof materials.

Gabardine is a fabric that is obtained by weaving two threads diagonally, one of the threads being thinner than the other. Tight weave looks like a large scar with an inclination of about 60 degrees. This type of weave has its own name - twill. The twill weave allows the material to stretch at an angle, which, in turn, allows you to sew comfortable and wear-resistant clothing, as well as to make an oblique cut of products.

The characterization of gabardine linen and its description as a natural fabric is based on its composition. Traditionally, this material is made from wool threads, which are made from merino sheep wool. However, with the improvement of light industry technologies, other fibers, such as viscose, cotton, synthetics, and silk, began to be added to the woolen composition.

The composition of the gabardine fabric directly depends on the composition of the fibers from which it is made. Currently, gabardine fabric can be made from woolen, artificial and synthetic threads. According to its composition, it can be classified as follows.

• Woolen. It is made exclusively from natural wool of various density.
• Half-woolen. Woolen threads in gabardine are combined with viscose, linen and synthetics (polyester).Moreover, their percentage may be different.
• Cotton. The cotton material is lightweight and durable. Crimped cotton threads form a very strong bond.
• Silk. For the manufacture of gabardine with silk threads, artificial silk is used, which includes viscose and polyester.
• Synthetic. The main composition is polyester with or without viscose and wool. Gabardine with a synthetic composition has a high tensile strength.

The composition of gabardine determines its properties, which are different from other fabrics.

• The relief of the pattern. The relief of the pattern is formed from a characteristic scar. There is a relationship between the composition and the severity of the relief. The more woolen fibers in the composition of the thread, the more pronounced the scar. If synthetic fibers prevail in the fabric, the scar is almost invisible.
• The weight of the canvas. By weight, gabardine is a fairly light fabric and soft to the touch.
• Density. Despite its lightness, gabardine is considered a fairly dense fabric.
• Opacity. This property is excellently used in the manufacture of night curtains that limit the transmission of sunlight. Gabardine curtains practically do not shine through.
• Excellent breathability. Gabardine knows how to "breathe" and passes air to the skin well. This property explains the good hygiene of this material.
• Water repellent properties. During the production process, the fabric is treated with a special water-repellent impregnation. Thanks to this, during the rain, the fabric repels moisture drops, the clothes do not get wet.

• High crease resistance. This property of gabardine makes ironing easier, since the product from it practically does not wrinkle during wear and operation.
• Excellent drape allows you to create beautiful folds in clothes and in the interior.
• Wear resistance and strength, as well as resistance to mechanical damage. The service life of gabardine is quite long, so that products made from it can be worn indefinitely.
• Gabardine good keeps its shape and does not deform during wear and after washing.
• Products from gabardine easy to wash, dry quickly and iron without problems.
• Fast crumbling. This property must be taken into account when cutting and cuts quickly.

The composition and properties of modern gabardine depend on its type, the raw material from which it is made. The use of one or another type of gabardine when sewing products depends on the functional and aesthetic purpose of these products.

Outwardly, this material is a smooth and thin fabric with elastic properties. Synthetic threads used in the production of stretch gabardine have a great influence on the improvement of stretching. As a rule, these are elastane threads or lycra. It also contains artificial and natural fibers: viscose and six.

In its composition, this type of premium quality gabardine contains exclusively natural wool, which can differ in physical properties, be of different density and density. A dense and warm material is made from coarser yarn, which is used for sewing trench coats and coats. Softer yarn produces a soft and thin fiber that ideal for sewing suits and upholstery for sofas and armchairs.

The semi-woolen fabric also contains polyester, linen and viscose. The ratio of raw materials depends on the production technology. A beautiful rib is formed on the front side of the canvas with the help of a twill weave. Wool blend gabardine is popular in the production of men's business suits.

"Melange" is a gabardine fabric made from threads of several colors. Most often, threads of different shades of the same color are used. In this case, the greater the degree of difference between the threads, the more pronounced the effect is.Melange gabardine is used for tailoring suits and casual dresses.

Staple fabric is made from short fibers using water-repellent impregnation. The finished canvas turns out to be less durable, but just as beautiful and has a low cost. Great fit for sewing raincoats and tablecloths.

Using cotton, the fabric is lighter in weight, but at the same time wear resistance does not suffer. Cotton fibers have a twisted structure, therefore the fabric is very durable. Pants, skirts, dresses, shirts, and medical uniforms are made from such fabric.

Artificial silk fibers are used to make silk gabardine. The appearance and properties of the material depend on the twisting of the silk threads. If it is dense, then you get the softest canvas with a silk sheen. If the twist is weak, then the surface of the fabric is matte with a satin effect. Silk gabardine fits perfectly for sewing evening dresses and curtains.

The main part of this fabric is polyester, which is easy to care for and has excellent wear-resistant properties. Overalls are sewn from synthetic gabardine, which are often subject to dirt and wear.

The flame retardant gabardine is made from 100% polyester. When ignited, the fabric slowly smolders, and then completely dies out. Curtains and furniture upholstery are made from such material, mainly for public institutions.

This is a mixed material. The main thing for mixed material is the weaving inherent in gabardines. In this case, gabardine is a way of weaving threads.

Blackout has very strong sun protection properties. And if we compare it on this basis with gabardine, then blackout absorbs light rays by 99%, and gabardine by only 70%. To be more precise, the blackout blocks not only the rays of the sun, but also the light of car headlights and neon lights. Also, blackout is able to reduce the volume of noise by 30% and, if necessary, they can zone the space in the room.

Satin fabric, in contrast to gabardine, is made of pure cotton threads or with the addition of synthetics, viscose and silk. The production of gabardine is dominated by wool. The use of a special weave with lengthening of the thread overlaps creates the effect of smoothness on one side and roughness on the other. Depending on the type and composition of satin, bed linen, clothes or curtains are sewn from it. In general, satin is a lighter fabric than gabardine and is not suitable for products with an increased wear rate. Of all types of satin, 3D satin stands out. Special weaving gives volume to the details of the pattern. Outwardly, products with this effect look very beautiful.

A very wide range of things can be sewn from gabardine fabric: from underwear to work and uniforms. Also, this material is widely used for sewing items of textile interior or its elements. Overalls made of this material have increased wear resistance properties. It does not wrinkle, wears well and has a long service life. Plus, it looks decent enough for this kind of clothing.

For outerwear, the properties of impermeability, protection from wind and rain, and heat conservation are important. Gabardine fabric is used for sewing coats and raincoats. Casual and evening dresses are prized for softness, beauty, comfort and versatility.Evening dresses look very sophisticated thanks to soft drapery, bows, dominance of simple silhouettes and laconicism.

Decor items made of gabardine cloth do not change their shape under mechanical stress. In addition, they are very easy to care for. For example, night curtains can last indefinitely, protecting a room from light rays. Also, gabardine is used to sew tablecloths, napkins, bedspreads, pillowcases for cushions and covers for chairs and upholstered furniture. Curtains made of this material are used in the theater as background. Gabardine canvases are used in the advertising business. For this sphere, a dense white canvas is selected, advertising posters and panel structures are created. In this case, the relief of the material is used to apply paint.

Depending on the composition, gabardine products require different care. For example, in order not to spoil woolen products, it is better to take them to dry cleaning. This is especially true for coats, short coats and business suits. If you wash woolen clothes yourself, then you need to do this. at a temperature of 30 degrees, choosing a special washing mode and a special detergent for washing wool. Synthetic items can be easily machine washed with washing powder or gel. If there is a choice, then it is better to use the gel, as it rinses out better.

When washing in a machine, it is advisable to turn things inside out. But if this is, for example, an evening dress, then you need to choose a more gentle washing mode. Also, things made of gabardine with the addition of synthetics are perfectly hand-washed. Dresses, skirts, tablecloths and other products made of synthetic gabardine with the addition of cotton are recommended to be washed at 40 degrees.

It is recommended to iron gabardine products with a warm iron. If, nevertheless, “hot ironing” is required, then a damp gauze or other suitable material must be placed between the thing to be ironed and the iron. Also for gabardine products it is recommended to use purl ironing. The temperature regime for ironing must be indicated in the product labeling.

When washing gabardine garments, do not use bleach, as it can spoil the color of the fabric. White material can easily turn yellow. It is also not recommended to remove stains on colored and black items made of this fabric.

For information on how to choose gabardine fabric, see the next video.