What is lace fabric? In short, it is a material used to make textiles such as clothing. Traditionally, lace was usually made up of silk or linen threads, and some weavers even used gold or silver threads to make this fabric. However, in contemporary times, cotton has become the most popular fabric for lace production, and some manufacturers use synthetic fibers such as polyester or rayon to make lace.
In China, lace was first used to decorate the clothing of the ancient Chinese court nobility. To the lace fashion and lace home textile that can be seen everywhere nowadays, lace fabric has broken through the fabric's original intention and become an indispensable fashion element in many textile designs nowadays. Prized for its delicacy and sophistication, lace has been associated with sensuality and beauty for centuries. As a result, this fabric remains a common component of women's clothing, including lingerie.
In addition, lace fabric is a general term and can be subdivided into: fiber high stretch jacquard lace fabric, mesh cotton thread jacquard lace fabric, mesh jacquard lace fabric, crocheted cotton thread lace fabric, and positioning lace fabric depending on the composition.
Lace was first hand-knitted by crochet. In the 18th century, it was also used extensively by European court and aristocratic men in cuffs, lapels and socks.
In the fourteenth century, Catholicism practiced asceticism and moral self-improvement by abstaining from carnal desires and pleasures, and there were very few entertainment activities at that time. Lace then first appeared in Flanders, the commercial center of continental Europe, in the fourteenth century.
Early lace woven with metal wire, especially rich noble tycoons with gold and silver wire woven lace, not so rich people can only use iron wire. It was not until the fifteenth century lace to silk or cotton as the main material. So the early lace was very heavy.
Lace became popular in Italy in the sixteenth century as the center of European commerce shifted from Flanders to Italy on the Mediterranean coast. At that time, noble women were subject to many restrictions of dogma and had to pass their time by weaving lace, and later they taught the craft of lace weaving to the nuns of the church. The nuns used lace to earn extra money, so lace first became popular in Italian convents and was first used in church decoration. In the sixteenth century lace could only be done by hand, so it was expensive and the nobility could only decorate a small section of lace on a cuff or collar.
By the mid-16th century, lace had become a popular fabric throughout Europe, appearing more commonly and prominently in Renaissance paintings.
From 1600 to 1800, Italy and Flanders remained the leading producers of lace fabrics, with France also becoming the leading lace producer. Although lace production also occurred in Germany, England, and Spain during this period, none of these countries exported lace fabrics in significant quantities.
In the early 19th century, the Industrial Revolution brought many previously unimaginable advances in textile manufacturing, including machines that automated the lace-making process. As a result, lace fabrics became quite inexpensive, and by 1840, women's fashions once again began to call for the widespread use of lace. By this time, lace was no longer used for men's clothing, and the decorative fabric has been an integral part of women's fashion ever since.
Although lace was undoubtedly easy and efficient to make by machine, hand lace remained relatively common until the early 20th century. By the middle of the century, lace-making techniques had been adopted in countries around the world, and the once exclusively European textile tradition had circulated globally.
1、Distinguish by elasticity
1)Stretchy lace fabric (nylon ammonia, polyester ammonia, nylon cotton ammonia, etc.)
Stretchy lace composition is mainly nylon, so you can also use the burning properties of nylon to identify lace. Because nylon is not a natural fiber, it is chemically synthesized. So if you bring the flame close to the lace, it shrinks and melts very fast, and it will burn immediately and fast when it shrinks to a certain level.
2)Non-stretch lace fabric (all nylon, all polyester, nylon cotton, polyester-cotton, all cotton, etc.)
Non-stretch lace fabric has more kinds of composition ratio, generally can be divided into full polyester, full nylon, nylon cotton, polyester-cotton, full cotton, etc., of which full polyester, full nylon, full cotton is generally dyed in single color, nylon cotton, polyester-cotton can be dyed in two colors.
2、Distinguish by composition
Lace is generally a mixture of many kinds of textile yarns, as few as 3 kinds and as many as 10 kinds. The unique weaving method can form endless patterns.
1)Polyester
Generally polyester lace is hard to the touch. It is easy to distinguish in the hand.
2)Nylon or nylon + spandex
Nylon is much softer and better textured than polyester. In addition, spandex has more elasticity and feels smoother.
3)Cotton (nylon cotton / polyester cotton / cotton)
To distinguish the same fabric, cotton or chemical fiber with the burning method is the fastest and most accurate.
Note: Of course, most lace components raw material prices: (low) polyester < spandex < nylon < cotton yarn (high)
3、Distinguish by production process
1)Chevron lace
The thick pattern brings a mellow texture, and the touch is as soft as fresh cotton with a little elasticity. It can show the mature and sweet feminine style, and it brings the magnificence that is low-key and earnest.
2)Embroidered Lace
The lace pattern is all embroidered, and through the texture and color of the embroidery thread, the lace can also have the chinoiserie flavor of ink painting.
3)Embossed lace
Lace fabric itself has multiple layers of superimposed three-dimensional pattern graphics, rather than post-production, such three-dimensional fabric process is very delicate, the price is more than a thousand dollars a foot.
4)French Lash Lace
Lash lace has not only a delicate lash edge, but also a thin, mesh-like pattern.
It cannot be cleaned. Because the "cicada wings" are so delicate, any cleaning would be devastating. The orthodox "lash" texture, when examined closely, is stranded, somewhat like the cylindrical structure of cotton thread, rather than the spiky shape of chemical fiber.
5)Elastic Lace
It is made by adding elastic fiber blend, which is most suitable for reflecting women's graceful body.
6)Water Soluble Lace
Water-soluble lace is a lace pattern woven on a piece of lining paper using polyester thread or viscose filament. After finishing, the lining paper is dissolved using hotter water, leaving only the lace body, hence the name water soluble lace. Water soluble lace has more stitches and is more expensive to make.
7)Crochet lace
Crochet lace with a through-hole pattern. The more famous ones are such as Irish hand crochet lace.
8)Draw Embroidery Lace
Lace is made by drawing and knotting on a complete piece of cloth, and weaving the remaining yarn after drawing part of the warp or weft of the base cloth to create a perforated pattern.
Lace is a decorative fabric that has a variety of uses throughout the home and in fashion.
1. Lace trim: Lace is often used as trim for garments or home furnishings, such as towels and curtains. It provides a decorative effect to the item.
2. Lace collars and shawls: The open weave of lace was popular for royal collars in the 16th century, and its decorative nature also made shawls or scarves an accessory or ornament.
3. Curtains and drapes: Although lace window treatments may not provide privacy or darkness, they can enhance the taste of the entire space.
4. Bridal wear: Lace is a regular accessory for bridal wear, mainly used for wedding dresses and veils. Because lace is transparent, it is often covered with opaque fabrics, such as silk or satin, to showcase its beautiful patterns.
5. Lingerie: Lace is popular for decorating lingerie. It is often used in conjunction with another material such as silk, but can also be used alone.
Advantages
1.Soft texture. Softness is the feature of silk fabric and lace fabric. Of course, lace also has a sense of flow, which can reflect the beauty of curves.
2.2. Lace fabrics have clear patterns and obvious contours, which makes it easier for designers to design lace clothes that fit human curves.
3.3. Lace fabric is thin and breathable, in addition to making clothes and skirts, lace is also widely used in underwear.
4.4. The most important point is that it is aesthetically pleasing and ornamental.
Disadvantages
1. Lace fabric clothing after wearing for a long time easy to deformation, not easy to maintain.
2. Lace is also easy to pilling, which is unavoidable.
3. If it is with poor quality lace clothing, easy to scratch the skin after wearing.
4. Silk fabric hooks easy to break, it is best to hand wash.
Here are the steps to properly care for your lace fabric (please note that you may not be able to wash embroidered lace).
1. First check the care label to see if it is hand washable or machine washable.
2. For lace that can be hand washed, be sure to use mild laundry soap and cold water.
3. Wash and dry with a towel afterwards.
4. For machine wash, please do a fine wash and use a mild detergent and laundry bag.
Do not iron lace, especially stretch lace fabrics, if possible. This is because ironing may cause the synthetic fibers to melt, thus reducing their durability.
However, if you do need to iron, be extra careful. For this, you can place the lace on a towel and then press a piece of cotton fabric or cloth between the iron and the lace at the proper temperature for ironing. To dry lace with an iron, gradually increase the temperature of the iron from cool to medium and wait until the lace is almost dry before putting the iron away. Avoid stretching lace; instead, get heavy lace dry on a flat surface.
Since China produces more textiles than any other country, it holds the status of lace producer in the world. However, the fabric did not originate in China, and Europe remains a fairly large lace producer.
For centuries, certain factories in France and the Netherlands have also produced lace, and Italy has maintained its status as a prominent lace producer. American factories also produce small quantities of this beautiful and delicate textile.
Because of its complexity, lace fabrics are usually quite expensive. And handmade types of lace, such as needlepoint lace, can be quite expensive. The cost of lace depends on how it is made and its materials, with silk lace being the most expensive, cotton and linen lace being medium priced, and synthetic lace being the most affordable.
Our company specializes in a wide range of lace fabrics to meet the needs of different materials and styles. Any questions, please feel free to contact.
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