If you stop for a minute to think of all the colorful and printed fabrics you’re familiar with, it’s highly likely that you’ll come up with cotton, wool, and polyester. But if you go beyond these and think of the unusual yet stylish, you could be amazed at what you can come up with.
Here are some unusual printed fabrics with which you can make not just stylish wear but other items too.
1. Marbled Velvet
Traditional velvet is an absolute stunner for formal occasions. Its strong sheen and richness make it stand out in a crowd. Any evening gown made out of this material can make you look attractive, modestly feminine or bold.
One good variation of this material is Marbled Velvet. This contemporary fabric is as stylish as its parent fabric and comes with a great pile that sets off in different directions, leading to a “marbled” effect. It falls well, has a shimmering face and is soft to touch. It also allows for the fabric to change colors, depending on the light in the room.
2. Princess Lace Satin
This is luxurious and different as it combines matt jacquard lace with shimmering satin at the rear. This gives it more strength than other laces and helps it to have a soft and graceful drape. Being a layered fabric, there’s more depth to it. It also comes with a slight stretch, enabling designers to work better with it.
This rich material is excellent for wedding dresses, as it allows for a lot of trimmings, detailing, edging and trains. It also makes for outstanding bodices on gowns as it has a luxurious finish. Men’s Bolero jackets and light, summer blazers are also high-fashion.
Lastly, you can also use it for drawing room linen as in cushion covers and upholstery, and furniture trimmings.
3. African fabric
For a continent as large as Africa and as diverse, it’s obvious that the range of fabric will be just as wide and colorful. Some of this continent’s colorful fabric is used today to make high-fashion clothes for men, women, and children; African print mattress covers, quilts, blankets, and pillow covers; living room furnishings and wall hangings, table runners, curtains and placemats.
Notable among African fabrics are the Kente style fabrics that go to make silk and cotton material; Kanga fabric is used for scarves, aprons, head-wraps and the Kitenge style sports the Batik technique and is done in colorful prints.
Each of these fabric types is symbolic of the part of Africa that it is native to and is extremely popular in these parts.
4. Paris Chiffon
Chiffon–lightweight, fine and wispy—is absolutely beautiful to wear. Made of cotton, silk, rayon or certain synthetic fibers, it lends itself to a flowing drape. This makes chiffon elegant wear. One of its variants is Paris Chiffon, soft and luxurious, lightweight and fine. It is breathable fabric, making it ideal to wear in hot weather.
It shapes the contours of the body beautifully and is less transparent than other fabrics. A flowing skirt, whether formal or informal, in this material can be a great stunner.
5. 100% Silk Organza
This is not just the most expensive type of organza but the most highly prized of all organza types. Crisp to touch, wispy and extremely lightweight, weighing barely 24 gsm. You can go with this fabric for an evening gown with flair and delicacy. It is a combination of twisted yarns made from synthetic or silk fabrics.
Silk organza is so sheer and transparent that it seems like a mesh. This weave enables the print to be seen on both sides. Crisp and dreamy, this fabric has a delicate texture and is perfect for wearing gowns and all kinds of dresses, including silhouettes.
It is extremely versatile and does well when mixed with other fabrics to create a unique and stunning ensemble. It works well as wedding attire or evening wear for formal functions. Ball gowns, Empire, trumpet and mermaid dresses are perfect when created out of this dreamy material. Romantic at all times, this material can be transformed to give it a contemporary look or traditional.
Conclusion
Colorful printed fabric can take on the role you want it to play in your life—whether you want it to be your evening wear at the next ball or cocktail party, or adorn the upholstery of your home or serve as dining table linen. How attractively you use it and to the best effect is in your hands, as this is a form of creative design.
