“Choose any subject you would like to write about…” that is the object of the A to Z Challenge, and thinking of things that interest me is not a problem for me, but choosing a subject not only to write about, but to write in a way that other people will catch my interest – that is the real challenge! When I chose to write about Commodities in 2024, I was more than a little trepidatious, would it be too dry a subject, would it only be of interest to economists, mostly men, nerds? As it happened, I found much to interest me, and, I think, those who read the abecedarium. Last year was more personal – a kind of memoir told in topics rather than chronologically, but this year I return to a subject, close to our skin if not our hearts, and yet, again, I wonder if this subject will get some people past the title on the list – dismissed as niche? For this year, my theme is What We Wear – Fabrics and Fibres
For this year, my theme is What We Wear – Fabrics and Fibres
Both men and women are involved with Fabrics on a professional level – manufacturing first the Fibres and then the cloth, by weaving, knitting or more arcane processes and then there are those who make things out of cloth – clothes, fashionable and functional, bags, art, bandages and all manner of things. On a craft level, I suspect that women still outnumber men, despite the Tom Daley’s and Kaffe Fassett disciples of this world. Yet anybody who reads books must surely have a moment’s curiosity upon encountering such names as grosgrain, huckaback and hair cloth. Who is even sure about more common names such as flannel [nighties or draws], what is English about Broderie Anglaise or Dutch about Holland Cloth.
We all wear clothes and for some people, reading the little labels that give the fibre mix is a matter of life or itch whilst for others, it’s all an irrelevance they skip over on the way to the How to Care label which tells them whether to wash (hot or cold), tumble or drip-dry, or that dire warning Dry Clean Only! For some, the choice of fabric and constituent fibre, is an ethical one – “I only wear “natural” fibres, but what makes for genuine sustainability? Sheep caused much of Great Britain, even unto the Scottish Highlands, to be stripped of trees (with their oxygen replenishing bounty) and the sheep still keep the mountains free of saplings. Does wood count as a “natural” fibre source (Viscose, Rayon, Acetate) and why is Lyocell more environmentally friendly?
These are just some of the questions thrown up by my deep dive into Fabrics and Fibres and they take us to History, Economics, Chemistry and Craft to find answers – come along for the ride and find out more about the clothes you inhabit and the stuff they are made of…
I compiled a list of as fabrics, fibres and related items as possible (278 items), from several sources, the most comprehensive of which was Wikipedia. Since there ar only 26 letters in the alphabet, I could not write in detail about every instance so I have taken snippets of text for the brief descriptions and linked to the source in the name of the item. I am indebted to all the contributors to those Wikipedia pages and the depth of knowledge to be found there…
If you are also participating in the A to Z this year – I look forward to seeing you on the road…
