A common point of conversation when lolitas are discussing their dresses, blouses, or other items is the “type” of cloth used to make it. Often, these descriptions are vague or even a little bit off-base. Lolitas used to make snide remarks about the fact that Moi-même-Moitié used polyester for many of their designs’ outer fabrics, because other brands predominantly used cotton, and reserved the so-very-dreaded polyester for lining and ribbon details.
People often confuse the fibre content (or type of raw material used to create the woven fabric) with the fibre weave (or the pattern of yarns used to create the woven fabric). These two things in combination are what make up a type of fabric. So just telling someone that your fabric is “cotton” sometimes isn’t quite enough information.
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Baby the Stars Shine Bright |
Baby the Stars Shine Bright |
Every iteration of the Karami JSK has been made with a 100% Cotton outer fabric, and a 100% Polyester lining. Above are two different releases so that you can compare them side by side. |
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In the years since early lolita fashion guides were written, most brands have changed to using quite a bit of polyester and polyester blends as the main fabrics for the releases in their lines. This change is particularly due to the increased popularity of vibrant surface prints, as well as the increased popularity in airy chiffons.
So saying “cotton is good” or “polyester is bad” is just too simple of an analysis for judging a lolita fashion (or really any) garment.
You have to look at the whole material!
Fabric Fibre
When we talk about a dress made from “polyester” or “rayon” or “cotton”, we’re talking about the fabric’s fibre content.
When making fabric, the raw materials listed as the fibre content are used to produce yarns, which are then woven or knitted together. Depending on the type and weight of the yarn used, the fabric’s final properties can be dramatically changed. These properties include factors like its visual appearance and feel, as well as how it takes to being dyed or printed.
Polyester yarns, for example, produce fabrics that are commonly more resistant to wrinkles, and less likely to pick up lint than cotton yarns. By contrast, cotton yarns of a comparable weight tend to result in fabric that is crisper and more breathable than polyester, but prone to creasing under pressure. Meanwhile, nylon yarns share some common properties of both cotton and polyester, and when woven into organza or organdie, can provide a stiffened, wrinkle-resistant base for a petticoat. As a result, different fibres can span multiple purposes and appearances, depending on the weave and finishing techniques used.
Fibre content is listed on the care tags of garments you purchase ready-made, usually in a breakdown with percentages such as “100% Cotton” or, in the case of a blend, as “75% Polyester, 25% Cotton”. Most lolita fashion tags will include the fibre content for the outer fabric, as well as the lining, and any trims the dress might have as decoration. For uncut sewing fabric, this breakdown will typically be at the end of the bolt or roll, usually in the same place as the SKU or scan bar. Sometimes this information will also be printed on the selvage near the print registration marks.
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Angelic Pretty
Care tags from lolita brands will include the fibre content for the garment’s outer material, lining, and lace. They will also include care instructions, and sometimes an extra button in case you lose one from the garment. A few brands also include small swatches of unusual dress fabrics such as velvet, so you can test your care processes on it, instead of risking damage to the finished garment. |
The most common fibres used in lolita include the two I’ve already mentioned, cotton and polyester, but other fibre types such as rayon, or acetate, also will be used. You will also occasionally find garments or fabrics which list additional, smaller fibre percentages such as lurex, nylon, polyurethane, or acrylic. These fibres are typically used to create extra structure, or add metallic or shimmering accent effects in the materials. In general, these fibre types are less frequently used on their own for main pieces, but rather woven in with other fibre types that make up the majority of the material used.
So exactly what are are the merits and drawbacks of different types of fabric?
Cotton-based Fabrics
The pros for cotton-based fabrics are pretty numerous! There's a reason they have long been promoted as the best option for lolita fashion. They’re breathable and comfortable, durable and generally easy to clean (most cotton blouses can go in your washing machine in a lingerie or sweater bag, for example), and can be steamed or ironed at a fairly high heat to return them to their original crispness after they’ve been washed.
Unfortunately, cotton garments have some downsides, the biggest of which is all those wrinkles. Because most cotton fabric used in lolita is meant to look crisp and smooth, even the smallest of wrinkles will jump out and really show, especially if you’ve been sitting down for a while on your skirt. Investing in a good steamer or iron is definitely a must for wardrobes that use lots of cotton!
Another downside of cotton is a tendency towards pilling. Friction over time, particularly in areas such as under the arms, will cause the loose fibres of the cotton to form fuzzy little balls. These can be gently removed with a dull razor or de-pilling tool, but can lead to thin spots in the fabric if done too often. One final issue with cotton is its colour fastness. In general, cotton takes colour as a dye or screen print very well! It does not often retain colour as well under digital printing techniques, however. Colours applied through current digital printing techniques on a cotton ground often fade more quickly than a synthetic or synthetic blend fabric.
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Baby, the Stars Shine Bright |
The above issues, and the added expense of cotton compared to cheaper synthetic materials, make using synthetic materials quite appealing for many lolita fashion brands. You do still find 100% cotton outer fabrics being used, however!
Polyester-based Fabrics
Right off the bat, most lolitas know that polyester’s biggest cons are the risk of shiny materials that look cheap, and the lack of breathability due to being a synthetic fibre. Because of the latter property, polyester also tends to retain odours, so eliminating lingering smells from pre-worn garments can be a bit of a trial.
The pros for polyester are pretty hefty, however! Polyester’s biggest benefit is that it is much better at taking digital printed designs than natural fibres. In lolita fashion, these printing techniques have gained considerable popularity, due to their small run requirements and the ease of creating multiple colourways. They are also less prone to the registration errors that can occur with multi-run techniques like screenprinting. The colours printed in this method are more vibrant and longer lasting on polyester than those printed onto cotton, which adds to its appeal.
Also, while polyester doesn’t have cotton’s tolerance for heat, it does resist wrinkles quite a bit better in most cases, so steaming or ironing need not be as intensive. It also has a versatile and wide range of options, from chiffon to bridal satin to peachskin fabrics. It is best used when mimicking more expensive fabrics like silk, with a matte or low-sheen weave option.
Comparing polyester fabrics between two brands: |
Polyester can really look lush and luxurious with the right treatment, but there’s also a risk of getting material that isn’t up to snuff. If you compare polyester fabrics between different brands, you can learn to feel out the difference in quality between them with a bit of practice.
Semi-synthetic Fibre Fabrics
Rayon, acetate and viscose are one category of manufactured fibres, sometimes referred to as semi-synthetics, which show up frequently in the fibre content listings on lolita fashion garments. They are most commonly used to enhance the properties of other fibres in the garment, but are also fairly versatile and useful fibres on their own. Because they do not involve processing petrochemicals like true synthetic fibres, and are derived from plant cellulose types that are less intensive to grow than cotton, they are frequently touted as being a more eco-friendly option for fabric. These fibre materials can be processed from regenerated fibre, derived from wood, bamboo, hemp, and other plants with heavy cellulose content. Hemp in particular is a popular choice for fibre blends from some brands in China.
Despite how high tech that all sounds, they're actually not a recent invention. Rayon has been in use in fashion since the late 1800s, when it was introduced as an “artificial silk” due to its ability to mimic the properties of the more expensive material, at a fraction of the cost. It is extremely versatile and often used in blended fabrics to supplement the properties of the more dominant fibre type.
Wool and Wool Imitation Fabrics
Wool and fabrics intended to imitate the fibre follow a lot of the same weaving and processing techniques as cotton and poplin, but are generally better suited to outerwear. Oftentimes, lolita brands will not use fully wool materials for their outerwear, but will use an acrylic blend or even 100% acrylic option, instead. This is partially a cost-saving measure, but also an ease of maintenance measure. These typically blended fibres are easier to care for than 100% wool, but offer many of the same benefits of the full, natural fibre version of the same fabrics.
Silk-based Fabrics
In general, silk fabrics are going to be far more expensive and difficult to care for than their synthetic counterparts. As a result, these materials are not often seen in lolita fashion, with the exception of elaborate one-off pieces from indie brands, or fashion show pieces created as a centre piece of a collection (Jane Marple has been known to make silk blouses, however!).
That said, if you’re sewing your own garments, silk can lend a high-class finish to your final design, and is worth considering if you want to really throw yourself into the deep end.
Other Woven Fabric Fibres
In addition to the larger categories of material covered above, lolita fashion uses quite a few other types of fibres and weaves which do not fit into such neat categories. These other fabrics all have their individual pros and cons, and appropriate uses, just like cotton and polyester. Researching those pros and cons will help you determine which fabric is right for your project, or which dress is best for your wardrobe and style when shopping for ready-made lolita fashion items.
Fabric Weave
In the previous section on fibre content, I mentioned the yarns used to produce a fabric when discussing the processing of raw materials to make fabric. Once spun, woven fabric yarns are arranged on a loom in a perpendicular array.
The above diagram shows the direction of warp and weft yarns in a true, plain weave pattern. Pink threads are the warp, while blue threads are the weft. This is the most fundamental of weaving patterns. |
The pattern of the warp (which runs lengthwise, parallel to a fabric’s uncut selvage, or outer edge) and the weft (which goes crosswise, perpendicular to the warp and selvage) on a fabric loom are the components of a woven fabric which determine its basic look and utility.
Satin Weave |
Twill Weave |
The above diagrams show how the warp and weft are arranged in satin and twill weave fabrics respectively. |
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The pattern produced by the warp and weft are what dictates the type of fabric produced. Plain weave, twill weave, and satin weave are the three most fundamental fabric weaves. The way the yarns are produced also determines the fabric type, in terms of dictating its weight, transparency, and overall texture.
And if that hasn’t gotten you confused enough yet, with finished fabric, the warp yarns are also referred to as the grain line. The weft yarns are the cross-grain.
In theory, the grain and cross-grain will be just as perpendicular to one another in the finished fabric as they were on the loom as they were being woven, but sometimes fabric can get distorted. The most common causes for fabric being forced off-grain include processes during finishing, being wound onto a bolt or roll, or distortion caused when you pre-wash it to start sewing.
If you aren’t planning on sewing, the effect of fabric being pulled off-grain won’t really matter to you much. An off-the-rack or ready-made garment should have dealt with correcting the issue already, so you can go ahead and skip ahead a bit!
However, if you hope to start sewing, or just want to know about fixing distorted material, read on!
Grain, Cross-Grain and Bias
When you cut your pattern pieces to sew, you generally want to apply your pattern to the grain or the cross-grain. A commercial pattern will have a grain guide (typically a long, double-ended line with arrows) to show you which direction you should position each piece. Generally, as long as you are true to one or the other of these yarns in cutting your fabric, your material will work out nicely.
There’s a third element to keep in mind, which is the bias. In general, the bias is any angle that bisects the grain and cross-grain, but the term itself most commonly refers to the true bias. The true bias sits at 45° degrees to the grain, intersecting the grain and cross-grain evenly. Cutting on the bias instead of on the grain provides a garment with beautiful drape and fit. This is the angle at which your woven fabric will have some give and stretch, and its most drape and malleability. It is also the angle at which distortions are most likely to happen.
The black line in the diagram above demonstrates the position of the true bias of a woven fabric, crossing the fabric at 45° to the warp. If you were to reflect this line across the warp, it would still indicate the bias, but in the opposite direction. |
If your fabric has been pulled off-grain, none of the above cutting options will be any good, and you’ll end up with wonky items. If you find your fabric has been pulled off-grain, you’ll need to fix up your material. If you don’t fix this issue, your clothes can hang strangely, or look twisted.
Is Your Fabric Squared?
To see if your material has stayed true, cut through one selvage near the start and end of your fabric, then tear the fabric from selvage to selvage to establish a cross-grain edge at either end of your material. If your fabric does not tear easily or cleanly for any reason, you can snip through the selvage, and pull out one of the weft yarns (or a cross-grain thread) to create a cutting guide for your scissors to follow. Gently pull and cut as you go, to end up with a clean cross-grain edge to your material.
Next, fold your fabric selvage to selvage on a large surface, and smooth it out.
If your torn or cut cross-grain edge corners line up without a fight, you’re good to go! If the fabric seems to suddenly veer off on a diagonal, or refuse to stay put, you’ll want to correct your fabric, to get it back on-grain. This process is called “squaring” the grain, and there are a few ways to go about it. Quilters will frequently just cut a new “true cross-grain” line based on their fold, but this won’t work for clothing. In quilting, because so much of the piecing relies on straight lines and other geometric cuts, it doesn’t often take full advantage of the bias’ properties. This is different in the case of clothing, so trying to cut fabric that is off-grain in the same fashion will result in a garment that doesn’t hang straight, and printed patterns that don’t match up evenly.
Fortunately, fixing off-grain fabric is pretty easy! In addition to your fabric, you should use an iron or steamer, and may need an assistant, or some bulldog clips, clothes line clips, or some weights.
To square the grain for your sewing, mark the corners which come up “short” on each side with a pin or tailor’s chalk. They should be diagonal corners when you unfold your fabric. Now is also a good time to warm up the fabric, either with a steamer or an iron on low heat. This will loosen the yarns so that you can more easily wiggle them back into place.
Once it’s warmed up, with the help of a second person (if your fabric is quite large), or some creative use of clips and weights, gently pull the opposing corners, to stretch the fabric on the bias a few times. This should start the process of straightening the grain.
Repeat your fold test to see if your edges lie smooth! If not, just repeat the process until it takes the right shape.
Combining Fibre and Weave
In most cases, the fibre content and the weave are intrinsically linked to create the final result. Two materials which use the same weave might have dramatically different properties, depending on the yarn that was used. Yarns can vary in fibre content, but also how they are treated. Were they twisted after spinning? Treated with acid? Left with loose slubs?
Depending on how these yarns are treated and the materials used, you can see very dramatic differences in the resulting fabrics. For example, a chiffon fabric requires a warp and weft composed of highly twisted filament yarns, arranged in a plain weave pattern. In lolita, these yarns are most commonly composed of fully synthetic fibres such as polyester or nylon, but can also be made using natural fibres such as silk or cotton. The same, plain weave pattern as chiffon, when used with a different type of yarn, results in other fabric types, such as cotton broadcloth, or even cotton canvas.
Chiffon Example |
Broadcloth Example |
Basic chiffon requires a warp and weft composed of highly twisted filament yarns in a plain weave pattern. In lolita, these yarns are most commonly composed of fully synthetic fibres such as polyester or nylon, but can also be made using natural fibres such as silk or cotton. The same, plain weave pattern as chiffon, when used with a different type of yarn, results in other fabric types, such as cotton broadcloth, or even cotton canvas. |
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Polyester Satin Example |
Cotton Sateen Example |
Polyester satin tends to have a very high shine, and a smooth, almost liquid drape. Cotton sateen, which uses the same weaving pattern, but a different fibre content, is much lower sheen and more durable, but retains much of the fluidity of the polyester satin. As another comparison, cotton poplin, which uses a different weave to cotton sateen, is entirely matte and has a crisper appearance with much less drape. |
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I’ll talk a bit more in-depth about the types of fibres and weaves that result in different fabrics in the next part of this guide!
Finishing
Once fabric is woven, additional processes are often used to create a unique finish on top of the weave. Finishing specifically refers to the process of treating a textile to prepare it for use, and applies to techniques which are both decorative and practical.
A few common finishing techniques include digital printing, distressing, desizing, and various additive surface treatments such as embroidery, flocking or foiling.
In lolita, the most common method of fabric finishing is the use of vibrant, all-over prints. These prints have gained popularity to a great degree since they were introduced, and are overwhelmingly the most often used fabric finish in lolita fashion. There is no limit on substyle with these designs, and custom printed fabric is used routinely in lolita fashion, whether sweet, gothic, or classic.
Flocking is another common lolita fabric finishing method. Flocking is a technique which isn’t unique to just fabric finishing, but is also used on paper, plastic toys, and other surfaces. The process involves a method similar to screen printing, in which glue is applied to the fabric in a selective pattern. Short, monofilament fibres, known as flock, are then applied to the glue. Hence the name, flocking. The fibres are applied in a fashion that allows them to stand upright, perpendicular to the surface, and thus create a soft, textured effect over a selective portion of the fabric. Common flock fibre types include nylon, polyester, or rayon and acetate. Sometimes, metallic nylon or glitter fibres are introduced with the flocking for a bit of a shimmer effect.
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Alice and the Pirates |
Metamorphose temps de fille |
These two dresses both use the flocking process in slightly different ways. The Alice and the Pirates dress has a stiffer flocking material, mixed with a gold glitter, to create a sparkling shimmer. The softer flocking used on the Metamorphose dress creates a gentler result on the surface of the crêpe de Chine. Both of these photos were taken at a slight angle instead of front-on, so that you can see the height of the flocking up close. |
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Another interesting example of fabric finishing seen in lolita fashion is peachskin fabric, which is created by intentionally abrading polyester plain weave cloth to create a soft, fuzzy texture. This same technique is used to create flannel with cotton plain weave fabric, and felt with wool and acrylic. Peachskin fabric has been frequently used by classic lolita brands, such as Innocent World.
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Angelic Pretty
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Though these two dresses are from completely different styles and brands, they both use a full-colour printing technique in which the design is applied to the fabric only on the outside. They both also utilise other finishing techniques in addition to the printed ground. The Angelic Pretty design uses a film cut finish, which is a heat foiling technique which creates areas in which the polyester fabric is slightly shinier, due to a layer of heated film applied to the surface after printing. It results in a shimmery, sparkly look. |
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Embroidery, appliqué, screen printing, and foiling are all other common finishing techniques that you see in lolita fashion. These techniques are sometimes applied to the already sewn garment rather than to the raw fabric, however. The final result depends heavily on the placement of the treatment, so adding these elements to the fabric surface before construction can cause complications.