Celanese. My new favourite fabric!

I've discovered a new fabric name today, thanks to Nicole of Circa Vintage Clothing. This pretty 1940's slip was puzzling me until Nicole advised the fabric is made from rayon jersey. The drape quality is superb. Now that's been cleared up I'd be very interested to see if any VFG members have slips or other styles of clothing made from this type of fabric or Celanese.

It's a manmade fibre which aimed to replace silk during WWII when there was a shortage of silk. Here's a couple of photos of my 40's slip along with some advertisements from back in the day. Please post photos of your Celanese clothing here.







1940 Ad


1936 Ad


1928 Ad

 

I thought Celanese was a trade name for rayon, and not actually a different fibre?

I've got five ads from Vogue for 'British Celanese' (1929 to 1937) that aren't in postable form yet (but could be!)

Sarah

 

Yes, please post some later. I'd love to see! Here's a link that Joules of Vintage Chic Spa Boutique sent me:

http://www.apparelsearch.com/Definitions/Fiber/acetate_definition.htm

I've not had chance to read it all yet but yes, a trade name for rayon perhaps.

 

This has always confused me! Are acetate and rayon the same thing?

In that (really useful) link it starts by calling the fibre "Cellulose acetate or acetate rayon" so maybe that means that they are? :duh:

 

Acetate and rayon are very similar I think - but not the same.

Louise, I believe that Celanese was a US company that manufactured rayons. I think that somewhere along the line (in Australia at least), the company name became associated with rayon jersey. Certainly, I've seen several labels on locally made dresses that refer to "Celanese" and they have always been jerseys, but that's not to say that some "Celanese" were not jersey, and the names may have been different overseas.

After all, here in Aus we call all types of linens (eg bedlinens, table linens) "manchester" and I think we're a bit special there!

Nicole

 

Your slip is lovely, Louise!

In addition to the great link Joules provided, here's another, which traces the fabric/company history:

http://www.celanese.com/index/about...-profile-history/company-profile-history2.htm

My understanding is that celanese is the trade name for cellulose acetate (distinct from rayon, though it's sometimes referred to as "acetate rayon", which confuses things...) and that the company founded by the inventor (Camille Dreyfuss) eventually morphed into today's "Celanese" corporation.

I had a carrot orange fabric Koret clutch with an insert card that described the fabric as "Celanese moss crepe". I had the darndest time dating it, till I found a late 30s ad for Koret purses and accessories that trumpeted their "new" color (you guessed it) "Carrot", and put that together with the interest in novelty synthetics in the 30s...

 

I think I'm a bit clearer on that. Basically, the slip is rayon jersey - still my new favourite fabric! I love those old adverts for Celanese. I've found all this incredibly useful.

 

Eeeek! Carrie, that fabric is divine! So, so pretty! Thank you for posting photos and providing the extra information.

 

Its been a while since I read up on this, but there are different processes for making rayon (its sort of like different recipes to make chocolate cake - the end results are nearly identical but the recipes are varied in their ingredients.) All rayons use a vegetable material as their basic ingredient, usually coniferous wood pulp, but the chemicals used to dissolve the raw material and finish it into a fibre differ. Cupronic rayon was marketed as Bemberg, generally considered the best, but it's rarely made now because its the most poluting type to manufacture. Last I read was there is one factory in Italy still making it. Acetate rayon was a British technique for making rayon. Celanese was both a brand and type of rayon and was an American process (I think). I know Diana Vreeland loved Celanese. Although its pronounced Sell-an-eez, apparently Vreeland pronounced it like it was an Italian word - Chell - an - ayzee!

 

Thank you Jonathan. This has been a most interesting thread.

 

Right, so its confirmed that Celanese fabrics are acetate, yes?!

I adore that embroidered moss crepe purse, Carrie!

And I've dug up my British Celanese ads so get ready for a big post! (These are all from British Vogue btw).

20 March 1929, page 89:



18 April 1934, page 37:



31 October 1934, page 45:



19 February 1936, page 19:



3 February 1937, page 5:



Sarah

 

Oh Sarah! Thank you for taking the time to post these. It's much appreciated. I've added this thread as one of my faves.

 

Ha ha! I must have posted when Jonathan was!

Thanks for clearing that up - I'm going to make careful notes from this fascinating thread.

 

Its a pleasure, Louise

Thanks for launching this really interesting thread!

 

From the link I'd located above:
"In 1924, the first commercial acetate filament was spun in the United States and trademarked as Celanese."
"acetate fiber is "A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is cellulose acetate. Where not less than 92 percent of the hydroxyl groups are acetylated, the term triacetate may be used as a generic description of the fiber."

So Celanese was an American brand of a triacetate (which would account for the "tri" prefix, in the label of your slip)

It's like the way that Fortrel is a brand of polyester, etc.

I think I'm going to take on the Vreeland pronunciation from now on. That's funny, Jonathan.

Sarah, those British ad pages are marvelous. Thank you for posting them!

Carrie, I'd love to see the carrot Koret moss crepe clutch, if you still have photos. Thank you for the company info link; I enjoy the history of all this.

 

Absolutely the right move--one can never do enough to increase one's cachet...

(Also, joules, I've got a pic of the purse in my first post above!)

Those ads are breathtaking, Sara... (Especially the pleated dress and draped goddess gown... Sigh...)

 

Kenn and I always refer to it as Chellanayzee now! lol
The other phrase we 'Italianiaze' is FILINIS BAHS-EH-MEN-TAY (Filene's Basement)!

 

Celanese was used in swimwear too! Here's one example.

http://www.glamoursurf.com/catalog/item/4567435/6765804.htm

 

Oooh, this is fun! Can I play too?

Prree-mah-kay! [Primark Vreelandised]

Cheers Joules and Carrie!

Glorious floral print swimsuit, Pam. Love it! I would worry that pale Celanese would go transparent in water, though :D