Crimplene gets better with age?

[Newshoes]

Hi all,

I was chatting to a former textile technologist who mentioned that one of the properties of Crimplene is that it gets stronger as it ages. I'm now trying to find some reference to this in synthetic fabric reference books but I'm struggling to find anything. Does anyone know about this?

Thanks,

Katie

 

[Jonathan]

Never heard that but it would be interesting to find out if its true.

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Interesting idea. Polyester in general seems pretty indestructible - other than that awful piling, which crimplene doesn't seem to get.

 

[Newshoes]

Hmm, I'll investigate further and let you know if I find anything!

 

[DeCoDiVa]

from wikipedia... I couldn't find anything in the textile books either and I have quite a few!

Crimplene (polyester) is a thick yarn used to make a fabric of the same name. The resulting cloth is heavy, wrinkle-resistant and retains its shape well. Britain's defunct ICI Fibres Laboratory developed the fibre in the early 1950s and named it after the Crimple Valley in which the company was situated. Crimplene was used in garments that required a permanently pressed look, such as skirts and trousers.

History
The fabric enjoyed popularity upon introduction in the 1950s in response to its convenient 'wash-and-wear' properties. Crimplene was often used to make the typical A-line dress of 1960s Fashion. Likewise, it was popular amongst men in British Mod Culture for use in garish button-down shirts.

In the early 1970s, Crimplene began to fall out of fashion. Other, lighter-weight polyester fabrics like Trevira replaced Crimplene for their ease of movement and ventilation. Crimplene is seldom used today as fashion-preferences have drifted towards more natural cottons.

Crimplene suits were regarded in some countries as "working-men's going-out clothes".