This is an interesting family of fabrics that fall into the horizontally ribbed category. All are filament (silk or manmade filament fiber) warp and usually something else is used in the weft to get those horizontal ribs. So if you were doing a fiber-burn test you might get mixed results from a rayon warp and cotton weft.
Faille
A plain weave fabric with pronounced, fairly flat crosswise ribs and a silky, somewhat lustrous surface, faille is the name given to such fabric in a range of weights. The weave is constructed with heavier (or grouped) weft yarns and finer and more numerous warp yarns. The warp fibers are usually filament (silk, manufactured fibers) while the weft is usually cotton or cotton blends, sometimes wool or silk. Faille may be used for moiré.
Taffeta’s ribs are even finer, while bengaline’s are heavier than faille’s.
Uses: Evening dresses, skirts, under skirts, spring coats, suits
Silk tissue faille (with fabrics, tissue means very light and fine)
Novelty faille (This was called novelty in the American Fabrics magazine issue I found it in. With fabrics, novelty sometimes means we can't figure out what to call it
)
This is a rayon and cotton faille dress from the 50s
With faille being made in a range of weights, bengaline is not the easiest to discern. Is it heavy faille or bengaline? I'm not always sure.
Bengaline
A plain weave fabric made with thicker (or grouped) weft yarns and fine and more numerous warp yarns. The result is a very noticeable horizontal rib with a silky surface. The weft is often cotton while the filament warp is silk or a manufactured fiber. The name is from Bengal, India.
Uses: Dresses, coats, suits
In the Met Museum, this dress by Worth is described as incorporating silk bengaline with silk satin. Go to the page to zoom in and you can see the ribs: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/155790
Grosgrain
Best known in ribbon width, grosgrain may also be fabric. It shares with other horizontally-ribbed fabrics a plain weave with heavier weft yarns and finer and more plentiful warp yarns. As compared to faille, the ribs are rounder. The warp is characteristically silk or rayon with the weft being cotton, sometimes silk.
The name comes from the French gros (coarse or large) and grain (grain or texture).
Uses: Ribbon for trim, hatbands; fabric for dresses, skirts, spring coats
Grosgrain ribbon
Ottoman
In the family of silky-faced, horizontally ribbed fabrics, ottoman has the largest ribs, larger and rounder than those of faille and bengaline. The plain weave fabric involves thicker and/or grouped weft yarns with more numerous and finer warp yarns that totally cover the weft. Ottoman can be made of silk, wool or manufactured fibers, with the filling (weft) often of cotton.
The name comes from a luxurious silk fabric woven in Turkey beginning during the Ottoman Empire.
Uses: Coats, dresses, suits, upholstery
Rep
With a name derived from the Latin for “rib,” rep (also spelled repp) is in the family of silky faced, horizontally ribbed fabrics. The ribs are closely spaced and rounded. Silk or another filament yarn used for the warp is usual, but rep may also be cotton, wool or linen.
Uses: Neckties and accessories for filament fiber rep; upholstery for cotton, wool or linen rep
Silk rep
This is the classic silk necktie fabric.
and last but not least—
Taffeta
A crisp, tightly-woven plain weave fabric usually with very fine horizontal ribs, taffeta is made of filament yarns (silk, acetate or rayon), sometimes with staple yarn filling. It is often lustrous.
When woven of two different colored yarns, shot taffeta is created, also called changeable or iridescent. When the iridescent taffeta is silk, it can be called shot silk. Woven of three colors (two in the weft, one in the warp), it is called chameleon taffeta.
Taffeta is often the fabric used for moiré, and it can be processed to create ciré.
Taffeta makes a characteristic rustling sound when moved. The sound is called scroop (a late 18th-century word blending scrape and whoop) in the case of silk taffeta. The scroop sound results from an acid finishing treatment.
The name comes from the Persian taftah, a 16th-century fine silk fabric.
Uses: Dresses, underskirts, linings, trims, umbrellas
Acetate taffeta
Flocked taffeta
Embossed taffeta
Jacquard taffeta
Silk taffeta
Any great examples from your collections?
Faille
A plain weave fabric with pronounced, fairly flat crosswise ribs and a silky, somewhat lustrous surface, faille is the name given to such fabric in a range of weights. The weave is constructed with heavier (or grouped) weft yarns and finer and more numerous warp yarns. The warp fibers are usually filament (silk, manufactured fibers) while the weft is usually cotton or cotton blends, sometimes wool or silk. Faille may be used for moiré.
Taffeta’s ribs are even finer, while bengaline’s are heavier than faille’s.
Uses: Evening dresses, skirts, under skirts, spring coats, suits
Silk tissue faille (with fabrics, tissue means very light and fine)
Novelty faille (This was called novelty in the American Fabrics magazine issue I found it in. With fabrics, novelty sometimes means we can't figure out what to call it
)This is a rayon and cotton faille dress from the 50s
With faille being made in a range of weights, bengaline is not the easiest to discern. Is it heavy faille or bengaline? I'm not always sure.
Bengaline
A plain weave fabric made with thicker (or grouped) weft yarns and fine and more numerous warp yarns. The result is a very noticeable horizontal rib with a silky surface. The weft is often cotton while the filament warp is silk or a manufactured fiber. The name is from Bengal, India.
Uses: Dresses, coats, suits
In the Met Museum, this dress by Worth is described as incorporating silk bengaline with silk satin. Go to the page to zoom in and you can see the ribs: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/155790
Grosgrain
Best known in ribbon width, grosgrain may also be fabric. It shares with other horizontally-ribbed fabrics a plain weave with heavier weft yarns and finer and more plentiful warp yarns. As compared to faille, the ribs are rounder. The warp is characteristically silk or rayon with the weft being cotton, sometimes silk.
The name comes from the French gros (coarse or large) and grain (grain or texture).
Uses: Ribbon for trim, hatbands; fabric for dresses, skirts, spring coats
Grosgrain ribbon
Ottoman
In the family of silky-faced, horizontally ribbed fabrics, ottoman has the largest ribs, larger and rounder than those of faille and bengaline. The plain weave fabric involves thicker and/or grouped weft yarns with more numerous and finer warp yarns that totally cover the weft. Ottoman can be made of silk, wool or manufactured fibers, with the filling (weft) often of cotton.
The name comes from a luxurious silk fabric woven in Turkey beginning during the Ottoman Empire.
Uses: Coats, dresses, suits, upholstery
Rep
With a name derived from the Latin for “rib,” rep (also spelled repp) is in the family of silky faced, horizontally ribbed fabrics. The ribs are closely spaced and rounded. Silk or another filament yarn used for the warp is usual, but rep may also be cotton, wool or linen.
Uses: Neckties and accessories for filament fiber rep; upholstery for cotton, wool or linen rep
Silk rep
This is the classic silk necktie fabric.
and last but not least—
Taffeta
A crisp, tightly-woven plain weave fabric usually with very fine horizontal ribs, taffeta is made of filament yarns (silk, acetate or rayon), sometimes with staple yarn filling. It is often lustrous.
When woven of two different colored yarns, shot taffeta is created, also called changeable or iridescent. When the iridescent taffeta is silk, it can be called shot silk. Woven of three colors (two in the weft, one in the warp), it is called chameleon taffeta.
Taffeta is often the fabric used for moiré, and it can be processed to create ciré.
Taffeta makes a characteristic rustling sound when moved. The sound is called scroop (a late 18th-century word blending scrape and whoop) in the case of silk taffeta. The scroop sound results from an acid finishing treatment.
The name comes from the Persian taftah, a 16th-century fine silk fabric.
Uses: Dresses, underskirts, linings, trims, umbrellas
Acetate taffeta
Flocked taffeta
Embossed taffeta
Jacquard taffeta
Silk taffeta
Any great examples from your collections?
