tell me about velvet

V

vintageveta

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Hi!
I can't seem to find too much information on this in Google but this is what I gather: velvet can be made of silk, cotton, or synthetic fibers, and silk velvet today is about 14% silk, on a rayon backing. My questions are:
1) how can I identify the fiber content of silk?
2) when did 100% silk velvet stop being common, to be replaced by this silk/rayon combo? What would be the likely composition of the velvet in something from the 1930s?

Thanks!

Veta
 
I could never get an exact date when synthetic fibers can in to play. People say 40's but I think late 30's.

Hopefully someone who knows more then me will provide more information.

-Chris
 
I think Chris is right about synthetics being introduced in the late 30s. I don't know when 100% silk velvet started being replaced by silk/rayon blend, but 100% silk velvet is still available, as far as I know. I don't think you can't obtain it today.

You can do a burn test for silk (lots of resources available for how to do this), but with velvet, you can, once you've handled most of the velvets out there, generally make an accurate guess as to fiber. (With, say, cotton velvet, you can tell that by look and feel pretty easily.) With blended fibers, a burn test may not be totally conclusive, anyway. While you may not be able to guarantee that something is 100% silk velvet, you can generally tell if it has some silk content. Especially in older pieces, before synthetics were as finely honed as they are now. There is just something about real silk--its touch and luster--that you just "know" it is silk.

Probably not much help here, but newer pieces should be labeled as to fiber content, and older pieces are easier to tell with, IMHO.
 
There's a huge amount of information available online about velvet and synthetic fibres. Here's a starter;

http://www.fabrics.net/amyvelvet.asp

Rayon was invented in the 1880's, commercial production in 1910, acetate in 1924 and nylon in 1939. The 1920's saw mass-produced rayon fabrics and used for stockings.
 
Thank you, everyone! That was a lot of very helpful information, and thanks vertugarde for the link. Somehow straight googling didn't do much for me. How can I tell though if a garment I just got (1930s evening skirt) is 100% silk velvet or rayon/silk velvet?
 
You can try to separate the pile (the fuzzy bits) from the backing and burn test each separately. I haven't done this, but I picture using a razor to take some of the pile off. In modern rayon/silk velvet the pile is usually rayon and the backing is silk. It is really hard to find 100% silk velvet nowadays, and it's quite expensive when you do.

Another interesting way to check if it's a rayon/silk blend is to use a product called Fibre Etch. It's an enzyme that eats away at plant-based fibers but leaves protein-based fibers intact. So when you put it on rayon pile, it eats it away, but leaves the silk backing alone (it's how you "etch" velvet and get those designs). If the velvet is 100% cotton, it will eat a hole right through, if the velvet is 100% silk, it won't eat anything, and so forth.
 
You can get to good sources online if you for example type 'synthetic fibres history' in Google.

Yes, I saw your post about the evening skirt. You need to show the skirt - it may not be 1930's. Long, gored, bias cut velvet skirts were popular in the late 1960's and 70's. I've actually never come across a 1930's full length bias cut velvet evening skirt that wasn't attached to a bodice unless it had been altered or was calf length. The fashion for evening skirts became popular in the next decade.

Silk velvet has very particular qualities in drape and feel. It has what is often described as a lustre. Rayon velvet in my experience feels denser. It can be very fluid. Here's a nice example;

http://cti.itc.virginia.edu/~dress/1930pages/1930edwh021set.html
 
Silk velvet has very particular qualities in drape and feel. It has what is often described as a lustre.
Click to expand...

Just what I was trying to say, as well. The luster of silk velvet, along with its "hand," is something that no other velvet will have. Same with faille--silk faille will have a touch and luster to it that rayon faille does not.

Cotton velvet is not like either of them, and you will be able to tell that right off.

I never knew about the "etching" kit for silk--that sounds like a very accurate way to determine silk from rayon content.
 
Here are two places to begin a research project on this question:

The textile museum in Lyon France and Soieries C.J. Bonnet (in Jujurieux).

The velvets at CJ Bonnet are woven on Jacquard looms from the thirties. Since the designs are woven, the pile and ground can be the same fiber.
Claire Shaeffer
 
Actually, I came back and asked the owner about the skirt, and she agreed with the 1930s date--it ended up in the 3 dollar bin only because it was in the store for so long without being sold (even priced eventually at $9...but this store mostly caters to those looking for wacky costumes or hipster outfits, so I'm not too surprised)
Also, I think it does have this lustre of silk velvet. I have my camera back and I'll go take some photos now.
 
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