Which fabrics do not wrinkle?

When sewing clothes, it is also important to consider how they will be cared for. Today, I wanted to discuss fabrics that do not wrinkle easily and therefore require little maintenance.

Several factors come into play

In fact, it's not that simple. Whether a fabric is more or less prone to wrinkling depends onthe nature of its fibers, but also onhow the fabric is produced.

First, here is a quick reminder about fabrics. Fabrics generally contain fibers that can come from several sources:

• synthetic fibers:theseare derived from petroleum,
• natural fibers:thesecome from plants or animal hair (cotton, linen, silk, wool, etc.)
• and finally, chemical fibers:thesecome from plant materials (wood, bamboo, algae, hemp, etc.) that are chemically processed into cellulose pulp.

To answer the question about creasing, there is no one-size-fits-all answer, but generally speaking,knitted fabrics (e.g., jersey) crease less than woven fabrics, andsynthetic fabrics require little ironing.

But the complexity doesn't end there.The textile industry uses a wide range of chemical treatments,includingthose related to wrinkle resistance. Cotton (which is naturally very prone to wrinkling) can undergo this type of treatment. The chemicals applied are still present on the clothes we buy and would take several washes to disappear (according to doctors Anna Maria Clément and Brian Clément in"Ces vêtements qui nous tuent"[The clothesthat are killing us]).

Petroleum-derived fabrics are the champions of wrinkle-free fabrics.

If you use synthetic fabrics (i.e., petroleum-based), your clothes will tend to wrinkle less. This category includespolyester, polyamide, and acrylic. These are often blended with other fibers such as cotton. Adding synthetic fibers to cotton will make your blouses less prone to wrinkling, for example. Check the labels on the shirts you have at home; there's a good chance they contain this type of blend 😉

Since synthetic fibers are derived from petroleum, you will need to use a low temperature setting on your iron. Otherwise, you may be unpleasantly surprised to see your fabric melt!

In addition, in terms of comfort, you should know thatsynthetic fibers are less breathable. I therefore advise against using them for close-fitting clothing. That's why I prefer to use this material (sparingly) during the summer, for sleeveless and loose-fitting garments. That's what I did with mydress, for example. Faustine :

You'll notice that the back of this yellow dress ispleated! Another advantage of polyester is that the heat-formed pleats don't disappear after each wash, which is great for this type of dress with pleats in the back. To achievepermanent pleats, I usedahomemade technique:

What about natural fibers?

When it comes to natural fibers, to prevent your clothes from wrinkling, you'll need to invest inwool or silk. Of the two, silk wrinkles more easily, but it also tends to smooth itself out. Both materials can be worn in summer and winter; yes,woolcan be worn on sunny days.

100%cottonorlinen fabrics crease easily, so they should be avoided if you don't like ironing. However, some fabrics such as cotton gauze can be worn creased (in fact, it is not recommended to iron double gauze).

The most economical solution if you want to use natural textile fibers is to buyfabrics that are blended with polyester(or another synthetic fiber). As I mentioned above, synthetic fibers make clothing less prone to wrinkling. That's what I did with myMirage jacket,whichis made of 65% cotton, 32% polyester, and 3% elastane:

What about chemical fibers?

A quick reminder: chemical fibers are made from natural sources (unlike synthetic fibers, which are made from petroleum).

You will mainly findviscoseinstores. Viscose creases very easily, so it's not the best choice if you don't like ironing!

But sometimes viscose can also be found in the form ofcrepe orcrepon(the latter being finer). It is a fabric with highly twisted threads, which meansit does not crease easily.

Some care tips for clothes that wrinkle easily

• Quickly take your laundry out of the washing machine to hang it up.
• Take your laundry out of the dryer quickly so you can put it away.
• When ironing your fabrics, remember to use the steam from the iron to remove creases effectively.
• Do you take very long hot showers? Hang your shirts on hangers to let the steam smooth out the wrinkles 😉

I hope this article has answered your questions! 

See you soon!

Cadia