Bouclé is a loose and embossed material with small nodules on the surface. Fabric is made by weaving many fibers; wool, synthetics or cotton are used as raw materials. Externally, the canvas resembles astrakhan, but differs from it in a more attractive appearance and elegance. It is used to create outerwear, home textiles and upholstery of premium upholstered furniture. The fabric is valued for its ease of processing, aesthetics and versatility of use. There are also disadvantages - difficult care, change in shape with regular care. Despite this, boucle has remained a sign of elegance and good taste for half a century.
What is it: bouclé fabric
The canvas first appeared in the 20s of the last century in France. The famous Coco Chanel did not ignore bouclé fabric. She staged a show with women's business suits. But the idea did not take root due to the irrelevance of the official style among girls.
Later, in 1954, Chanel, confident in the success of the concept, risked repeating the experiment with jackets and skirts. And she turned out to be right, the costumes impressed with their elegance and simplicity, and the material very quickly turned from unknown to iconic.
In the 60s, it began to be used for sewing dresses and jackets; later, in the 70s, the first boucle coats appeared.
The textile itself is a soft, loosely woven fabric with loops of fibers over the entire surface. It looks voluminous but elegant. Therefore, it is not advisable to overload outfits containing bouclé material with details.
The fabrics are made from fancy or crepe twisted yarn. The weaving is based on fibers with loops and knots. This gives them a characteristic relief.
The plain weave of the fibers is loose and loose, but the fabric is quite strong and stretches well. The elasticity of the material depends on the amount of synthetic fibers in the composition. The more natural threads, the better it stretches.
In addition to plain weave, patterned weave is also woven. For it, colored threads are usually used, which form various patterns.
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Most often in the manufacture of canvases they use:
- Wool yarn. It protects against cold and is wear-resistant. The thickness of bouclé wool depends on the density of the fibers.
- Cotton, silk, giving gloss, elegance and softness.
- Viscose threads, polyester. Weaved for greater strength.
When purchasing, you should consider the ratio of synthetic and natural fibers. Bouclé, made entirely of synthetics, will not allow the skin to breathe.
If the material is made entirely of natural threads, there should be a lining inside.
To see what the fabric looks like:
Distinctive features
The name boucle is a translation of the French word boucle, meaning curl or curl. The material is easily recognizable by its characteristic relief, which is formed by voluminous nodules.
Visually it appears voluminous and extremely dense. But in fact, this is a rather sparse fabric: when viewed in the light, gaps between the threads are visible. Thanks to its loose structure, the fabric is quite light, elastic, and drapes or fits well.
Advantages and disadvantages of the material
The fabric is especially popular in high fashion because of the following advantages:
- volume, relief;
- retains heat and allows the skin to breathe;
- pliable for draping, elastic;
- practically does not wrinkle, you do not need to iron it often.
The disadvantages include the following:
- The canvas is quite difficult to work with. When cut, it crumbles and wrinkles badly.
- Over time, pellets and unnecessary loops form on the surface.
- The material is not suitable for everyone. For example, it gives extra volume to plump women.
Production technology
The characteristic relief of the material is achieved through the use of fibers with knots. Weaving type: plain. Fancy yarn is used, less often - crepe twist threads. They are tucked into the weft or the warp, or in both directions.
The result is fabric with a lumpy surface, reminiscent of astrakhan fur. Depending on the thickness of the threads, it can be very pronounced or slightly curled.
The material can also be plain-dyed or patterned. The fabric pattern is created by using threads of different colors. The most recognizable: “chicken foot”, “salt and pepper”, check, stripes.
Interesting! Patterned bouclé is often confused with tweed due to the similarity of the pattern. But in fact, these are different materials with different weaves of threads. Bouclé is woven using the plain method, while tweed is woven using twill.
Types of bouclé
Types of canvas vary in color and density. Most often, canvases are classified according to the nature of the ornaments and color scheme:
- patterned;
- melange;
- plain.
Textiles can contain natural and synthetic fibers in different proportions:
- Natural silk, cotton, linen threads add solemnity and sophistication to the material.
- Synthetic ones make them brighter and catchier.
The most common type of bouclé is mixed.
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Scope of application of the material
Boucle is quite warm, but at the same time light material. It is often used for sewing outerwear, such as coats or hats. Jackets and warm suits are made from it.
Natural fabric allows air to pass through and allows the body to breathe. Therefore, it is often used to make summer clothes or business suits. These can be a variety of dresses, skirts or knitwear made from thin bouclé.
When creating an image with wardrobe elements made from bouclé fabric, keep in mind that you cannot use too many accessories. This will overload it, make it too colorful and bulky.
It is best to combine light-colored items in pastel colors with the material. For example, a white blouse, stretch trousers and a clutch in the left hand to complete the look will go perfectly with a bouclé jacket.
The material is often used for interior decoration. Curtains and furniture covers are made from it.
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Properties
So, what kind of material is boucle? In appearance it is similar to small astrakhan fur, but softer and more pleasant. The fabric is loosely woven to create a loose, voluminous structure with a rough surface, which is a distinctive feature.
For production, plain weaving of fancy yarn with small knots or thickenings on the thread is used, which give an original, knobby structure. The boucle thread is laid over the warp or weft.
In the original it is thick, woolen or wool blend fabric. Certain types of material are made by finely patterned weaving of twisted yarn from cotton or viscose raw materials.
Classic bouclé is a plain-dyed fabric with a finely textured surface on the front side, intended for coats.
Characteristics
- Volumetric and light structure;
- elasticity and pliability;
- attractive knotted texture;
- retains heat and allows air to pass through;
- reliable protection from cold and wind;
- practicality and comfort to wear;
- does not wrinkle, holds its shape and retains its attractive appearance for a long time;
- suitable for tight-fitting clothing models and decorated with draperies;
- successfully combines business and romantic style.
Negative qualities
Bouclé fabric has increased flowability and stretches, which must be taken into account when sewing. After cutting the edges, it is recommended to immediately process them with an overlocker. Due to the properties of the structure, the fabric is prone to the formation of puffs, which are detrimental to attractiveness.
Clothes made from bouclé add extra volume to your figure. This feature of the fabric is used to visually change proportions, for example, to increase narrow shoulders.
Caring for boucle fabric
To keep things looking neat longer, follow the rules for caring for bouclé:
- Dirt from woolen fabric should be removed with a soft brush or taken to dry cleaning. It shrinks with normal washing.
- The material, made primarily of synthetics, can be washed at home on a delicate cycle without spinning. Water temperature no more than 40 degrees.
- Loose fabrics are best washed separately in a mesh bag. Don't forget to fasten the buttons first. This will help prevent puffs from occurring.
- To dry the fabric, it must be placed on a flat surface, straightened out from folds and creases.
- Iron the fabric right side inward. It is recommended to set the temperature to 130 degrees. While doing this, try to apply gentle pressure on the fabric.
See an overview of how to work with fabric:
Composition options
Bouclé does not have strictly fixed requirements for the type and ratio of fibers. The composition of the material can only be natural, synthetic or mixed. Initially they wove only from wool, then they began to add cotton and silk threads. With the development of technology, synthetics and artificial fibers began to be used.
Therefore, the composition directly affects the type, quality and performance characteristics of the material. The properties of the most commonly used fibers are shown in the table:
| Name | Content, % | Properties |
| Acrylic | 40-65 | strength, resistance to fading, increased wear resistance, minimized shrinkage |
| Viscose | 20-55 | breathability, static prevention |
| Polyester | 10-97 | reduced creasing, increased tissue plasticity, easier care |
| Elastane | 2-10 | elasticity, resistance to deformation |
Boucle is also produced with the addition of mohair, llama wool, and metallized threads (Lurex).
Recently, new types of materials have become especially popular - knitwear and bouclé fur. Made primarily from 100% polyester.
Author:
Zakharova Nina Afanasyevna
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