Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Textile Yarns - The Secret To Fabric Development - Virtue + Vice
Textile Yarns - The Secret To Fabric Development - Virtue + Vice
virtue + vice
Did you know understanding textile yarns are the secret to understanding fabric, and creating a quality garment?
Have you heard about the super secret document that everyone in the fashion industry uses, but no
one is talking about? Probably not. That is because you can't find it on Google or TikTok (believe me,
I've tried).
It's a form I have used for over 13 years at every job I have ever had. Literally everyone from brands to fabric
suppliers use it, but you can't find it anywhere publicly.
The best part? It can cut your sourcing time in half, and save you tons of money in product
development! This is the kind of info consultants charge the big bucks for. And, I'm giving it away for free until
the end of the month.
so, get ready to make fashion startup life a whole lot easier, and GRAB YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE
NOT SO SECRET SOURCING DOC HERE
Yarn Definition
By definition, yarns are groups of fibers that are twisted together to form one continuous strand. These strands
can then be interlaced together to form a woven fabric or looped together to create a knit fabric.
Yarns are a textile development specialists secret weapon because they have the biggest impact on the final look of
the fabric. It's where we can really get creative.
spun yarns
Spun yarns are made from staple length fibers. Staple fiber are short fibers only a couple of inches long - like
cotton. But, long filament fibers can also be cut up into staple length. To make a spun yarn, first, all of the fibers
need to face the same direction (we will get to how that is done in a minute), mechnical twisting then holds the
fibers together.
filament yarns
Filament yarns are made from filament fibers. A quick refresher, filament fibers are generally man-made (with the
exception of silk), and have a really long fiber length. Because filament fibers are less chaotic than staple fibers,
their yarns need very low amounts of twist to hold them together.
how to tell spun vs filament yarns apart
The easiest way? Untwist them! If tiny fibers come out then it's a spun yarn. If no fibers fall out it's a filament.
Uniformity
In general filament textile yarns have a more uniform diameter. This makes sense, because the fibers run the full
length of the yarn. So if a yarn has 20 filaments at one point it should have 20 filaments at every other point.
Staple yarns are much more unpredictable and because of this have slight variations in diameter.
The smoother and rounder a textile yarn, the more luster or shine it will have. Staple length yarns tend to have
less smoothness and luster than fillament yarns. This is because tiny bits of fibers stick out of staple length yarns
creating a fuzz which is bad for shine.
But what is bad for shine, is actually a benefit while sewing garments. Sometimes filament yarns are too smooth
and too shiny, and this can create seam slippage. Have you ever had a dress or top made in satin that starts to
develop holes on the seams around the sewing threads? This is because the filament yarns in the fabric are
actually sliding around and not stable.
Kind of like what happens to Cory in his silk pajamas and silk sheets at the end of this Boy Meets World clip. Start
watching at 0:47...
Strength
Filament yarns are stronger and take more force to break. Staple length yarns tend to fray and slip apart.
Designing a jacket or dress that you want to really last forever? Filament yarns are perfect for linings in coats and
jackets, or dress slips. Why? Because they are inherently slippery. By having a filament lining it is easier to slip in
and out of clothing, and garments tend to show less wear and tear and get fewer snags.
Don't skip the step of lining your garment to save costs. In the long run it will help create a garment that is less
likely to end up in a landfill.
Given the same fiber diameter multifilament yarns will have more movement and flexibility than a mono.
Generally speaking, the more filaments in a textile yarn has the more flexible and less rigid the yarn will be.
How is this relevant to sustainable fashion? Well, lots of ways. For example, alternative cruelty-free rayon silks are
an example of fabrics with multifilament yarns. I see a lot of first-time designers focusing on weave density and
fabric weight when choosing an alternative silk. The real pros know to ask questions about the yarns. The more
fibers, generally the higher the quality of the fabric.
microfilament
Microfilament yarns are even finer than silk, and made of microfibers - we measure them in micro deniers. And,
fabrics made of microfilament yarns are almost indistinguishable from silk. Seriously these fabrics are tricky. That
is why it is important to have third-party verification testing, or at the very least burn test fabrics.
By blending microfibers with natural fibers we can enhance the quality of yarns and fabrics. This practice of
microfiber blending creates fabrics that feel like natural fibers but with extra silky drapability.
Hard-twist yarns have higher TPI's, about 20-30 TPI. Higher twist yarns are stronger than lower twist yarns, but
they do tend to have a few extra kinks and irregularities.
An example of too much twist in a fabric is a cantaloupe effect in denim. The extra twist in the yarns creates a
problem during indigo dying and the fabric ends up looking like the skin of a cantaloupe instead of smooth. When
this happens the denim is defective and usually ends up being sold cheaply in local domestic markets.
But crepe fabrics are not always a mistake. Sometimes we use this to design special texture effects into fabrics.
twist direction
There are two different types of twist direction in yarns. S and Z. S yarns have spirals that twist upwards towards
the left creating an S pattern. And, Z yarns have spirals that twist upwards to the right creating a Z pattern.
To create a smooth fabric we generally want to stick with one type of directional yarn. If we are trying to create
texture effects, then S and Z yarns can be combined.
For higher quality yarns the carded sliver is then combed. Combing removes short fibers. Sliver that has
undergone combing has longer fibers, that are more uniform diameter, and have less dirt and impurities.
Combed yarns are not always better. For exampled carded yarns are perfect for flannel shirts and denim.
Just like cotton worsted is not always better than woolen. Woolen yarns are good for products like tweeds, while
worsted yarns are best for smooth fine gaberdines.
But, for staple yarns, two-ply is definitely better than single ply. But, with anything higher than two-ply there is
not that much more of a benefit. Each of the yarns in a ply yarn is made of finer, more uniform fibers, which
creates a better stronger more uniform yarn. And, these superior ply-yarns create fabrics with better hand feel and
drape.
ring spun
Ring spinning is the oldest method of spinning fibers into textile yarns. It also produces the strongest yarns. The
only downside is that the process is slow.
open-end spinning
Open-end spinning is the same as rotor spinning. Open end spinning requires fewer steps than ring spun
spinning, and because of this is a much quicker process, up to seven times quicker. But, when you skip steps, you
also lose a bit of quality. Many people in the industry say that open-end spinning is more environmentally
friendly. Well, yes if you skip processing steps, of course, there will be less energy needed in production. But, it
will be lower quality and not last as long. So, is it really better for the environment in the long run?
blends vs mixtures
Blends create better fabrics. And, can even help create more sustainable garments that last longer. For example,
blending wool fiber and staple length polyester fibers will create a sweater that has all the warm and fuzzy
properties of wool, but the polyester will help it retain its shape so it does not stretch out.
Another popular blend notorious in fast fashion is cotton and polyester. CVC or chief value cotton is a type of
cotton and polyester intimate blend. It means that at least 51% of the fibers in the yarn are cotton.
CVC is a fashion developer's secret weapon. It feels like cotton but is cheap like polyester. And because the
majority of its fibers are technically cotton, we are able to import it under cotton duties and tariffs (which are
much lower than synthetic fibers).
Specialty Yarns
textured yarns
So far we have thought of filament yarns as smooth and silky. But, through the process of texturing we can change
those smooth shiny yarns into ones that are crimpy and dull.
Texturing can add stretch, bulk, better insulation, a softer hand feel, and more wrinkle resistance. But, fabrics
made with these fibers become more fragile and are more prone to snags and damage.
stretch yarns
Stretch makes clothes comfortable when we move. There are two main categories of stretch, they are power
stretch and comfort stretch. Power stretch textile yarns are in garments like swimwear and athleisure. Power
stretch yarns are necessary when fabrics require a lot of stretch and strong recovery. Comfort stretch is a little less
intense. Comfort stretch is just a little bit of stretch that helps a garment move with the body. An example of
comfort stretch would be the recent trend of 1% stretch in men's jeans.
core spun
Core-spun yarns have stretch filament fibers that have staple length fibers spun around them. The stretch core is
completely hidden and the yarn looks like whatever fiber was chosen during yarn spinning. Core-spun yarns are
comfort stretch yarns and are in fabrics like denim.
novelty yarns
Novelty yarns are textile yarns that are not uniform in width. But, these irregularities are not an accident they are
actually engineered into the yarn.
Novelty yarns add pizzazz and texture to fabric. The only downside is that sometimes they can become expensive.
Here are a few types of novelty yarns - seed, nub, slub, boucle, spiral or corkscrew, and chenille.
Yarn Numbering
Yarns are bought and sold by the pound. It would be crazy to try and calculate how many meters of yarn it would
take to knit or weave fabric. But, we need a way to be able to tell the size of the yarns we are getting. So we use the
yarn numbering system aka yarn size. Just like types or yarns, filament and staple, there are also two main types
of textile yarn numbering systems - denier and yarn-count system.
Denier System
Let's start out easy. The denier system measures the weight of yarn in relation to its length for filament yarns like
rayon, polyester, acrylic, etc. This system is a direct system and makes logical sense, a finer and lighter yarn has a
lower denier number and a thicker and heavier yarn has a higher denier. As a reference, silk is about 1 denier.
The system is also proportional, so a 10 denier rayon yarn is 1/2 the weight of a 20 denier rayon yarn. Easy so far,
right?
The denier system is based on grams per 9,000 meters of yarn. So, 9,000 meters of a 1 denier yarn will weigh 1
gram. And 9,000 meters of a 2 denier yarn will weight 2 grams, and so on.
Now, let's put everything we have learned so far together. What does a yarn with a label 200-30-1/2-S mean? It
means the yarn is 200 denier - with 30 filaments making up the yarn, and there is a yarn twist of 1/2 TPI in the S
direction.
Each type of fiber has its own indirect yarn count system.
Cotton yarns and cotton blend yarns generally use the cotton count, c.c. indicates cotton count. But, cotton yarns
also have another numbering system (Ne), Number English.
Next, we add in the plys. So a yarn that is 50/1 is a 50's cotton count single ply yarn. A two-ply yarn of the same
size and weight would be 100/2.
Hold on, what? Remember the count system is inverse. A 100/2 yarn is essentially two 100 count yarns that have
been spun together. But, because the system is inverse that would be equal to a 50's single (50/1).
Wool systems
Worsted wool is measured by the worsted count system - w.c. When we talk about worsted yarns they are listed in
the reverse. So, a 1 ply 50 w.c. reads 1/50, and a two-ply 50 w.c. would be 2/50.
Linen
Lastly, there is the metric yarn-count system, Nm. This numbering system expresses yarns in kilograms of weight
to kilometers of length.
The Tex Number System aims to solve all this confusion. Its purpose was to replace the denier and count system
with one uniform system. The system is similar to the denier system, in that it is a direct system. And uses easier
numbers for calculations - 1,000 meters per gram instead of 9,000. So, a 10 denier yarn is 1 tex.
The system has been slow to adopt and is currently only applicable to sewing threads.
sewing threads
Sewing threads are not textile yarns. They are a special kind of yarn specifically for sewing machines. Sewing
threads need to be strong and resilient to not break during sewing processes.
Just like textile yarns, sewing threads can be spun, filament, or core-spun and are made from fibers like rayon,
cotton, nylon, and polyester.
So what makes a sewing thread different than a textile yarn? Sewing threads always have plys for extra strength,
and they have higher twist, again, for more strength. Sewing threads often have finishes and lubricants that make
them slippery so they don't get stuck in sewing machines.
Most industry experts agree that 60 percent is the sweet spot. When designing a garment the seams should be
about 40% weaker than the fabric. This ensures the seams are strong enough to not fall apart, but protects the
fabric from ripping under pressure.
Did we forget something about textile yarns or sewing threads. Or, do you have
questions about anything you learned? Drop us a line!