Designing and Development of Denim Fabrics: Part 1 - Study the Effect of Fabric Parameters on the Fabric Characteristics for Women's Wear

The performance of a garment during its usage is very important for consumers. Performance as such is a very wide term and may range from satisfying the requirements during its use to the durability. Comfort is also considered by many consumers today as one of the performance requirements. For stretchable denim fabric, the fit related comfort lies in the ability of the material to be stretched when a load is applied according to body movements and retain to its original length. While designing the stretch denim, fabric weight and weave plays important role for comfort, performance and fashion. In this study, the effect of fabric parameters such as areal density, Lycra content and weave on characteristics of stretchable denim fabrics were investigated. Various properties such as thickness, tensile strength, flexural rigidity, stretch and recovery properties and air permeability of the fabrics were evaluated. The test results revealed that increasing the fabric weight increased fabric warp tensile strength, compressibility, stretch and recovery, whereas the flexural rigidity, weft tensile strength and air permeability were decreased. As Lycra contents in fabric increased, fabric thickness was increased which resulted in higher flexural rigidity of fabric. Fabric construction and weave also influenced the fabric flexural rigidity and air permeability related to performance and comfort of stretchable denim fabric.