Monday, January 14, 2013

Woven Labels Accentuate The Clothes

By Claire Bolton


Garments have always been seen not only as luxuries but also as necessities. Thousands of years ago average citizens only had one common outfit that was worn every day. Obviously the rich could afford more. Clothing took a long time to make, and it was not tailored. To possess clothing with personal identification in it was mandatory. Then along came the industrial revolution. It made clothes manufacturing lighting fast. People began to afford extra changes of clothes. This soon brought the need to fix a label into each garment. And this soon brought forth woven labels.

The beginning of the industrial revolution initiated a level of creativity which was new to the world. Naturally grown cotton, wool, and linen fibers could be knitted and woven into clothing. Soon rayon and other materials man made would be made into clothes. Most fibers have varying properties. Moisture content, shrinkage, and elongation are a few types. When adding this with types of manufacturing means it could create an exhaustive variables affecting the clothes. This meant that cleaning them in different ways was a necessity.

Garment labels became necessities so owners would know precisely how to clean and protect their property. This would confirm that an expensive wool sweater worn this winter would not be two sizes smaller the next. As a plus they would also contain size information. This was helpful as department stores increased in popularity. And as a matter of fact, garment stores would not have been as profitable if it were not easy to distinguish between clothing sizes.

A label was initially an afterthought. The clothing was initially the main focus. So the labels would be cheap in appearance when compared to the actual clothing. The labels could also be uncomfortable, irritating the neck or other parts of the body. So often they would be removed. The garment size and care information would be lost forever.

A screen print label is easy to make as well as inexpensive. The woven types may not as inexpensive as the screen prints, but they surely are not cheap. When customers review garments they are more likely to get better feelings when high quality labels are on them.

Any label manufactured through weaving process will have greater shape stability. The care and size information provided will weather multiple cleanings. Screen prints will deteriorate and become hard to read. A woven label connected to well made garments become valuable heirlooms. They could be carried down through multiple family generations with the ability to be kept in pristine condition.

Label information and designs are created through graphic design. And ideas can be translated into a design. These are saved as files and funneled into the brain of modern weaving machines. The design info can be woven on either or both label sides.

Woven labels made their mark through enhancing the clothing experience As garment designers and manufacturers seek to separate themselves from the pack, there will be greater internal drives to use them in flashier ways. Whether rectangular, triangular or the common square types, they will move forward in adding that extra dimension of fashion to clothing.




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