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Apparel In-Depth: Fabrics, Lengths, and Necklines
So what exactly is organza, and how long is a chapel train? Here’s the lowdown on fabric types, train and gown lengths, necklines and veils.
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- Brocade: Jacquard-woven fabric, satiny background with design woven into the fabric.
- Charmeuse: lightweight, smooth, semilustrous satiny fabric.
- Chiffon: delicately sheer, thin, transparent fabric of silk or rayon with a soft drapable finish.
- Crepe: silk or rayon fabric with a slightly textured finish
- Dotted Swiss is a sheer, very lightweight, muslin fabric embellished with raised dots, evenly spaced throughout.
- Eyelet: fabric consisting of embroidery-finished holes in a floral pattern, also called open-weave embroidery.
- Faille (pronounced: "file") is a shiny, tightly woven fabric made of silk or rayon and has a crosswise rib effect.
- Linen: a cloth made of flax, that is noted for its strength, coolness, and luster.
- Moire: polyester or silk taffeta; wave-patterned to glisten like water when light falls on it.
- Organdy: sheer, transparent crisp silk or rayon fabric; sometimes printed or embroidered.
- Organza: sheer, crisp fabric like chiffon, but with a stiff finish and reflective appearance.
- Point d'esprit is a polyester net with the yarns sewn together in such a way as to create a diamond pattern
- Satin is an opaque fabric, woven in a satin weave and features a smooth finish.
- Slipper Satin is a light, soft, closely woven, satiny feeling fabric that shines in the light.
- Italian Satin is a heavier satin fabric, brimming with body, featuring an antique sheen.
- Silk Gazar: a four-ply silk or man-made fiber; rough in texture.
- Silk-faced satin: smooth, lustrous silk weave with a glossy face and dull back.
- Taffeta: crisp, smooth fabric with a small, crosswise rib and matte or shiny finish, used for lining or outer fabric.
- Tulle: fine, sheer, open-weave net in silk, cotton, nylon, or rayon; for skirts, veils.
- Tullonet is a coarse net used to give fullness such as seen in crinoline slips.
- Voile: fine, sheer fabric; more like linen than cotton.
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Necklines:
- High: high band collar fits close to the neck.
- Sabrina: follows the collarbone to the tip of the shoulders.
- Portrait: off-the-shoulder, often with folds of fabric framing the neckline.
- Jewel: round neckline at the base of the throat.
- Queen Anne: high at the back of the neck and low to a bare yoke.
- Sweetheart: shaped like the top half of a heart.
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- Street Length styling just covers the knees.
- Intermission Length falls between the knees and ankle.
- Ballet Length flows to the ankles.
- Floor Length lightly touches the floor.
- Hi-low Length is intermission length in the front and floor length or longer in the back.
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- Sweep Train: shortest, only about a foot along the floor.
- Court: three feet from the waist
- Chapel Length Train: 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 feet from the waist.
- Semi-cathedral Train: 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet from the waist.
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- Blusher: veil worn forward over the face and flipped back over the headpiece , after the ceremony. Often attached to a longer veil.
- Flyaway: multiple layers that brush the shoulders, usually worn with informal dress.
- Fingertip: several layers that touch the fingertips.
- Ballet-length/Waltz-length: falls to the ankles.
- Chapel-length: cascades 2 1/3 yards from headpiece.
- Cathedral-length: cascades at least 3 1/2 yards from headpiece, usually worn with a cathedral train.
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- Cathedral Train: 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 feet from the waist.
- Fishtail: train that's tight through upper leg and flows out at the bottom in a pool behind the heels.
- Grand Cathedral: 7 1/2 to 9 feet from waist
- Monarch Train: This train can extend 12 or more feet from the waist.
- Watteau: attaches at the shoulders falling to hemline
- Detachable Train: The train is joined to gown with hooks and eyes rather than sewn into place so you can remove it after the ceremony.
- Bustle: This procedure entails pulling the train up and attaching it to the wedding gown, usually by the use of tiny hooks sewn into the back of the gown and the train.
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