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Designed in 1888 by a British textile owner, picked up in the 1980s by sportswear manufacturers and a popular item in the fashion world for years now: mesh fabric. It is elastic, extremely strong, breathable and… indispensable for every clothing designer. In this blog we will take a closer look at mesh fabric. What kind of fabric is mesh? What characteristics does it have and what can you as a designer do with it?
What is mesh fabric?
Mesh is a light woven fabric with a mesh-like look. The fabric was once designed by a textile owner who was looking for a product that is breathable and can withstand extreme temperature changes. He produced the fabric with looms in such a way that open spaces were created between the yarns. The result? A fabric that is very breathable. Mesh fabric initially caught the eye of sportswear manufacturers, but due to the many improvements in recent years, it is now also popular in the fashion industry and the medical industry.
What kind of material is mesh?
Mesh fabric is usually made from polyester, nylon or spandex. These are synthetic materials that last a very long time. In addition, mesh can be made of metal to give the fabric a shiny appearance.
Although all mesh fabrics have the same mesh-like structure, they can differ in weight, thickness, color and finish. In addition, the material is available with fine or coarser holes.
Mesh fabric: characteristics and applications
Due to its breathability, mesh is ideal for making sportswear, dancewear and shoes. But the substance has more special characteristics. That's how it is:
- Water-resistant
- Very elastic
- Strong
- Wrinkle free
- Easy to maintain
The above characteristics also make mesh fabric extremely suitable for designing leggings, tunics and lingerie.
Treat mesh fabric
Although mesh is a strong fabric, it must be handled carefully. Do not wash the fabric too often and preferably not warmer than 30 degrees. Let it dry naturally and do not iron the fabric. Do you want to iron it? Then iron the fabric at a low temperature.
Using mesh fabric in clothing
Due to the transparent, mesh-like look, mesh fabric is ideal to combine with other, non-transparent fabrics. In addition, the fabric is quite easy to cut and sew. Do you want to use mesh to design your clothing? Then we would like to share a few useful tips:
- Wash the fabric before processing to avoid creases during sewing.
- Only use sharp scissors for cutting mesh fabric.
- Use the correct yarn: synthetic yarn for a mesh fabric based on polyester or nylon and cotton yarn for other mesh fabrics.
- Use zigzag stitches instead of straight stitches
Also for the sustainable designer
House of U is a supporter of "slow fashion": fashion made for people and the environment. The mesh fabric in our range, the U-Circular Mesh, is therefore made of 90 percent recycled polyester. This polyester is called Rpet and is made from used and collected PET bottles.
Rpet is just as good as regular polyester, but requires less raw materials to be produced. As a designer, if you value a sustainable world, the U-Circular Mesh is the mesh fabric for you.
Printing mesh fabric
As a designer you want to give your collection a personal touch. Mesh fabric is perfect for designing unique fashion items. For example, print the fabric with your own print. This is easy with our design generator. Upload your personal design and House of U will do the rest: we print your design from one meter in our digital textile printing company.
More about mesh?
Do you want to know more about mesh fabric? Are you curious, for example, whether mesh is the right fabric for your design? Please do not hesitate to contact us. Do you want to know what alternatives there are or are you looking for inspiration? Then read our other blogs.
