Taffeta (archaically spelled taffety or taffata) is a crisp, smooth, plain woven fabric made from silk, nylon, cuprammonium rayons, acetate, or polyester. The word came into Middle English via Old French and Old Italian, which borrowed the Persian word tāfta (تافته), which means "silk" or "linen cloth".[1] As clothing, it is used in ball gowns, wedding dresses, and corsets, and in interior decoration for curtains or wallcovering. It tends to yield a stiff, starched-like cloth that holds its shape better than many other fabrics and does not sag or drape.[2][3]
Detail of a dress made of silk taffeta, c. 1880
Silk taffeta is of two types: yarn-dyed and piece-dyed. Piece-dyed taffeta is often used in linings and is quite soft. Yarn-dyed taffeta is much stiffer and is often used in evening dresses. Shot silk taffeta was one of the most highly-sought forms of Byzantine silk, and may have been the fabric known as purpura.[4]
Modern taffeta was first woven in Italy and France and until the 1950s in Japan. Warp-printed taffeta or chiné, mainly made in France from the 18th century onwards, is sometimes called "pompadour taffeta" after Madame de Pompadour.[5] Today most raw silk taffeta is produced in India and Pakistan. There, even in the modern period, handlooms were widely used, but since the 1990s it has been produced on mechanical looms in the Bangalore area. From the 1970s until the 1990s, the Jiangsu province of China produced fine silk taffetas: these were less flexible than those from Indian mills, however, which continue to dominate production. Other countries in South-East and Western Asia also produce silk taffeta, but these products tend not yet to be equal in quality or competitiveness to those from India.
Taffeta has seen use for purposes other than clothing fabric, including the following:
On November 4, 1782, taffeta was used by Joseph Montgolfier of France to construct a small, cube-shaped balloon. This was the beginning of many experiments using taffeta balloons by the Montgolfier brothers, and led to the first known human flight in a lighter-than-air craft.[6]
Synthetic fibre forms of taffeta have been used to simulate the structure of blood vessels.[7]
Tabby cats were so named in the 1600s because of their resemblance to a tabby, a type of striped silk taffeta.[8]
^Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010). Oxford dictionary of English (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 1286. ISBN9780199571123.
^Dodwell, C.R.; Anglo-Saxon Art, A New Perspective, pp. 145-150, 1982, Manchester UP, ISBN0-7190-0926-X (US edn. Cornell, 1985)
^Fukai, Akiko (2002). Fashion : the collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute : a history from the 18th to the 20th century. Köln [etc.]: Taschen. p. 56. ISBN9783822812068.
^Gillispie, Charles Coulston (1983). The Montgolfier Brothers and the Invention of Aviation 1783-1784. pp. 15, 16 and 21. ISBN9780691641157.
^"Entry for tabby". Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
^David Scott Kastan (ed.). William Shakespeare. King Henry IV, Part 1. Arden Shakespeare Third Series. London: Thompson Learning, 2002, 150.
Dictionary of Textiles, Louis Harmuth. New York: Fairchild Publishing Company, 1915, p. 184 (reprinted by Kessinger Publishing, 2010, ISBN978-1-161-77823-6)
December 07, 2023
taffeta, archaically, spelled, taffety, taffata, crisp, smooth, plain, woven, fabric, made, from, silk, nylon, cuprammonium, rayons, acetate, polyester, word, came, into, middle, english, french, italian, which, borrowed, persian, word, tāfta, تافته, which, me. Taffeta archaically spelled taffety or taffata is a crisp smooth plain woven fabric made from silk nylon cuprammonium rayons acetate or polyester The word came into Middle English via Old French and Old Italian which borrowed the Persian word tafta تافته which means silk or linen cloth 1 As clothing it is used in ball gowns wedding dresses and corsets and in interior decoration for curtains or wallcovering It tends to yield a stiff starched like cloth that holds its shape better than many other fabrics and does not sag or drape 2 3 Detail of a dress made of silk taffeta c 1880Silk taffeta is of two types yarn dyed and piece dyed Piece dyed taffeta is often used in linings and is quite soft Yarn dyed taffeta is much stiffer and is often used in evening dresses Shot silk taffeta was one of the most highly sought forms of Byzantine silk and may have been the fabric known as purpura 4 Contents 1 Production 2 Historical and current uses 3 See also 4 ReferencesProduction editModern taffeta was first woven in Italy and France and until the 1950s in Japan Warp printed taffeta or chine mainly made in France from the 18th century onwards is sometimes called pompadour taffeta after Madame de Pompadour 5 Today most raw silk taffeta is produced in India and Pakistan There even in the modern period handlooms were widely used but since the 1990s it has been produced on mechanical looms in the Bangalore area From the 1970s until the 1990s the Jiangsu province of China produced fine silk taffetas these were less flexible than those from Indian mills however which continue to dominate production Other countries in South East and Western Asia also produce silk taffeta but these products tend not yet to be equal in quality or competitiveness to those from India Historical and current uses edit nbsp Pink taffeta evening coat designed by Sybil ConnollyTaffeta has seen use for purposes other than clothing fabric including the following On November 4 1782 taffeta was used by Joseph Montgolfier of France to construct a small cube shaped balloon This was the beginning of many experiments using taffeta balloons by the Montgolfier brothers and led to the first known human flight in a lighter than air craft 6 Synthetic fibre forms of taffeta have been used to simulate the structure of blood vessels 7 Tabby cats were so named in the 1600s because of their resemblance to a tabby a type of striped silk taffeta 8 It was associated with prostitution during the English Renaissance 9 Examples include the references in William Shakespeare s plays As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney as your French crown for your taffeta punk says the Clown in All s Well That Ends Well Prince Hal s reference to Sir John Falstaff s fair hot wench in flame coloured taffeta in Henry IV Part 1 Boyet s dismissal of Beauties no richer than rich taffeta in Love s Labour s Lost and Feste s insult in Twelfth Night or What You Will The tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta for thy mind is a very opal Marceline is a related fabric See also editTiffany silk References edit The American Heritage Dictionary entry taffeta www ahdictionary com HarperCollins Publishers Retrieved April 13 2023 Shaeffer Claire 2008 Claire Shaeffer s fabric sewing guide 2nd ed Cincinnati Ohio Krause Publications p 246 ISBN 9781440223426 Stevenson Angus ed 2010 Oxford dictionary of English 3rd ed New York NY Oxford University Press p 1286 ISBN 9780199571123 Dodwell C R Anglo Saxon Art A New Perspective pp 145 150 1982 Manchester UP ISBN 0 7190 0926 X US edn Cornell 1985 Fukai Akiko 2002 Fashion the collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute a history from the 18th to the 20th century Koln etc Taschen p 56 ISBN 9783822812068 Gillispie Charles Coulston 1983 The Montgolfier Brothers and the Invention of Aviation 1783 1784 pp 15 16 and 21 ISBN 9780691641157 PIERPONT H BLADES B September 1957 Heat sealed dacron taffeta blood vessel replacement Surg Gynecol Obstet 105 3 370 4 PMID 13467673 Entry for tabby Online Etymology Dictionary Douglas Harper Retrieved 31 July 2018 David Scott Kastan ed William Shakespeare King Henry IV Part 1 Arden Shakespeare Third Series London Thompson Learning 2002 150 Dictionary of Textiles Louis Harmuth New York Fairchild Publishing Company 1915 p 184 reprinted by Kessinger Publishing 2010 ISBN 978 1 161 77823 6 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Taffeta amp oldid 1182101403, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
