Crinkle is a textured fabric treated to create a wrinkled effect, available in cotton, silk, velvet, and wool. Crinkled cotton is easy-care and comes in a range of colors and patterns. It has been used for travel wear, nightwear, and period costumes. The fabric has been popular since the late 1920s and has caused fashion buzz repeatedly over 40 years.
Crinkle refers to a textured fabric that has been treated to create a wrinkled effect. Fabrics prepared in this way include cotton, silk, velvet, and wool. Crinkled wool is produced by chemical treatment with sodium hydroxide, while crinkled velvet and crinkled silk, also called plissé, can be chemically treated or produced mechanically. Crinkled cotton is woven to create wrinkles, or created by rolling the cotton fabric into a bag that is sold with the product along with a handy storage guide to maintain the effect.
Crinkled cotton is an easy-care material. The pressure of sitting can temporarily reduce wrinkles, but they will return when the garment is washed. Air drying is often recommended, and some manufacturers recommend twisting or a three-step process of rolling, twisting, and tying before drying to maintain appearance.
Chiffon with this texture can be made, and when dealing with such a fragile fabric, it is especially important to make sure that it is of high quality. This is true whether a person buys it by the yard or as a finished piece of clothing. Fair trade fabric is available to those who seek it.
The material comes in a wide range of colors, including white and pastel shades of pink, yellow, and blue. Deeper shades and patterned designs can also be found, including Indian patterns and other ethnic designs. Embroidered and sequined fabric is also available.
Crumpled cotton has a wide range of uses. It can be an ideal material for travel wear and is also used for Capris, nightwear, unstructured shirts, shirred skirts, and circle skirts. The fabric can also be used to good effect in period costumes for museums, performances, or theaters. It is also used for quilts.
Although there has been a revival of interest in crinkle cotton in the first decade of the 21st century, it is not a new fabric. Quilts made from it were advertised for sale in the late 1920s and this appears to be the most common early use. Crinkled crepe dresses begin to be mentioned in the 1940s, followed by pajamas and dressing gowns. In 1966, Swiss crinkle cotton was mentioned as “the rage since early spring in Paris” in the New York Times. In the 1980s, the fabric was used for children’s shorts and stadium jackets. In 1991, the Dick Tracy yellow double-breasted trench coat was a hit.
It was “all the rage” again in 1995, and a 2006 New York Times-esque article was headlined “I’m So Excited About Crinkled Cotton.” This fabric has been an enduring presence and has caused fashion buzz repeatedly over a period of 40 years.
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