Jersey (fabric)

For other uses, see Jersey (disambiguation).

Jersey is a knit fabric used predominantly for clothing manufacture. It was originally made of wool, but is now made of wool, cotton, and synthetic fibres. Since medieval times Jersey, Channel Islands, where the material was first produced, had been an important exporter of knitted goods^[1] and the fabric in wool from Jersey became well known. The fabric can be a very stretchy Single knitting, usually light-weight, jersey with one flat side and one piled side.^[2] When made with a light weight yarn, this is the fabric most often used to make T-shirts.^[2] Or it can be a double knitted jersey, with less stretch, that creates a heavier fabric of two single jerseys knitted together (Double Jersey) to leave the two flat sides on the outsides of the fabric, with the piles in the middle.^[2] Jersey is considered to be an excellent fabric for draped garments, such as dresses, and women's tops.

The following types of Jersey can be distinguished:

• Single Jersey fabric - weight: 140 g / m²
• Double Jersey
• Interlock Jersey
• Jacquard Jersey
• Clocqué Jersey

See also: Jersey (clothing)

History

See also: Coco Chanel

In 1916 Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel outraged the fashion industry by using jersey at a time when it was strictly associated with underwear. 'This designer made jersey what it is today - we hope she's satisfied,' snapped Vogue in 1917. 'It's almost as much part of our lives as blue serge is.' ^[3]

References

1. ^ Portrait of the Channel Islands, Lemprière, London 1970 ISBN 0709115415
2. ^ ^{a b c} Cresswell, Lesley; Watkins, Susanna (2002). GCSE Design and Technology: Student Book: Textiles (GCSE Design & Technology for Edexcel). einemann Educational Publishers. pp. 161. ISBN 978-0435417864. 
3. ^ Watson, Linda (1999). Vogue Twentieth Century Fashion. Carlton Books. pp. 112. ISBN 1-85868-517-6.