From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flannel is a soft
woven fabric, of various fineness. It usually doesn't have a
nap, and instead gains its softness through the loosely spun yarn in its woven form. It is commonly used to make
clothing,
bed sheets, and
sleepwear.
Flannel was originally made from
carded wool or
worsted yarn, but is now often made from either
wool and
cotton, or wool and
synthetic fibre.
[edit] Flannelette
Flannelette is a light,
napped cotton the texture of flannel. The
weft is generally coarser than the
warp. The flannel-like appearance is created by creating a nap from the weft; scratching it and raising it up. Flannelette can either have long or short nap, and can be napped on one or two sides. It comes in many colours, both solid and patterned.
[1]
The word seems to have been first used in the early 1880s. In the 1900s flannelette was used, predominantly by poorer classes, very extensively for underclothing, night wear, dresses, dressing-gowns and shirts, and it is still used in much the same way today. The fabric was quite flammable and was known to catch fire, consequently a flannelette, patented under the title of
Non-flam, was made with
fire-resisting properties. Flannelette is made throughout Europe and the United States.
[2]
Flannelette is normally called
flannel or
cotton flannel in North America, where the term flannelette is not used. In the United Kingdom, however, it is illegal to sell flannelettes under the name
flannel.
[citation needed]
Winceyette is a lightweight cotton fabric with a slightly raised two-sided nap. The name derives from
wincey, a Scottish term for the fabric
linsey-woolsey.
[edit] Cotton flannel
Cotton flannel or
Canton flannel is a stout cotton fabric
napped only on one side.
[edit] Diaper flannel
Diaper flannel is a stout cotton fabric
napped on both sides, and used for making cloth
diapers.
Flannel, flannelette and cotton flannel can be woven in either a
twill weave or
plain weave. The weave is often hidden by
napping on one or both sides. After weaving, it is napped once, then
bleached,
dyed, or otherwise treated, and then napped a second time.
[citation needed]
[edit] History
The origin of the word is uncertain, but a Welsh origin has been suggested as fabric similar to flannel can be traced back to
Wales, where it was well known as early as the 16th century. The French term
flanelle was used in the late 17th century, and the German
Flanell was used in the early 18th century.
[3]
Flannel has been made since the 17th century, gradually replacing the older
Welsh plains, some of which were finished as 'cottons' or
friezes, which was the local
textile product. In the 19th century, flannel was made particularly in towns such as
Newtown, Montgomeryshire[4],
Hay on Wye,
[5] and
Llanidloes[6]. The expansion of its production is closely associated with the spread of
carding mills, which prepared the wool for spinning, this being the first aspect of the production of woollen cloth to be mechanised (apart from fulling). The marketing of these Welsh
woolen clothes was largely controlled by the
Drapers Company of
Shrewsbury.
[7]
Originally it was made of fine, short
staple wool, but by the 20th century mixtures of
silk and
cotton had become common.
[3]
[edit] Flannel in popular culture
In North America, flannelette, commonly referred to as flannel, was commonly thought to be the fabric of
woodsmen,
lumberjacks, tough men, and
farmers, particularly in plaid patterns.
[8] Today it is commonly used for children's winter
pajamas as well as pajama pants for adults. It is good at keeping warmth in, so often is favored among
blue collar workers in cold environments.
In the United States, due to its popularity in the
Pacific Northwest (especially in
Seattle, Washington and
Portland, Oregon), flannel has become associated with
grunge fans and music. This idea was even further popularized by the fact that many rock, metal and, most notably
grunge musicians from the early-mid 1990s, often wore clothing made from it. In addition,
West Coast gangsta rap shared the style with the alternative music scene for much of the 1990s. Flannel has been thought by some to be a
fashion statement. Also, there are clubs in the Philadelphia area, one of which is known as "Flannel Fridays", whose sole requirement for membership is being "plaid clad", or wearing flannel on Friday. Skateboarders are also known to wear flannels.
In Australia and New Zealand, flannelette is associated, in a derogatory manner, with
Bogans[9] and
Westies.
[10]
From :
Wikipedia
