The jersey fabric is named after its place of origin - the island of Jersey, located between France and England. It is there that there is a special breed of sheep that give a specific wool from which this knitted fabric is obtained. Initially, the material was used to create warm underwear, which is very important on a rather cold and windy island. And since the end of the 19th century, the great Coco Chanel drew attention to the benefits of this jersey.
What is matter
Jersey is a knitted fabric with slightly noticeable "pigtails" on the front side. In this case, the outer part is usually less matte than the wrong side. In appearance, the fabric is light, almost weightless. At the same time, the composition of the material may differ, for example, for sewing outerwear, options with a high cotton content are taken.
Material composition
The composition of modern jersey fabric includes knitted weaving and additional fibers: polyester, silk, viscose and cotton. It is these elastic additives that give the material its flexibility and ease of handling and wearing.
Quality advantages of fabric
Jersey items retain their original shape for a long time, even after a lot of washes. In addition, the material has such features as:
- softness: the fabric is pleasant to the touch, flowing, fits the body, emphasizing the shape;
- low creasing: things made of material do not need steaming and tedious ironing;
- color fastness: even if the fabric is dyed in bright saturated colors, it will not lose its attractiveness;
- high thermal conductivity: jersey items contain fibers that "warm" in the cold season;
- breathability: due to the special composition of the fabric, the "greenhouse" effect is not created, the skin breathes.
The main property of the fabric is the ability to stretch much wider than along the loops. This means that the jersey item will not "sag" on the shoulders and the edges of the garment will remain at their original level.
In addition, it is worth noting such a remarkable quality of jersey as drape. The material can be beautifully gathered into soft flowing folds. But trying to iron the folds on the jersey is not worth it - the fabric will not hold them.
Some properties directly depend on what is included in the composition of matter. So, for example, when adding natural silk, the fabric will be thin and shiny; if viscose threads are woven, then moisture resistance will be low, in contrast to cotton.
What is sewn from jersey
Now the material has firmly taken the leading place in sewing clothes for all occasions. Jersey is produced in fairly large quantities, while not only natural fibers, but also synthetic ones can serve as raw materials for the fabric. The most common uses for the fabric are children's and women's clothing. It can be light summer dresses and suits, formal evening dresses, flowing skirts, sundresses, blouses, trousers, semi-sportswear.
A little about the disadvantages
The main disadvantage, which, unfortunately, is inherent in jersey is electrification, especially if the fabric is based on artificial fiber. This problem is especially noticeable when wearing dresses or skirts with voluminous floors. The fabric can stick together, which looks unaesthetic and, of course, unnerving and frustrating. However, this can be avoided by using special means and treating the fabric with them before each exit.
Pilling is another problem, but the higher the quality of the jersey, the less likely it is.
Jersey garment care principles
Hand or machine wash is acceptable, but be sure to use warm water, not higher than 40C. You should not wring out things thoroughly, but it is better to dry them on a hanger. Ironing is not required, but if you decide to iron a thing, it should be done at the lowest heating temperature.
