Poplin Fabric

    Poplin, also called tabinet (or tabbinet), is a strong fabric in a plain weave of any fiber or blend, with crosswise ribs that typically gives a corded surface.Poplin traditionally consisted of a silk warp with a weft of worsted yarn. As the weft is in the form of a stout cord the fabric has a ridged structure, like rep, which gave depth and softness to the lustre of the silky surface. 

    It is now made with wool, cotton, silk, rayon, or any mixture of these, though originally made from silk. The ribs run across the fabric from selvage to selvage. Poplins are used for dress purposes, and for rich upholstery work. They are formed by using coarse filling yarns in a plain weave. Shirts made from this material are easy to iron and do not wrinkle easily.

   During the Second World War, poplin fabrics had been used on fronts because of its comfort, durability and crisp uniformity. Poplin fabric made of cotton is smooth and soft. Poplin is a heavy weight fabric and its highly durable. It wrinkles less.

    Poplin fabric is made out of cotton, silk, wool or synthetic blends. It is tightly woven plain weave fabric which makes us feel smooth, thin and shiny.  Poplin fabric contains 100% cotton and it’s cool, comfortable and breathable to wear and hence it can also be called as cotton poplin.  It has heavy weight and highly durable. To serve outdoor purpose, a water-repellent finish will be given to the heavier poplin. It can be used to make large banners for tradeshows, museums etc.

 

    With its rich texture and a non reflective finish, poplin fabrics serve all purposes and it’s considered to be an all purpose fabrics.  Flat finished poplin fabrics looks very tight and flat. 

        It is an excellent fabric for draping. It is widely used as a table drapes displays in show rooms and trade shows. It can also be used for sport wear, shirts, boy suits, uniforms and dresses.

     Poplin in its early days was made by using a silk warp weave and a worsted yarn weft. The result is a sturdy fabric that has noticeable ridges. Today poplin is popular in shirts and pants and is often a combination of softer and heavier grades of cotton. Because of its manufacturing process, it tends not to wrinkle easily, and is somewhat water and stain resistant. Both men and women’s pants and shirts can be made of poplin and sometimes feel soft and exhibit a little shine.

  The poplin dresses in Little Women were likely made partly of silk, but silk fabrics used for dressier purposes were often distinguished from poplin. 

   The difference lies primarily in the weave, which produces a heavier fabric and in the fact that silk would have been combined in weaving with a worsted wool or cotton yarn.