Winter fabric is a lot different than the summer one as are its properties, texture, and whole look. The fabric we are going to discuss today is one of the most famous and used fabrics, some might even call it an all-season fabric. It is soft, regal, and has a silky to velvety texture. It was artificially developed in the late 19th century, unlike other fabrics which are gifted to us by nature. If you have not been able to guess it till now then let us tell you, we are talking about ‘Viscose’ fabric also known as ‘Rayon’. Unlike cotton, silk, georgette, wool, etc. which are naturally derived, viscose is created in the laboratories and is a semi-synthetic fabric.
What makes viscose a loved fabric is the fact that it can be mixed with other fabrics to create different fabrics for different seasons. As it blends well, it is combined with cotton, polyester, and hemp to increase its softness and properties. In the fashion industry and several other industries, it is becoming a popular fiber to work with as it is used to create a wide range of products. First, let’s check in detail what viscose fabric is and how you can style it in winter.
What kind of Material is Viscose?
The main reason it was developed was as a substitute for silk. Original silk is quite expensive so only the people with money could afford to wear it, making it a status symbol. Silk as a fabric is light, flowy, and smooth to the touch so to find its low-cost alternative viscose fabric came into existence. Viscose or Rayon is produced by the wood pulp of the tree as cellulose is extracted from different trees such as bamboo, pine, or eucalyptus. But it is not limited to only these three other plants are also utilised to create viscose material.
In the case of its properties, it all depends on how its fiber is shaped and which fabric it has been mixed with. The fabric then changes its properties, it can be light to heavyweight, smooth or textured, matt or shiny. But as it was made as a substitute for silk, 100% viscose resembles silk greatly.
Is viscose a good quality fabric?
Many people are generally confused about viscose, as it is now used as a substitute or is mixed with other fabrics. But the question we are going to answer you in detail is ‘what is viscose fabric?’. As we have detailed how it is produced, let’s delve into its properties.
This fabric has a lot of pros:
- Water-absorbing and breathable
- Warm is winter & cool in summer
- Retains body heat/ doesn’t trap it
- Smooth and soft to the touch
- Drapes well
- Strong & vigorous
- Low-cost/ cheap
All its pros sound great, but of course, there are some qualities which can be counted as cons. Although these as such cons are also present in other fabrics. If you take care of the fabric while wearing and washing it, then these so-called cons will disappear and become obsolete.
Cons of this material are:
- Viscose fabric shrink
- Wrinkles easily
- Color fades when exposed to sunlight
- Fibers can weaken when wet
How to Style Viscose Winter Fabric
Rayon fabric is also used in winter as loungewear or even warmer clothes when it is blended with other fabrics. Ways you can style or use viscose are:
Loungewear
As there are so many variations of viscose, it is also used as loungewear which is great in winter. Viscose is a breathable material and when in winter it is mixed with other fabric it proves to be of great benefit as it protects your body heat while also being a breathable material. This loungewear by Gulahmed is made up of viscose material and is a great style statement to wear at home or out.
Viscose for Winter Wedding
Viscose is the best for weddings mainly because of its silk-like quality. It gives a beautiful flow to your dress making it one of the best materials for weddings. You can make different types of dresses with viscose material such as a kaftan. Kaftan looks the best when made up of soft silk-like material so viscose kaftan will look and also feel great in winters. Viscose saree also drapes beautifully and as viscose can be found in multiple prints it can be used as saree fabric for winter weddings.
Kameez Trouser
Another way you can use viscose is as a simple kameez trouser. Styling it in different ways as viscose material is breathable, smooth, and soft. You can of course also get embroidery on it to make it visually nicer especially on plain viscose. Styling viscose is really fun as it absorbs almost all colors and can be stitched into different styles.
Embroidered Viscose Winter Collection
Many brands release their viscose collection as soon as the fall and winter season arrives. As winter also brings the wedding season, many brands include embroidery collections of viscose material. Such as Embroidered Viscose Collection Vol 1 2022 of Shaista has great pieces with detailed embroidery which can be worn at tea parties, and small wedding functions and pair it with jhumkas to make it wedding appropriate.
Men Shalwar Suit
Viscose makes for one of the best quality men's shalwar suits. They feel great to wear and are super comfortable because of their breathable and soft material quality. Gul Ahmed’s unstitched men’s shalwar kameez is a must-have because of its excellent quality and color selection. You can buy them on their official website.
Viscose Scarf
Viscose is also a great scarf material. If you cover your head, viscose scarves look and feel great as it is a breathable material. Do try to get viscose mixed with other fabric for it to stay on your head otherwise, a 100% viscose scarf will be difficult to handle. But a silky viscose scarf for fashion purposes is surely a sight to see.
A mixed viscose scarf can be utilized in winter and can be a great winter accessory. You can style it in so many different ways with an eastern and western touch. With western you can wear it with a leather jacket, giving it a cool touch. The red viscose scarf with embroidery is a fashion accessory that many women would love to have in their wardrobe.
Printed Viscose Collection
As a blendable material, viscose can be printed, colored, and blended in multiple ways. A printed viscose collection is something that one must never miss out on. Riaz Arts collection is a beautiful blend of fabric and style and print, that you can’t help but drool over. Love how they have paired it with ethnic jewellery but of course, you can wear anything you like with it.
FAQs
Which fabric is better viscose or silk?
Silk is a naturally derived fabric and is quite expensive. For it to be available to more people, viscose a low-cost laboratory-made fabric was created as a substitute for silk. Both fabrics are smooth and soft and are breathable materials. In terms of lustre, silk gives more shine whereas viscose has a light sheen to it.
Which fabric is better viscose or cotton?
Viscose when mixed often feels like cotton as both fabrics are comfortable. Where viscose is artificially made, cotton is all natural and is also readily available. Both are widely used for bedding sheets and also for clothing and are breathable, cool materials. There are minimal differences between both of them but viscose is not eco-friendly as tree bark and wood pulp is used to make it.
Does viscose Fabric Shrink?
In simple words, viscose has a shrinkable quality. So when it gets wet it tends to get weakened and the threads might break which makes up the garment. If you are getting viscose stitched, make sure that you shrink it before giving it to your tailor.
Viscose fabric also tends to lose its color over time and especially when it dries it loses extra color.
Is viscose good for summer?
Viscose is great for summer because of its breathable material. But not in humid weather, as it tends to have properties of silk within. As it dyes quickly it has become one of the favorites of fashion designers to play with.
When viscose is mixed with other fabric threads, it can be good for summer but otherwise, fashion manufacturers even use viscose to make sweaters, overcoats, outerwear, and other winter clothing.
Final Words
Viscose fabric was developed as a substitute for silk as its cheaper alternative. It has gained a lot of attention from the fashion industry and it is currently sold in bulk around the world. It was first introduced in England and now China is its biggest exporter. It is available in print, plain, and blended with other fabrics making it a versatile material. You can style and dress the viscose material in your own way, from wearing shalwar trousers to even a viscose dress, it always drapes beautifully with your body.