Sheer fabric is

fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is no ...

which is made using thin thread or low density of

knit Knitting is a method for production of textile fabrics by interlacing yarn loops with loops of the same or other yarns. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine. Knitting creates stitches: ...

. This results in a semi- transparent and flimsy cloth. Some sheer fabrics become transparent when wet.

Overview

The sheerness of a fabric is expressed as a numerical denier which ranges from 3 (extremely rare, very thin, barely visible) to 15 (standard sheer for stockings) up to 30 (semi opaque) until 100 ( opaque). The materials which can be made translucent include gossamer,

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

rayon Rayon, also called viscose and commercialised in some countries as sabra silk or cactus silk, is a semi-synthetic fiber made from natural sources of regenerated cellulose fiber, cellulose, such as wood and related agricultural products. It has t ...

nylon Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...

. Sheer fabric comes in a wide variety of colors, but for curtains, white and shades of white, such as cream, winter white, eggshell, and ivory are popular. In some cases, sheer fabric is embellished with embroidered patterns or designs. A common use for sheer fabric is in curtains, which allows for sunlight to pass through during daylight, while maintaining a level of privacy. However, when it is lighter on the inside of a room than it is on the outside (such as at nighttime), then the inside of the room can be seen from the outside. Due to the loose weave in sheer fabrics, such curtains offer little heat insulation. Sheer fabric is used in clothing, in garments such as stockings or tights and in dancewear and lingerie, and sometimes as part of clothing, such as in

wedding gown A wedding dress or bridal gown is the dress worn by the bride during a wedding ceremony. The color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. Wedding dresses hold a significan ...

s and formal costumes. Sheer fabric for clothing offers very little in the way of warmth for the wearer, and for this reason is commonly worn in hot weather. It offers relatively low sun protection. Though sheer stockings have been popular since the 1920s, and have been used in women's nightwear for some time, the use of sheer fabrics in other clothing has become more common in recent years. There has been a sheer fashion trend in fashion circles since 2008, with sheer fabrics being used in tight clothes, layers, and in delicate feminine draping.

References

{{reflist Fashion design Textiles Properties of textiles Transparent materials

Overview

See also

References