Ask Angie: Which fabrics are the most flattering?

Mochaccino

I never "ask Angie", but this is a question I would only ask someone with years of experience in the fashion industry. I realize this question is more complicated then it sounds and could probably be answered with a book. Right now I'm most interested in which fabrics are the most, ahem, forgiving ;). And I hope I'm not imposing if I say I would love to see even more blogging on this subject. It's the sort of usefull info other fashion bloggers push to the side as "boring", or know next to nothing about.

15 years ago

Dressing

5 replies

Latest reply was from Maya

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

I'm going to take a stab at answering in part, even though I'm not Angie.
I know Angie is a strong advocate for woven fabrics, since they retain their shape and crispness better over time. She also says they are considerably more forgiving when it comes to concealing things like muffin top. Common woven fabrics include cotton, silk, denim, linen etc. Some of these fabrics have spandex woven into them for additional stretch and flattery.
Knitted fabrics (like t-shirt fabric, jersey etc), are better able to stretch and are often simpler to fit over things like full busts. I can say from experience that finding wovens to accommodate my chest is an ongoing nightmare. The downside of knits is that they don't hold up as well over time and also tend to cling more often unless they're particularly well constructed (substantial fabric helps here).
Angie once wrote a post going into more detail on the difference between knitted and woven fabric, which I'll include here:
http://www.youlookfab.com/2008.....us-wovens/

And here's one discussing their various prose and cons:
http://www.youlookfab.com/2008.....nd-wovens/

15 years ago

Kari

Veteran

Yes, yes, yes to what Michelle said. As a busty woman, I find that woven tops can be super frustrating. But when you find a GREAT woven that really fits well, it can be magical. In the past two months I was fortunate enough to score some silk tops that feel beautiful and skim over my troublesome parts. One of the silk tops has some stretch built in, which is helpful.

The other dilemma I have with woven tops is that they only portray a really crisp, clean vibe if they ARE crisp and clean. I end up with wrinkles in my cotton woven tops halfway through the day. I don't like to iron (though I will if I have to) so usually steam the wrinkles out while I'm in the shower to get by in between washes. In general, though, I find that wovens take more effort and care.

My favorite knit is rayon. Some of the Michael Kors tops that Angie put into the YLF store earlier this year are a woven/spandex blend, and they stretch gently but are less clingy than a typical knit, and also seem to be holding up very well (absolutely no pilling or stretching out of shape.)

I usually keep knits confined to my upper half, but I do have ponte knit skinnies, dresses, and skirts that come into play on occasion. Having knit bottoms can be challenging because they are generally clingier and require more coverage (slips) or shapewear in order to meet my comfort and modesty requirements.

Hope that this feedback helps along with Michelle's fabulous descriptions and links.

15 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Kari and Michelle - YOU ROCK. Thanks for typing out what's in my head

I hope this info makes sense, Mocha. Fabrics have to drape well - not cling - in order to look flattering. That's the short and long of it. Look for fabrics with a bit of weight and recovery. Usually this type of drape is achieved when a natural fibre is combined with a man-made fibre.

I'm a woven gal as you know, but I do like knitwear (sweaters). Either way, always with drape and weight.

15 years ago

Lisa

Veteran

Great question! I learned a lot. I often wondered why some wovens and knits seemed to work better than others.

15 years ago

Maya

Veteran

I love rayon, but for knits only. It has such a nice weight and softness to it.

For wovens it's terrible though. It wrinkles like mad and it's near impossible to iron effectively, since high heat makes the fabric melt. It also doesn't feel as nice against the skin.

15 years ago

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