New Fabrics
New fabrics of the 1960s
Many of the new fabrics which influenced fashion design in the 1960s had a heritage in the previous decades. Many of these were synthetics emerging from a group of nylon fibres known as polyamides, such as polyester (see 1950s new fabrics).
Designers attempted to push the boundaries of fashion fabrics by including different fabrics, such as paper, metals and plastics, such as PVC.
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New fabrics and fibres were intended to be easy to wear and easy to launder, which meant that fabrics were either drip-dry, machine washable or were throw-away or embraced new technology. Many clothes of this period encompassed both aspects, incorporating innovative technology with inspirational approaches to their use in fashion construction.
1959 - Bri-lon and Acrilan
1960 - Crimplene
1961 - Lurex
1962 - PVC
Some new fabrics were like their earlier synthetic counterparts, developed to imitate natural fibres. One example was Courtelle, which aimed to mimic wool, without the problems of garment care.
