Almost all of us are familiar with glass beads, as it is a popular term that we keep on hearing time and again. If we break this word and then read it, its meaning would become much clear to us. The word glass means a hard and transparent object while the word bead refers to a small piece of glass, wood, etc., which is strung in a series on a thread, or so, to form beautiful adornments. Thus, we can say that glass beads are the beads that are fabricated from glass and are used to design fascinating and fashionable jewelry items.

As now we get acquainted with glass beads, let's talk about the designer and decorative glass beads and their types. The contemporary forms of these glass beads are acclaimed with the prefixes like designer, decorative, fashionable, fancy, and so. The emergence of designer and decorative glass beads has revolutionized the ornament industry. Nowadays, these beads are used in almost all types of designer jewelry. The decorative glass beads jewelry is quite in vogue, and it is getting fame and admiration the world over. So, let's learn more about some popular types of decorative glass beads:

1) Frog Beads: This variety of decorative glass beads is greatly inspired by nature and the animals found in it. This design is perfect for those who have a fascination for animals. These beads are also good for decoration purpose, and are available in various styles like frog sitting on a lily pad, jumping frog, and even a dancing frog. The various types of glasses that are used for the fabrication of these beads include venetian, handmade, lamp-work, and furnace glasses.

2) Flower Beads: As the name suggests, these beads resemble a flower. Like flowers, they are also very colorful, lively, and beautiful. Because of their flower shape, these beads are comparatively delicate and need careful handling. They are mainly used in jewelry items like necklaces and bracelets. The common types of flowers that are approximated through these designer beads include lily, acorns, ivy, and sweet pea.

3) Heart Beads: These beads are crafted in a medley of designs, patterns, and colors, by dexterous and proficient bead artists. The shape of these beads, as is also clear from their name, corresponds to the shape of a heart. These beads are usually found in vibrant colors, and witness great demand on occasions like Valentine's Day. The popular types of glasses that are used for manufacturing them include dichroic, furnace, frosted, fused, and blown glasses.

4) Round Beads: These beads are no less than the pearls, in appearance. They possess a shimmering look due to their round shape, and can be used for embellishing a multitude of jewelry items. These beads can be used in a combination with several other types and varieties of beads for the fabrication of splendid necklaces, bracelets, and other such jewelry. The beauty and elegance of these beads entirely depends upon the creativity and proficiency of the artisan.

5) Butterfly Beads: These beads are enticing and endearing by their very nature. The reason being, they resemble one of the most beautiful creatures found in nature, i.e., the butterfly. These astonishing beads are found in a multiplicity of designs, patterns, vibrant colors, and styles. As they possess a lot of intricate patterns and details, they require extensive expertise and artistry on the part of the bead artist. These beads are usually fabricated from Czech, Venetian, Indian, and Chinese glasses.

The beads that are mentioned above, give a general idea about the nature and type of the contemporary decorative glass beads that are available at present. But, there are a lot more types of facts associated with the above beads that are not mentioned here due to paucity of space and time. Indeed, there are a large number and types of glass beads, besides the above-mentioned beads. You might be feeling curious to see and know about them. If so, then enter the glittering and sparkling world of magnificent glass beads through Glass Beads Manufacturers.

This portal is designed in such a manner that it acts both as an informative guide and a b2b sourcing guide. It provides free access to reliable manufacturers, suppliers, and exporters of beachwear. The products featured on this beachwear marketplace perfectly adhere to the quality standards and are of the most contemporary type. The primary product categories available on it are as mentioned below:

1) Women Beachwear: As we have earlier also said, beachwear is most closely associated with women. Whenever we talk about beachwear, the very first image that flashes through our mind is that of a woman. The beach clothing marketplace, thus offers a vast variety of women beachwear. The primary items include women wraparounds, women underwear, and women beach dresses like kimonos, beach pants, beach skirts, thongs, beach shorts, halters, and so.

2) Men Beachwear: No doubt that beachwear have got much popularity among the women, but men are also not behind women in this regard. This is the reason for the availability of numerous types of men beach clothing items in the market. The common types of men beachwear offered by Beach Clothing include men shorts, men shirts, men beach pants, waterproof jackets, men trunks, etc.

3) Kids Beachwear: It is the 21^st century, everybody is very smart in it. So, why should the kids lag behind. In actual, kids are smarter than the elders. To increase their smartness even more, the beachwear marketplace is offering an exclusive range of beach clothing items for kids. Some of the popular kids beachwear that are offered on this site are bathing suits, girls shirts, boys shorts, kids swimsuits, and so.

4) Beach Accessories: This category generally consists of beach products which are not gender or age specific. It means that they can be used by anybody and everybody. Although these products are simple, still possess great utility and value. Some of the beach accessories that can be found on this online beachwear marketplace include bandannas, scarves, towels, summer hats, bags, sunglasses, and many more.

The above-mentioned product categories consist of a wide variety of beachwear. The information given above is mere a glimpse of what all is present on this portal. The suspense is waiting for you. So, don't wait much and enter the fabulous world of Beach Clothing.

Have you ever thought, why some of our clothing, say for example, scarves are sheer, soft and ornamental while others like shawls are thick, coarse and rough (though not all of them). This is because of the different yarns used for making them. Yarn formation is a fine skill and with variations in the spinning process, one can make various types of yarns. So what are the different types of yarns?
Single Yarns: To make these spun yarns, single strands of fibers are held together by twist. They are either given S-twist or Z-twist. Single yarns are used for making most of the fabrics.
Ply Yarns: Two or more strands or yarns are twisted together to make ply yarns. In two-ply yarns, two single strands are twisted together, and three-ply yarn is made up of three single strands and so on. The strands are generally twisted in one direction and then combined and twisted in opposite direction.
Cabled Yarns: Two or more plied yarns are twisted together, usually, around each other continually in the opposite direction of the previous twist. Thus, it may be twisted in an S/Z/S form or a Z/S/Z form These yarns are hard, rough and strong.
Doubled Yarns: In the weaving process, two or more strands are treated as one but they are not twisted together as when making ply yarns. Doubled yarns are used for giving ornamental effects due to their lustre and softness.
Novelty Yarns: For making novelty yarns, decorative effects are produced by giving different amounts of twists while spinning. Sometimes, yarns having different diameters are twisted together to make them. They are used for making ornamental fabrics having various textures and color combinations. There are many types of novelty yarn, each having difference in its making process. These novelty yarns include slub yarns, boucle yarns, spiral yarns, chenille yarns among others.

You might have heard about ceramic art, ceramic pottery or bricks but have you heard about ceramic yarn? Yes, in fact, there is a yarn made of ceramic or clay which is used for making various textile products! These wonder ceramic fabrics are also used to protect NASA's space shuttles and satellites! They are incredibly strong, fireproof and excellent heat resistant fabrics.

Ceramic Yarn

Ceramic yarn is one of the man-made mineral fibers, popularly known as mineral wool. They are made from natural or synthetic minerals or metal oxides. Ceramic yarn is noted for its high temperature resistance above 1000°C. Textile made from ceramic fiber yarns have outstanding characteristics of lightweight, low thermal conductivity and chemical stability that can resist attack from most corrosive agents. The ceramic fiber yarns are used in high temperature sealing and in producing ceramic fiber tape, rope or fabrics. The ceramic fabrics are widely used in thermal insulation industry.

The Making of Ceramic Yarn
To make ceramic fibers, chemicals like silica are heated until they are molten, and then they are spun into hair-like strands. To make ceramic yarns, ceramic fibers are carded with a blend of organic fibers to make rovings. Rovings are soft strands of fiber that have been twisted, attenuated, and freed from foreign matters such as dust etc. before converting into yarn. Then a reinforcement of glass filament or steel wire is introduced to it. This combination is then spun to produce the ceramic yarns. In applications where tensile strength is significant, textiles manufactured from a glass filament reinforced yarn may be used up to 550ºC. Textiles manufactured from steel reinforced yarn may be used up to 1050°C. Where tensile strength is not so important, yarns and textiles may be used up to 1260ºC.


Industrial Applications of Ceramic Yarn Fabrics
Ceramic yarns and textiles are mainly applied to a wide range of high temperature sealing and insulating applications. It means that they are used in materials that come in contact of high temperatures so as to prevent or reduce the passage, transfer, or leakage of heat and electricity. A good example of this type of product is ceramic blankets. Ceramic fiber ropes are also used as heat insulation materials and a substitute for asbestos rope. NASA engineers had used ceramics for Shuttle tiles that could stand up to the heat of reentry. The fibers were used to fill gaps between orbiter tiles and were woven into insulation blankets, heat shields and other protective items.

General Uses of Ceramic Yarn Fabrics
Apart from being used in industries as insulating material, ceramic yarn is now also used for warm weather fashion clothing due to its cool nature. However, such fabrics have ceramic in very low percentage. For example, one of such ceramic fabrics is made up of 95% rayon & 5% ceramic. They keep the wearers cool and protect their skin from harmful UVA & UVB rays. They are, in fact, capable of dropping the surface skin temperature by at least 5 degrees. Due to their soft sheen, anti-static and washable qualities, they are gradually becoming a choice of fabric for babies & infant wear. Ceramic yarns are also fast becoming popular for knitting projects due to their same properties of being cool, soft and silky apart from UVA & UVB rays protective.

Textile drying is one of the finishing processes, which removes the water and moisture from the fabrics (accumulated while its manufacturing) through evaporative heating. As evaporative heating is very costly, initially mechanical methods are applied to remove as much as moisture from the fabric as possible. After that, heated dryers are used to evaporate the remaining water from the fabric. Mechanical methods include centrifugal extraction of water and continuous methods applying vacuum suction rolls. After mechanical extraction, various types of dryers are used to dry the textile which are categorized as thermal processes. The thermal processes transfer heat by convection; infrared radiation; direct contact; or radio-frequency.

Drying can be applied to loose fibers, yarns, or fabrics. When drying fibers, centrifugal extraction is done to reduce the water in loose fibers before evaporative drying is applied. The evaporation dryers consist of many chambers and fibers pass from the hottest to the cooler chambers. Fiber is carried through a conveyor belt or on the surface of a series of “suction drums”. Yarn packages are dried by two methods - rapid (forced) air drying and the radio frequency drying. In forced air dryers, hot air circulation is followed by conditioning. Radio frequency dryers operate on the conveyor principle. Fabrics are dried with various types of dryers like stenters, cylinder dryers, drying conveyors etc. The relaxed fabric is conveyed through a chamber while festooned in loops. The fabric travels through the chamber, passing over a series of hot cylinders. It is very important to dry textile without over drying otherwise the fabric may get a harsh hand.

Sometimes it happens that we unknowingly put a fabric in certain category. For example, we say cotton, linen etc. are summer fabrics whereas wool, cashmere etc. are winter fabrics. Have you ever thought of the fabrics that are categorized as winter fabrics but are made from summer fabrics? Corduroy Fabric is one such fabric which is popularly called a winter fabric but is originally made from cotton- it is a cotton fabric with texture.

So, do you wear your corduroy skirt and pants in summers or pack all of them to be used in winters alone? Can you, in fact, wear corduroy in summers? To know this, first of all you'll have to know about the basic corduroy fabric.

What is Corduroy Fabric?

Fabric characteristically having parallel, lengthwise cords or ridges is the corduroy fabric. It looks much like twill fabric but there is a basic difference in appearance. Twill has diagonal rows while corduroy has parallel ridges. While weaving, its fibers are normally twisted resulting in long, parallel ridges. Initially, corduroy was made from cotton only. Now many other fibers, such as polyester, rayon and acrylic are also used to make corduroy fabric but essentially it remains a cotton texture fabric. Also, the modern versions of corduroy are composed of tufted cords, sometimes exhibiting a channel (bare to the base fabric) between the tufts. In essence, corduroy is a ridged form of velvet.

How is Corduroy Fabric Used?

Corduroy fabric is mostly used for making casual to business casual clothing usually for colder climates. They are widely used for trousers but not very uncommon to be seen as skirts, jackets, caps, bags and even upholstery for chairs and sofas. In fact, the application of corduroy fabric is decided by the width of cords appearing on it. The width of the cord is usually referred to as “wale”. The Corduroy fabrics having narrow wales are generally softer to touch, and are often used for shirts, skirts, jackets or caps. Corduroy with wide wales is commonly found on pants or furniture.


Can We Wear Corduroy in Summers?

Although considered to be a fall/winter fabric, corduroy can even be worn in summers, of course, if you do not go by strict fashion norms. However, the fabric for summer has to be chosen very cautiously. It should be narrow wale (thin width cord), lighter weight corduroy (if superlight, it's best) in a light color, something like white, beige, pink etc. For choosing such corduroy you must know how to count the wales? Corduroy fabric’s wale count per inch varies from 1.5 to 21. However, the traditional standard falls between 10 and 12. 11-wale corduroy, that is to say 11 wales per inch, is the corduroy with narrower wales. There are pincord, pinwale, and needlecord types of corduroy from among which pincord is the finest cord with a count above 16 and has a feel that is as soft as velvet and it is superlight. So, if you find this corduroy, wear it in summers without any other consideration!

The most significant development of our times, in the field of fabrics, can be called the development of specialty fabrics. These specialty fabrics have many characteristics that make them suitable for specific applications. Coated fabric is one of the important specialty fabrics of our times.


Many chemicals and materials such as PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride),PE and other Poly olefins, PU (Polyurethane), acrylics, rubber (natural or synthetic) and waxes are used in the coating process of fabrics. Color dyes and pigments can also be added to these chemicals for giving desired colors and shades. Through coating, many characteristics are given to the fabrics, such as water resistance, fire retardance, UV resistance, flexibility, surface gloss, surface texture, etc.

Different types of coated fabrics are there which include PVC coated fabrics, Teflon coated fabrics, Rubber coated fabrics, Vinyl coated fabrics and the newly developed Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) coated fabrics. These coated fabrics are used for manufacturing various products including protective clothing, gaskets and seals for automotive industry, conveyor belts, bags, tents and tarpaulins, roofing membranes, sporting tents, light weight sport field covers, agriculture coverings, automotive interiors and many other such highly functional products.

Although coated fabric provides high functionality to many industries, its disposal poses a threat to the environment. They can't be recycled even by applying high temperature or pressure or by dissolving in solvents. They have to be burned, of course after having taken precautions to save the environment from such disposal. However, innovations are being introduced in the field of coated fabrics also. The TPO coated PP fabrics come labeled as “PVC free”, “halide free”, “Green product” etc. They are lighter than PU or PVC or rubber coated fabrics and are melt recyclable. We can hope that in near future more such innovations take place so that the useful coated fabric also become environmental friendly.

From among the decorative fabrics, jacquard fabric holds a very important place. Jacquard is a very beautiful fabric with unique patterns woven into the fabric itself. Jacquard is, in fact, one of the various types of fabric weaves which is used to make complex fabric patterns on the specially designed jacquard looms.

The Jacquard Loom was invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1801 which was controlled by punchcards. Many cards were strung in a continuous row to develop a pattern. These mechanical Jacquards were smaller in size and could control independently only a few warp ends and thus the process had to be repeated many a times across the loom width. The larger capacity machines and multiple machines allowed relatively greater control and also needed fewer repeats. The electronic jacquard looms, introduced in 1983, had greater capacity which could handle more than 10,000 warp ends simultaneously. These computer-controlled machines significantly reduced the time wasted in changing punched paper designs. But they were viable for those factories only which manufactured jacquard fabric with specialized designs, due to the cost involved in installing these machines.

Jacquard weaving uses many types of fibers and fiber blends and create complex patterns on fabrics. The jacquard loom can be programmed to raise each warp thread independently of the others giving a very high level of warp yarn control. There are many types of jacquard fabrics that are used for fine jacquard clothing and upholstery. The examples of jacquard fabrics include brocade, damask, matelasse and tapestries etc.

Some of the fabrics are more than liked in summers. Linen fabrics are one of them. Linen is so familiar term to all of us but do we really know enough about this smooth, cool durable fabric? Did you know, apart from making garments and home furnishings, linen is also used for making many other things including paper? Yes indeed! Paper made of linen can be very strong and crisp. This is why, many countries including the United States, print their currency on paper made from 25% linen and 75% cotton! Does this interest you to know more about this fine fabric- the linen fabric!

What is Linen?
Linen comes from one of the strongest plant fibers- the flax, which is obtained from the stems of the plant Linum usitatissimum. Flax fibers are of two varieties- longer line fibers and shorter tow fibers. The fine and regular long flax fibers are spun into yarns for linen fabrics of which 70% goes into making clothing with extraordinary coolness. They are also used for high quality textile furnishings. Shorter flax fibers make heavier yarns that are used for kitchen towels, sails, tents and canvas. Lower fiber grades are used as reinforcement and filler in thermoplastic composites and resins used in automotive interior substrates, furniture and other consumer products.

Why Linen is Unique?
The 'so-cool-to-touch' linen fabric is about two to three times stronger than cotton yet it is soft and smooth when felt against skin. There are many properties of linen fabric that go to make it unique.

• Linen is a very good conductor of heat- the reason for its being so cool.
• It is smooth, soft and lint free- in fact, wash it more and it will get more softer.
• It has high natural luster having shades of ivory, ecru, tan, or Grey- if its pure white then it is heavily bleached linen.
• It has a crisp and textured feel. However, it can range from stiff and rough, to soft and smooth.
• If properly manufactured, linen fabric can highly absorb and rapidly lose water- it can gain up to 20% moisture without even feeling damp- that's why it is one of the the finest cool summer fabrics.
• It is very durable and strong- in fact, it is more stronger when wet than when dry.
• It is abrasion resistant and also resistant to moths and carpet beetles.
• It can be easily taken care of as it resists dirt and stains and also don't have lint or pilling tendency. It can be dry cleaned, machine washed or steamed without any concern.

Fabric is such a medium that can be used in a wide variety of ways to express oneself. Wear it as clothing to make your own style statement or make them into astonishing home furnishings to decorate homes- they are always amazing! Not only fabrics come in a variety of colors and textures, they can even be embellished in different ways to make them all the more beautiful. Embroidery is the most accepted and widely adopted means of embellishing them. However, fabric painting has there since ages and is one of the adoring crafts that people love to do with fabrics. In fact, fabric painting is one of the means that can be used in innumerable ways- the only need is to let loose one's imagination.

Mostly, natural blended fabrics such as 50-50 cotton-polyester blends are chosen for doing fabric painting. There is a set process for fabric painting where it is first washed and dried to let it shrink and for cleaning any dirt, dust, or textile finishing chemicals from it. Then paints are chosen from among fabric paint tubes, fabric paint pens, paint pots and brushes. Designs are also chosen according to one's interest which include free hand designs, that is to paint without any design laid out beforehand. Many draw the designs with pencils on the fabric to be painted and others use iron on transfer method in which they use a colored transfer pen to trace over a simple lined picture. The design is then applied by placing the drawn lines directly onto the fabric and gently pressing a hot iron on top. The fabric is then painted through different techniques like stamping, reverse stamping, screen painting and others. Once fabric painting is finished, it is allowed to dry for about at least 24 hours to 72 hours so that it is thoroughly dry and set. The finished item is then again washed and dried.

However, there are certain considerations that should be kept in mind while fabric painting. This will be clear with tips for fabric painting. So read these tips and create magic on fabrics with fabric painting.

In the near future, just in five to ten years, the adventurous people can see some of their fantasies come true. They can own outfits that will turn blue when at sea and brown when in a desert environment. The same effect could be used in making everyday chic fashion clothing for fashionistas that automatically changes color to fit different visual settings. Sandia National Laboratories researchers have demonstrated that, in theory, they could cause synthetic materials to change color just like certain fish species which blend with their environment by changing color.

The Basic Principle Underlying Nano Camouflage Clothing
The researchers have followed the mechanism that the fish use to change colors. The power source for the whole process depends upon the basic cellular fuel called ATP, which releases energy as it breaks down. Around 50% of the power is absorbed by the motor proteins, the tiny molecular motors that can move along surfaces. When fish change colors, motor proteins aggregate and disperse skin pigment crystals carried in their “tails” as they walk with their “feet” along the microtubule skeleton of the cell. They rearrange the color display through this.

The on/off switch
The scientists are also introducing on/off switch to control the motion of the motor proteins. The effect is controllable, and even reversible. “We essentially reengineered the protein structure to introduce a switch into the motor,” says the principal investigator George Bachand. “So we can now turn our nanofluidic devices on and off.” Previous efforts at regulating motor activity have used fuel intake as a control mechanism which operated on the principle- the less the fuel, the slower the process. However, the Nano-camo switch operates independently of fuel changes, resembling the improvement in early automobile technologies when a simple ignition switch took over for more complicated rheostats.
So, just wait and watch for the amazing chameleon-like camouflage 'Nano-camo' for fashionistas and environmentalists.

Just imagine a world where women do not get 'so-loved-by-them' fashion accessories! They have to be satisfied just by the clothing and simple bags for carrying things, a simple flip-flop to protect their feet and the worst part- no jewelery at all! Does this frighten you? There's no need to worry about, as all these true fashion companions of women haven't gone anywhere. They are right here with all their versatility and glitter to make women more charming. I just imagined the condition to underline the importance of these three top fashion accessories for women- Jewelery, Handbags and Footwear.

All these fashion accessories make a woman complete. Their dresses look so dull without these accessories. You get to know, how the lady is, how she takes life, and what's her basic personality- just by seeing the fashion accessories donned by her! Whether she is fun loving, glamorous, elegant, perfectionist or just a simpleton. And the fun part is that most of the time, this perception turns to be true. However, if a woman doesn't pay attention towards choosing the right kind of fashion accessories which matches her personality, she might end up attracting all the wrong people towards her with whom she can't gel up. So know how to project yourself just in the manner as you are along with attaining comfort, style and charm all at the same time! Read- How to choose top three fashion accessories....

Just imagine a world where women do not get 'so-loved-by-them' fashion accessories! They have to be satisfied just by the clothing and simple bags for carrying things, a simple flip-flop to protect their feet and the worst part- no jewelery at all! Does this frighten you? There's no need to worry about, as all these true fashion companions of women haven't gone anywhere. They are right here with all their versatility and glitter to make women more charming. I just imagined the condition to underline the importance of these three top fashion accessories for women- Jewelery, Handbags and Footwear.

All these fashion accessories make a woman complete. Their dresses look so dull without these accessories. You get to know, how the lady is, how she takes life, and what's her basic personality- just by seeing the fashion accessories donned by her! Whether she is fun loving, glamorous, elegant, perfectionist or just a simpleton. And the fun part is that most of the time, this perception turns to be true. However, if a woman doesn't pay attention towards choosing the right kind of fashion accessories which matches her personality, she might end up attracting all the wrong people towards her with whom she can't gel up. So know how to project yourself just in the manner as you are along with attaining comfort, style and charm all at the same time! Read- How to choose top three fashion accessories....

The manufacturers of apparels, home furnishings and other textile products must know the fiber contents of the fabrics they use in order to meet the specific requirements of the said products. Retailers too are bound by the 'Textile Fiber Products Identification Act' to check the labels of the products before selling them. The consumers too need to know what fibers are they using in all the products so that they may put them to their expected use. Thus, fiber testing becomes very important.


Nontechnical Tests
There are many tests for fiber identification. They can be broadly classified as nontechnical tests and technical tests. The nontechnical tests include feeling test and the burn test. The feeling test is the most simple one which requires identifying fiber just by touching the fabric. For example, wool will feel warm whereas cotton or linen will feel cold. However, this is not a very reliable method as many fabrics are made of different fiber contents. In the other test called the burn test, a sample fabric is burnt and observed for the various characteristics shown by it after burning so that its fiber contents can be determined.

Technical Tests

There are fiber testing techniques that are carried out in laboratories. These technical tests for fiber identification are the microscope test and the chemical tests.

Microscope Test: In this technique, powerful microscopes are used for testing and identifying the fiber contents of different fabrics. Different fibers show specific characteristics regarding shapes, length, marks etc. under the microscope. It is very effective for testing the natural fabrics. Since many synthetic fabrics have similar appearance, sometimes, it becomes difficult to test them under microscope. Dark color fabrics also can't be tested as light doesn't pass through dark substances. Additionally, dyes of the fabrics also have to be removed by stripping, bleaching etc. so that they can be seen clearly and without any wrong effects that can misguide and result in incorrect test reports.

Chemical Tests: They can only be conducted in well equipped laboratories. There are two key techniques for chemical testing- stain and solvent. The stain method uses acid and alkali on different fabrics to identify the fiber contents. A fiber stained with acetic acid turns to a specific color but when the same fiber is stained with mild alkali, it turns to a different color. For example, acetate changes to light green color when acetic acid is used and turns orange when dilute carbonate of soda is used. In the solvent method, different solvents are used to distinguish one kind of fiber from another. There is no single solvent or chemical that can be used on all fibers. The fabric has to be cleaned thoroughly and the finishing chemicals have to be removed completely before immersing sample fabric in solvents. Animal fibers are destroyed in strong alkalies while plant fibers destroy in acid.

The manufacturers of apparels, home furnishings and other textile products must know the fiber contents of the fabrics they use in order to meet the specific requirements of the said products. Retailers too are bound by the 'Textile Fiber Products Identification Act' to check the labels of the products before selling them. The consumers too need to know what fibers are they using in all the products so that they may put them to their expected use. Thus, fiber testing becomes very important.


Nontechnical Tests
There are many tests for fiber identification. They can be broadly classified as nontechnical tests and technical tests. The nontechnical tests include feeling test and the burn test. The feeling test is the most simple one which requires identifying fiber just by touching the fabric. For example, wool will feel warm whereas cotton or linen will feel cold. However, this is not a very reliable method as many fabrics are made of different fiber contents. In the other test called the burn test, a sample fabric is burnt and observed for the various characteristics shown by it after burning so that its fiber contents can be determined.

Technical Tests

There are fiber testing techniques that are carried out in laboratories. These technical tests for fiber identification are the microscope test and the chemical tests.

Microscope Test: In this technique, powerful microscopes are used for testing and identifying the fiber contents of different fabrics. Different fibers show specific characteristics regarding shapes, length, marks etc. under the microscope. It is very effective for testing the natural fabrics. Since many synthetic fabrics have similar appearance, sometimes, it becomes difficult to test them under microscope. Dark color fabrics also can't be tested as light doesn't pass through dark substances. Additionally, dyes of the fabrics also have to be removed by stripping, bleaching etc. so that they can be seen clearly and without any wrong effects that can misguide and result in incorrect test reports.

Chemical Tests: They can only be conducted in well equipped laboratories. There are two key techniques for chemical testing- stain and solvent. The stain method uses acid and alkali on different fabrics to identify the fiber contents. A fiber stained with acetic acid turns to a specific color but when the same fiber is stained with mild alkali, it turns to a different color. For example, acetate changes to light green color when acetic acid is used and turns orange when dilute carbonate of soda is used. In the solvent method, different solvents are used to distinguish one kind of fiber from another. There is no single solvent or chemical that can be used on all fibers. The fabric has to be cleaned thoroughly and the finishing chemicals have to be removed completely before immersing sample fabric in solvents. Animal fibers are destroyed in strong alkalies while plant fibers destroy in acid.

The contemporary silk gowns are usually short or knee-length, medium or calf-length, and long or ankle-length. Some of these gowns also have slits on their sides and at the back. The ladies have a great fascination for this particular type. The neckline of these gowns also differs from one type to another. The common types of necklines that can be seen in these gowns are V-shaped, round shaped and even collared.

However, every clothing item is important at its own place, but the night gowns are quite unique. They are a perfect mixture of utility and elegance. This is the reason the demand for the silk night gowns is continuously rising, showing no signs of retardation.

The contemporary silk gowns are usually short or knee-length, medium or calf-length, and long or ankle-length. Some of these gowns also have slits on their sides and at the back. The ladies have a great fascination for this particular type. The neckline of these gowns also differs from one type to another. The common types of necklines that can be seen in these gowns are V-shaped, round shaped and even collared.

However, every clothing item is important at its own place, but the night gowns are quite unique. They are a perfect mixture of utility and elegance. This is the reason the demand for the silk night gowns is continuously rising, showing no signs of retardation.

Although fashion is synonymous to women, men too have shown that they are no less fashion conscious. Designers constantly present various clothing lines to match the desires of men of all ages. One of the mens clothing segments- mens beach wear- is the hottest among the list of mens fashion clothing. Through beachwear, men try to wear what all they can't wear anywhere else. Lets analyze what kinds of beachwear are there for men and how they are comfortable, relaxing, fashionable, and trendy- all at the same time.

Men's Shorts

Men's shorts, available in a wide range of styles, patterns, colors and fabrics are the topmost favorites of all men. They are relaxing and comfortable beachwear to match the soothing environment of beach. They come with wearing options having full elastic waist or drawstring or both. The popular styles of mens shorts include

Bermuda shorts: They are knee-length shorts for casual style generally having pockets and waist loops for an optional belt.


Board shorts: They are loose-fitting shorts with the leg length going down to the knees. Initially designed for the surfers, these shorts are now a popular beachwear for all men. They can be called a combination of shorts and a bathing suit.


Boxer shorts: They are also called loose boxers or simply boxers. Their popularity rests on a variety of styles and design as also on unhindered leg movement for the wearer. They come in a variety of fabric types and print designs.

Cargo shorts: They are typical khaki shorts with cargo pockets though now they come in other colors too. Similar to cargo pants, but around knee-length, they not only make wearer free and comfortable but give him cool trendy look.
Fabrics that are commonly used for giving fit and style to shorts include cotton, cotton blends, nylon, polyester, cotton silk, Lycra etc.

Swim Trunks
Yet another popular man's beachwear, trunks more or less look like shorts. They cover the mid portion of the body- from the waist to the mid-upper leg and are normally shorter than board shorts. They come in various styles and designs though most of them are made of nylon fabric with a mesh lining making them quick drying so that other than swimming, playing ball or just walking on beach too remain a pleasant activity.


Beach Pants
Beach pants are different from regular pants. They are made ultra comfortable, mostly by using linen in their manufacturing. They can be easily rolled up due to their wide straight legs and the casual regular fittings. They mostly come with elastic waist just like beach shorts and trunks which makes them easy to wear.

Beach Shirts
These shirts are specially designed for beach using some comfortable fabrics like cotton, cotton blend, cotton silk, polyester, Lycra, twill, etc. They are mostly liked with half sleeves and come in both plain and exotic prints. They go well with a pair of Capri, pants, jeans or beach shorts for making beach experience a pleasant one. Bright colors and unusual prints like floral, geometrical, flora and fauna especially palm tree give them distinguished look.
Apart from all the above men's beachwear, swim briefs, popularly known as Speedo are also very popular among men.

Although fashion is synonymous to women, men too have shown that they are no less fashion conscious. Designers constantly present various clothing lines to match the desires of men of all ages. One of the mens clothing segments- mens beach wear- is the hottest among the list of mens fashion clothing. Through beachwear, men try to wear what all they can't wear anywhere else. Lets analyze what kinds of beachwear are there for men and how they are comfortable, relaxing, fashionable, and trendy- all at the same time.

Men's Shorts

Men's shorts, available in a wide range of styles, patterns, colors and fabrics are the topmost favorites of all men. They are relaxing and comfortable beachwear to match the soothing environment of beach. They come with wearing options having full elastic waist or drawstring or both. The popular styles of mens shorts include

Bermuda shorts: They are knee-length shorts for casual style generally having pockets and waist loops for an optional belt.


Board shorts: They are loose-fitting shorts with the leg length going down to the knees. Initially designed for the surfers, these shorts are now a popular beachwear for all men. They can be called a combination of shorts and a bathing suit.


Boxer shorts: They are also called loose boxers or simply boxers. Their popularity rests on a variety of styles and design as also on unhindered leg movement for the wearer. They come in a variety of fabric types and print designs.

Cargo shorts: They are typical khaki shorts with cargo pockets though now they come in other colors too. Similar to cargo pants, but around knee-length, they not only make wearer free and comfortable but give him cool trendy look.
Fabrics that are commonly used for giving fit and style to shorts include cotton, cotton blends, nylon, polyester, cotton silk, Lycra etc.

Swim Trunks
Yet another popular man's beachwear, trunks more or less look like shorts. They cover the mid portion of the body- from the waist to the mid-upper leg and are normally shorter than board shorts. They come in various styles and designs though most of them are made of nylon fabric with a mesh lining making them quick drying so that other than swimming, playing ball or just walking on beach too remain a pleasant activity.


Beach Pants
Beach pants are different from regular pants. They are made ultra comfortable, mostly by using linen in their manufacturing. They can be easily rolled up due to their wide straight legs and the casual regular fittings. They mostly come with elastic waist just like beach shorts and trunks which makes them easy to wear.

Beach Shirts
These shirts are specially designed for beach using some comfortable fabrics like cotton, cotton blend, cotton silk, polyester, Lycra, twill, etc. They are mostly liked with half sleeves and come in both plain and exotic prints. They go well with a pair of Capri, pants, jeans or beach shorts for making beach experience a pleasant one. Bright colors and unusual prints like floral, geometrical, flora and fauna especially palm tree give them distinguished look.
Apart from all the above men's beachwear, swim briefs, popularly known as Speedo are also very popular among men.