Mechanical Properties and Handle of Cotton Crepe Fabrics

The aim of this study is to establish a basis for the handle design of traditional Japanese cotton crepe fabrics for women′s dresses and summer jackets. We collected 17 cotton fabrics with different crepe structures. The mechanical and surface properties of the fabrics were measured by using the KES-FB system. The primary hand values of crepe fabrics were obtained by an objective evaluation method developed by Kawabata. The tactile feel of crepe fabrics was assessed by 39 university students. Compared with women′s dress fabrics (n=280), cotton crepe fabrics showed large values for surface properties and tensile strain at maximum load in the weft direction of the fabrics. In terms of primary hand values, high Hari with low Shinayakasa were identified as distinctive features of cotton crepe fabrics suitable for hot humid summer conditions. The subjective hand values of softness, smoothness, and preference with regard to crepe fabrics were closely related to the parameters bending rigidity B and fabric thickness T0: small values for T0 and B were associated with high scores for these subjective hand values. On this basis, T0 and B can be used as key parameters for the design of cotton crepe fabrics.