What Is Poplin?

Poplin is probably the only natural fabric that can "talk" in your hands and while sewing clothes on a sewing machine. It responds to tactile acquaintance with a slight crunching. This unique property of the material is inherent in poplin, including the thinnest and lightest of its types, unusual and attractive. In the process of sewing, in addition to the usual sounds of the sewing machine, you can hear a clear sound from the interaction of the needle with the poplin, which is simply impossible to not pay attention to.

Poplin is a material that is quite rarely found in the description of the composition of clothing, much more often it is used in the manufacture of home textiles. Nevertheless, sometimes in stores, there are dresses, blouses, shirts, and other things made of this fabric.

What is poplin? Is this fabric very thin and transparent? Let's understand in this article: what is poplin, what are its advantages and what it can be used for. Undeservedly forgotten, poplin has excellent quality characteristics, which we will tell you more about below.

The name "poplin" comes from the French papelaine and Italian papelino. The name already reflects the main purpose of its original use - sewing clothes for the pope.

Poplin is a durable, double-sided fabric in which a fine embossed welt is formed by combining a fine warp and a coarse weft. It is often used for sewing bedding, nowadays more often for dresses, shirts, skirts, and pants in the fast fashion industry. The material has a smooth surface and is known for its ability to hold its shape well. It comes in different densities, made of a mixture of cotton and synthetic fibers (polyester or spandex) for additional strength, and elasticity.

This fabric is not only made of cotton. There are other compositions:
wool;
with the addition of silk or viscose;
with the addition or completion of synthetic fibers.

Wool and silk significantly increase the cost of the material, besides being quite capricious in care. Wool traditionally sits down with improper washing, silk also requires delicate handling. Therefore, these options are not very popular.

Synthetics, on the contrary, cheapens poplin, but completely deprives it of its main advantages.

The material made of 100% cotton has a lot of advantages which are listed in the following.

Durability. The fabric can withstand up to 300 washings and does not lose its brightness and durability either from constant use or from frequent meetings with the washing machine. The main thing is not to use aggressive detergents, avoid high temperatures, and follow the rules of washing colored linen.

The material does not roll up and always remains very gentle and pleasant to the body. Therefore, the fabric is simply created for children's underwear or summer clothes.

The hygroscopicity of the fabric is very high. It allows air and moisture to circulate freely. The body breathes in any season in any microclimate.

The heat-regulating ability of cotton also makes itself felt here. In the heat, poplin is not hot, and in cool weather, it will be difficult to get cold.

Poplin is much softer than calico, it is smooth and pleasant, so clothes from it are sewn quite often.

The material is easy to care for. Unlike, for example, linen, poplin is washed at low temperatures and does not require further ironing. If you dry the product in unwrapped form, there will be no creases.

Decorativeness. The picture on the fabric is always bright and remains so for a long time. Canvas does not shed and with proper use does not burn out.

Like any cotton fabric, the material is hypoallergenic. Suitable for very young children and people suffering from respiratory diseases.

Despite all the softness and smoothness of the front side, the underside is made so that the fabric does not slip. This is especially important for bed linens - the sheet will be less likely to bunch up.

Poplin does not give shrinkage, you can safely choose a product "size to size", and after washing it will not upset you.

Fair price. With all the above advantages, the fabric is not inferior to its counterparts - sateen or calico and costs much cheaper. If you need several sets for the whole family, the savings will be tangible.

Having learned about all the advantages of the material called "poplin", many consumers first of all wonder - and what things can be sewn from such a versatile and comfortable fabric. So, what can be made from poplin?

Shirt dress
Classic shirt dress will look especially expressive if you sew it from poplin in white and blue stripes, and the width of the stripes can be completely different. No less interesting options are obtained from printed cuts with a small pattern or print of small and medium sizes.

Summer blouses
Poplin blouses are perfect for the summer season due to their light and airy feel. This fabric provides good air circulation and absorbs moisture perfectly, making it a comfortable choice for hot days.

They have a sophisticated look and a pleasant tactile feel. This fabric has a natural sheen that gives blouses a special elegance. At the same time, the poplin blouse is easily draped and sits on the figure naturally, without creating a feeling of tightness. They can be combined with a variety of lower garments - from jeans to classic pants or skirts, creating a variety of images for your style and mood. In addition, poplin blouses are often decorated with various elements: from embroidery and applications to voluminous details and draperies. At the same time, this model of the blouse can be a great decoration for a dressy set, and in the everyday image will bring a touch of luxury. This allows each woman to find a blouse to her taste, and emphasize her individuality.

Sarafan with a tulip skirt
In such models, the signal to buy exactly poplin (monochrome or with a pattern) will be the presence of details and elements that create volume. Even the thinnest poplin is a fabric that holds its shape, but softly, and restrained, ie visually and the finished product does not stand a stake. Poplin creates the effect of airiness and light volume with all the architecture of the pattern.

Dress with pleats
Such models are a real find for poplin. Yes, in the magazine the short dress is made of viscose, and the long model is made of linen. But if we look at the pattern in detail, we will see that to emphasize the freedom of the model, and squared skirt to add a fixed volume can only poplin.

By the way, you can make the shape of the skirt more expressive instead of assembling it to lay several folds of equal depth. For this pattern is best suited to poplin with patterns, and quite different sizes - from small, as in the original, and up to large drawings.

Lightweight flared pants
Cotton poplin has high creasing, but unlike linen, this feature of natural fabric is not so conspicuous and looks natural. For summer pants choose a thin poplin, it is very comfortable to wear. Otherwise, even after repeated washings pants will not lose their original appearance. Why the flared model? Again because the fabric softly holds its shape, which means that the silhouette will not be guessed, but obviously read.

Loose fit dress
A simple, laconic cut with minimal or no details, but a loose fit that doesn't restrict movement, reveals itself very beautifully in poplin. Pockets, straight or A-silhouette in this case is more than enough for a summer dress made of poplin in the style of minimalism.

Parachute dress and models with ruffles
Those who at least once sewed from poplin will confidently support this choice. There were many examples among fashion brands, street style, and mass-market. Voluminous sleeves, oversized silhouettes, and lush ruffles only enhance the effect that is originally laid in such models of dresses. In our example, you should avoid the belt and play with the frills and the length of the dress, choosing the one that suits you best.

Bedding
As for bedding, many consumers prefer to buy it exclusively from this fabric. And this is not surprising, because the products made of poplin have many advantages. Linen is quite durable and can serve its owner for a long time, it is pleasant to touch, perfectly holds its shape, and retains its color even with constant use. Also, pillowcases, duvet covers and sheets absorb moisture well, letting the air pass through, while keeping warm.

In order for the fabric to last a long time, it must be properly cared for. In the case of poplin, the process is not difficult, since the material is quite unpretentious. However, it should be taken into account that certain subtleties are primarily influenced by the composition of the material, so before you do anything with it, you need to pay attention to the label.

This is especially true when washing products. Here some unpleasant things can happen, since things containing artificial materials and synthetics do not tolerate hot water, and its temperature when washing should not exceed 40 degrees. The spinning, drying, and ironing should also be done more carefully.

Cotton poplin is surprisingly unpretentious. With natural materials, however, there are usually no problems. Its surface can be removed almost any pollution - in general, the recommended water temperature for washing is 40 degrees, but it is allowed to wash in hotter water, up to 60 degrees. If the stains are still not scrubbed away, light colored poplin can even be boiled. They are quietly washed in the machine on the selected modes, wrung out, and ironed without difficulty.

Spin at medium and maximum speeds will allow you to get almost dry linen after washing. If additional drying is required, choose options in a shaded place in the fresh air or a well-ventilated room.

The fabric is virtually wrinkle-free, but if there is a need to freshen up the look of your poplin clothes, choose the "cotton" mode on your iron.