Following Fabric through History

It takes a lot of stitches and time to create the dress you're eyeing on the prom dress page.
Get to know your dress a bit better with a brief history of our finest fabrics. You may be surprised at the places ventured and the lengths made by history's fashionistas to make sure you look fabulous.

Silk came about around 2,600 B.C. Believed to been discovered by a Chinese princess, this sexy smooth fabric we all adore actually houses a bug in its natural state--the silkworm's cocoon. Supposedly, China's emperor's wife jumpstarted silk production around 1725 B.C. She kept her fashion secrets within the royal circles. Not until a Chinese princess married an Indian prince some centuries later did silk spread westward. Remember the Silk Road from history class? There's a reason for the name. Silk is still used today and is considered a high quality fabric.

Need a little poof? Organza is your fabric. Made from tightly twisted silk filaments, organza is known for its lightweight stiffness--giving just the right bouffant to billions of wedding gowns. Organza can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The word entered French and Italian languages in the Middle Ages as "organsin" and "organzano" after the town of Urgang in Turkestan, which had a famous silk market. Today, find top notch organza manufacturers in France, Italy and China.

Polyester Considered the most popular or widely known of man-made fibers, polyester was first introduced to the American public in 1951 as the fabric that needed no ironing. In the age of TV dinners and toaster ovens, anything fast and easy sold well. Made of a scientific mixture of alcohols and acids, this stretchy fabric was first patented in Britain, but sold like hotcakes in the States as polyester mills popped up behind gas stations, where alcohols could be extracted from gasoline. Comfy, right?

Chiffon makes your dress appear to float and is widely used as an overlay on dresses. Under a magnifying glass, chiffon looks like a delicate mesh net that gives it a slightly see-through quality. The word itself comes from the old French word for rag--but don't let that fool you. Chiffon is notoriously delicate, hard to handle, and frays easily. So, a designer puts many hours into any well-made chiffon gown. One cool side note: when you take a pin out of chiffon, the fabric will spring back into place!

Tiza sticks with tried and true fibers of the best quality--and equally interesting histories. Shop on!