What is brocade fabric?
Have you ever seen the embossed three-dimensional, glossy and charming patterns on the gorgeous costumes of Gaoding dresses or retro palace dramas? That ‘s probably brocade fabric.
Simply put, brocade fabric is a highly decorative woven fabric with a unique luster and texture, known for its luxurious appearance and complex embossed patterns. Unlike ordinary printing or later embroidery, the pattern of brocade is directly ‘ woven ‘ into the fabric structure during the weaving process. This means that each flower, each texture is part of the fabric itself, rather than floating on the surface of the embellishment. This unique process gives it an unparalleled sense of thickness and three-dimensional touch.
The surface of the brocade fabric is smooth and delicate, and the texture is soft. It can reflect the charming luster and feel comfortable and delicate, making the clothes or household items made of brocade fabric more luxurious. In addition, brocade satin has good wear resistance, not easy to wear and break, and good wrinkle resistance, not easy to appear obvious wrinkles.
Whether it is used to make wedding dresses, dinner handbags, or as a decorative fabric for high-end homes, brocade fabric can instantly improve the grade of finished products. It is synonymous with ‘ luxury ‘ and ‘ craftsmanship ‘ in the textile industry.
History of Brocade Fabric
Exploring the history of brocade fabric is to review a history of textile civilization spanning thousands of years. From the beginning of its birth, this kind of fabric is destined to be closely related to wealth and status.
Eastern origin: treasures on the Silk Road
The origin of brocade can be traced back to ancient China. In China, the word ‘ Brocade ‘ is composed of ‘ gold ‘ and ‘ silk ‘, meaning ‘ value as gold and silk ‘, which shows its preciousness. As the hometown of silk, Chinese brocade fabric represents the peak of ancient textile technology.
The famous ‘ three famous brocades ‘ is the best evidence:
Shu Brocade: It has the longest history and is famous for its rigorous structure and gorgeous colors. It was once a hard currency on the Silk Road during the Han and Tang Dynasties.
Song Brocade: popular in the Song Dynasty, it is known for its gorgeous color and exquisite pattern. It is often used in calligraphy and painting mounting and high-level clothing, showing the aesthetics of literati.
Cloud Brocade: It is named for its brilliant clouds. It uses a large number of gold and silver lines in the process. It is extremely luxurious and has been used as a special fabric for royal dragon robes for a long time.
These traditional processes not only give brocade fabric a profound cultural heritage, but also lay the foundation for it as a high-end fabric.
Western circulation: the symbol of the royal family and religion
With the trade of the Silk Road, the brocade craft was introduced into Persia, Byzantium, and eventually reached Europe. In Renaissance Italy, weaving technology was further improved. Due to the extremely high labor costs and expensive raw materials ( such as silk and precious metal wires ) required to weave brocade at that time, it became the exclusive property of European royal aristocrats and churches. From the king ‘s coronation robe to the archbishop ‘s coat, the satin ‘s heavy and shining texture of sacred luster has become a symbol of power and divinity.
Technological revolution: from handmade to Jacquard
For a long time in history, brocade was woven on a complex hand-made loom, which took a long time. It was not until the early 19 th century that Joseph Marie Jacquard invented the Jacquard jacquard machine that this situation was changed.
The invention of the jacquard machine made the control of warp lifting automated and precise, so that complex patterns could be ‘ remembered ‘ and copied more efficiently. This has also caused confusion among many about brocade and brocade fabrics. Simply put, Jacquard refers to the weaving technology or machine, while Brocade refers to the fabric that finally presents the embossed pattern effect. Modern brocade is almost woven through jacquard technology. The advancement of this technology has enabled fabrics that were once only used by the royal family to enter the field of high-end fashion and home with a more stable quality.
Brocade Fabric Material and Production
To truly understand the value of brocade, we should not only see its pattern, but also deeply understand the composition of brocade fabric material and the precise weaving process behind it.
The evolution from silk to multi-material
Traditionally, brocade is synonymous with luxury, and this sense of luxury is largely derived from its core raw material – silk. Silk brocade fabric has always occupied the position of the pyramid tip because of its soft hand feeling, excellent air permeability and natural high gloss.
With the development of textile technology, the material selection of brocade has become more abundant :
Cotton and wool: used to increase the weight of the fabric and matte texture, making it more suitable for daily wear or heavy home decoration.
Synthetic fiber: such as polyester or rayon, commonly used to reduce costs or increase wear resistance.
Special variants: in pursuit of the ultimate visual impact, designers created metallic brocade fabric, by mixing gold and silver wire or metal foil yarn, make the fabric under the light presents amazing flash effect ; in addition, there is velvet brocade fabric with excellent touch, which combines the embossed pattern of brocade with the texture of velvet to create a warm and retro court style.
SilkYue‘s insistence: 100% pure mulberry silk
Today, the market is filled with a variety of blended materials, SilkYue still insists on using 100 % pure mulberry silk to make our brocade products. We believe that only natural silk can perfectly present the soul of brocade. This is not only because of its unparalleled skin-friendly and low allergenicity, but also because mulberry silk, as a natural protein fiber, has biodegradable and environmentally friendly characteristics. Compared with synthetic fibers, our pure silk brocade is more breathable and comfortable while maintaining durability, which is the purest tribute to the traditional process.
Weaving process: the art of warp and weft interlacing
The reason why brocade is expensive lies in its complex production process. Unlike printed fabrics, the pattern of brocade is not ‘ printed ‘ but carefully ‘ woven ‘ by a jacquard loom.
In the weaving process, by controlling the interlaced sinking and floating of warp and weft yarns, some yarns are allowed to float on the surface of the fabric, thus forming a three-dimensional relief pattern. This process requires extremely high precision and usually needs to be completed by experienced craftsmen.
Each SilkYue brocade is a perfect combination of traditional manual wisdom and modern precision technology, which ensures the fineness of the pattern and the stability of the structure.
Types and Patterns of Brocade Fabric
The charm of brocade is not only because of its luxurious material, but also because of its ever-changing visual expression. From the classical charm of the East to the modern geometry of the West, different classifications and pattern designs give brocade a very different character.
Style classification: from Oriental classical to modern jacquard
Chinese Brocade Fabric:
This is the brightest pearl in the brocade family and the core pride of SilkYue. Chinese brocade is usually colorful, strong contrast, with a strong cultural symbolic significance. In particular, we are proud of the ‘ Cloud Brocade ‘, its bright color, beautiful as the sky clouds. It is often woven with precious materials such as real gold peacock feather lines, each of which is a collectable artwork.
Jacquard Brocade Fabric:
Although modern brocade mostly adopts jacquard technology, in terms of classification, this kind of design usually refers to a more modern and universal style. It may no longer be limited to traditional auspicious patterns, but has a more complex texture structure and a wider range of color options, very suitable for modern fashion design or high-end interior soft outfit.
Pattern Aesthetics: Language of Flowers and Totems
When we are choosing brocade, we are actually choosing a way of expression. Brocade fabric pattern is not only decoration, but also contains auspicious and beautiful meaning.
Floral Brocade Fabric:
This is the most popular and never outdated type. The flower elements show the beauty of nature, the peony symbolizes wealth, the lotus symbolizes purity, and the plum blossom symbolizes arrogance. In SilkYue‘s product series, you will find a large number of flower designs, which are laid out on silk, as if the garden will never wither, adding a soft and romantic to the wearer.
Traditional totems and geometric patterns:
In the Chinese tradition, dragon(power), phoenix(auspicious) and bat(blessing) are representative totems. These complex brocade fabric patterns require extremely high weaving density to perfectly present their charm. In more modern designs, repeated geometric figures, Paisley patterns or abstract lines are also widely used, injecting a fashionable sense of rhythm into the brocade.
Colors of Brocade Fabric.
If texture is the skeleton of brocade, then color is its soul. Different colors can give brocade fabric a completely different character, from deep majesty to bright romance, there is always a touch of your heartstrings.
Classics and luxury: the eternal protagonist
In the fashion industry, black brocade fabric has always occupied an unshakable position. It not only represents mystery and elegance, but more importantly, the black background color can perfectly set off the pattern of gold and silver thread weaving, forming a low-key and shocking ‘ dark night star ‘ effect, which is an excellent choice for making evening dresses. In contrast, gold brocade fabric is the ultimate embodiment of luxury. It has its own royal aura, shining under the light, and is often used in grand celebrations or as a finishing touch in home soft outfits.
Occasion and Emotion: Born for the Moment
The choice of color is often in the choice of an atmosphere.
Wedding moment: white brocade fabric breaks the monotony of traditional satin, and adds a rich sense of hierarchy to pure white by using embossed texture, making the bride more noble in holiness.
Festival Celebration: When the Spring Festival or Christmas comes, nothing can convey joy and energy more than red brocade fabric, which is the best carrier of auspiciousness and prosperity in Oriental aesthetics.
Colorful Personality: Express Your Style
In addition to classical colors, modern brocades also provide a richer palette to meet individual needs:
If you prefer retro and natural style, deep green brocade fabric, especially emerald, can bring rich retro style.
In order to show calmness and wisdom, blue brocade fabric, especially royal blue, is an ideal fabric for business or formal occasions.
In the pursuit of soft beauty and girl ‘s feeling, pink brocade fabric can deduce the sweetness of pink to be advanced and not vulgar through the luster of silk.
Of course, what has to be mentioned is the purple brocade fabric, which represents the aristocracy and mystery. Purple is an extremely honorable color in both traditional Chinese and Western royal families, especially the dark brocade fabric purple, which combines the heavy sense of brocade and can instantly enhance the artistic style of the finished product.
SilkYue‘s Color Promise
At SilkYue, we know the importance of color persistence and vividness. Thanks to the excellent color absorption of 100 % mulberry silk, the brocade we offer is not only full in color, but also passes a rigorous color fastness test. If you have specific color requirements, our customized service can also ensure that you can accurately match the most perfect color in your heart.
Uses of Brocade Fabrics
The reason why brocade can span hundreds of years is still popular, not only because of its beauty, but also because of its versatility. Understanding brocade fabric uses can inspire your infinite creative inspiration and transform this luxurious fabric into a work of art in life.
Fashion and clothing: creating a compelling focus
In haute couture, brocade is the designer ‘s ‘ secret weapon ‘.
Gowns and evening wear: brocade is the perfect choice for brocade fabric dress due to its excellent drapability and stiffness. This kind of fabric can well support the profile of the skirt. Whether it is an A-shaped skirt or a retro large skirt, it can show a sculpture-like three-dimensional feeling. For designers looking for a brocade fabric for dresses, SilkYue ‘s silk brocade gives the evening gown an unrivalled high gloss.
Sewing and customization: For DIY enthusiasts and tailors, high-quality brocade dressmaking fabric is essential. It is easy to cut and not easy to deform, very suitable for the production of complex structure of clothing.
Suit and coat: Don ‘t think that brocade only belongs to skirt. In recent years, brocade fabric suit has shone in business and fashion dinners. A cut-out brocade suit coat, with a simple inner lap, can not only show a sense of authority in business occasions, but also show a unique fashion taste in social occasions.
Home decoration: the finishing touch of interior design
In addition to wearing on the body, brocade is also an artifact to enhance the style of home. As a durable and heavy fabric, brocade upholstery fabric is widely used in the soft decoration of high-end furniture.
You can try to use brocade to make cushions, pillow cases, and instantly brighten a plain sofa ;
or it is used to make heavy curtains, not only the shading effect is good, the relief pattern is more beautiful under the refraction of sunlight ;
even use it to re-wrap an antique chair to rejuvenate old furniture.
Buy your inspiration at SilkYue
Whether you ‘re looking to sew a unique piece of clothing for yourself or add a touch of luxury to your home, you ‘ll need flexible ways to buy. At SilkYue, we offer brocade fabric by the yard service. This means that regardless of the size of the project, you can accurately purchase according to actual needs.
What is the difference between Brocade Fabric and Jacquard Fabric?
Although the two are often confused, Jacquard refers to a weaving technique or loom, and Brocade is the specific fabric type produced using the technique. All brocade fabrics are jacquard fabrics, but not all jacquard fabrics are brocade. Brocade is characterized by a pattern that looks like it is floating on the surface of the fabric. Usually, gold brocade fabric or silver thread is used to increase the sense of luxury, which is thicker and more decorative than ordinary jacquard.
Is brocade fabric easy to wrinkle? Is it suitable for a skirt?
Because the brocade fabric material is usually tightly woven and thick, it is more wrinkle-resistant than light fabrics such as silk chiffon, but not completely wrinkle-resistant. It is very suitable for making clothing that needs to maintain shape. Brocade fabric for dresses is an ideal choice for evening dress, wedding dress and brocade fabric dress with strong sense of structure. If you ‘re looking for a brocade dressmaking fabric for sewing, it ‘s recommended to choose a blended style with a small amount of elastic fiber, or choose our SilkYue ‘s premium silk brocade fabric for a better pendant feel.
Can brocade fabric be washed? How to maintain?
Maintenance depends on the material. If it is a traditional Chinese brocade fabric or silk brocade fabric, dry cleaning is strongly recommended, because water washing may cause complex texture shrinkage or metallic fibers damage. If you can only wash with water, it is recommended to read this article first: How to wash silk.
Is Brocade Fabric suitable for home decoration?
Absolutely suitable. Brocade upholstery fabric is the first choice to improve the home style because of its thick, wear-resistant and exquisite pattern. It is often used to make curtains, pillowcases or vintage chairs of soft bags. Dark colors such as black brocade fabric or purple brocade fabric can add a solemn and mysterious palace style to the interior space.
How to distinguish the front and back of the brocade fabric?
Usually, the brocade fabric is not available on both sides. On the front, clear, raised beautiful patterns(such as floral brocade fabric) are displayed, while on the back, float threads or messy thread heads are usually visible. When sewing a brocade fabric suit or dress, the lining must be used to protect the floating line on the back from being hooked, which also increases the comfort of wearing.
Why is the Pure silk brocade price higher?
The real silk brocade fabric is expensive because of its complex manufacturing process and expensive raw materials. In particular, the traditional Chinese brocade fabric, often involving manual operation or complex jacquard procedures, and the use of high-quality mulberry silk and metal wire interwoven. This fabric is not only a fabric, but also a work of art.
What is unique about Chinese brocade fabric?
Chinese brocade fabric originated from ancient China, such as Shu brocade, Song brocade and Yun brocade. It is famous for its handmade jacquard craft, and the pattern is rich in cultural symbols(such as dragon and phoenix). Compared with modern synthetic products, it pays more attention to traditional processes and durability. SilkYue ‘s Chinese brocade fabric product retains these classic elements and is suitable for collection or dressmaking.
What is the difference between Metallic brocade fabric and velvet brocade fabric?
Metallic brocade fabric is integrated into the metal wire to provide a shiny effect, suitable for party dresses such as brocade fabric suit. Velvet brocade fabric is combined with velvet touch, more soft and warm, commonly used in winter brocade upholstery fabric. Both can be obtained from SilkYue and customized on demand.
What is the application of Red brocade fabric in festivals?
Red brocade fabric is a symbol of festive celebration, commonly used in festival brocade fabric dress or decoration. Compared with the tranquility of green brocade fabric, it is more energetic. SilkYue offers red brocade fabric by the yard for quick customization.
Why choose brocade fabric?
In the modern textile technology is so developed today, why do we still have a special liking for the ancient brocade fabric?
The answer lies in its unique dual charm – it is not only a heavy historical precipitation, but also a fresh fashion pioneer. The choice of brocade is not only a choice of fabric, but also a choice of adherence to the quality of life. Whether you are looking for the mystery and elegance(such as black brocade fabric) that can hold the whole scene, or to convey the festive joy and enthusiasm(such as red brocade fabric), the embossed texture and luster of brocade can provide visual impact that ordinary plane printing can not reach.
From the royal treasures of the ancient royal family to the silk brocade fabric gowns on the T stage today, this fabric always represents the highest level of textile technology. In SilkYue, we are committed to bringing this traditional craft from the East to the world in the purest form.
Explore SilkYue and start your luxurious journey
As a professional supplier of silk and silk clothing, SilkYue not only provides spot goods, but also proudly provides custom Chinese brocade fabric service. Whether it is used for clothing design or home soft outfit, we are looking forward to providing you with the top-level brocade fabric, so that your every design inspiration into reality.
Looking to buy fabric?
You can also purchase SilkYue’s exquisite fabrics and make your own favorite items.
Customization and Innovation
You can tell us the fabrics and styles you like (clothes, pants, sachets, bags, etc.), and SilkYue will make customized samples.
