DEVELOPMENT OF NEW DEVICE FOR RAPID MEASUREMENT OF FABRIC DRAPE BASED ON FABRIC MULTIDIRECTIONAL BENDING

Abstract

The drape is always one of the most important properties of apparel fabrics since it is directly related to textile aesthetics. However, the measurement of  fabric drape using current techniques such as F.R.L and Cusick drapemeter or 3D body scanner needs lots of time, strict conditions and preparation, long calculation and is often costly enough.

This article presents a development of new practical device for rapid measurement of fabric drape based on the fabric multidirectional bending. A new bending coefficient composed of bending angle and falling height was developped to be compared statistically with the drape coefficient obtained by Cusick drapemeter. The study conducted using 13 cotton and silk woven fabric samples demonstrates very good correlation between that new bending coefficient and the traditional drape coefficient of each fabric sample and proves the possibility to use this simple and reliable device for rapid measurement of fabric drape.