The structure of some garment types, for example tailored jackets, can be highly complicated with multiple layers of construction. The garment label seldom provides their details, but they will include synthetics, especially in linings and interfacings.
Linings
- Main body linings: from the 1920s onwards, rayon is used as a cheaper alternative to silk.
- Sleeve linings: they need to be smooth to help the jacket sleeve slide on and off. An apprentice tailor’s exercise book of 1962 belonging to Melville Hopwood states that rayon is the best material to use for sleeve linings.
- Pockets: the material for pockets needs to be extremely hardwearing. Nylon is a particularly strong material and is often used either on its own or as a reinforcement for cotton or rayon to give extra strength.
Interfacings
This is the layer between the outer fabric and the lining, which is used in tailoring to give strength and structure. Examples include the canvas forepart, which shapes and strengthens the front of a jacket and lapel padding. A Burton Tailoring booklet dating from the late 1950s lists 47 different component parts used in the construction of a jacket. Interfacing components were traditionally made of strong natural fibres such as horsehair, wool and linen. The introduction in the late 1950s and 1960s of synthetics allowed for many new developments. They could be used either on their own or blended with natural fibres to give interlinings added strength and a more permanent shape. For example, a 1961 copy of The Tailor and Cutter, a trade magazine, includes an advertisement for ‘Crossair — a super resilient nylon interfacing to make the best fronts and lapels.’
In tailoring, hand stitching is traditionally used to hold the interfacings in place. Fusible interfacings offer an alternative method of attachment. A fusible interfacing is a textile, either natural or synthetic, woven or bonded, which is chemically treated on one or both sides to provide adhesion on the application of heat. The use of heat and glue in a fusible interfacing, rather than stitching, speeded up the tailoring construction process. Fusible interfacings began to appear in the 1960s. Melville Hopwood discusses the advantages of fusible interfacings in his tailoring exercise book which dates to 1962.
Interlinings
A lining is often found in coats sewn between the ordinary lining, as described above, and the outside fabric. They are used for extra warmth and the introduction of synthetic fibres enabled interlinings to provide waterproofing. These interlinings are sometimes breathable, preventing the wearer from getting wet and becoming too warm or cold. Interlinings can be blended from synthetic and natural fibres. Brands like Aquascutum, Mulberry and Burberry often use interlinings for their outerwear ranges.