Kaftan Guipure and Lexus fabric

The Kaftan (abaya)

“cloak” (colloquially and more commonly, Arabic: عباية‎ abāyah O, especially in Literary Arabic: عباءة ʿabāʾah ; plural عبايات ʿabāyāt , عباءات ʿabāʾāt ), sometimes also called an aba, is a simple, loose over-garment, essentially a robe-like dress, worn by some women in parts of the Muslim world including North East Africa, Somalia, Morocco, and the Arabian Peninsula. Traditional abayat are black and may be either a large square of fabric draped from the shoulders or head or a long kaftan. The abaya covers the whole body except the head, feet, and hands. It can be worn with the niqāb, a face veil covering all but the eyes. Some women also wear long black gloves, so their hands are covered as well. It is common that the abayat is worn to special occasions, such as Mosque visits and Islamic Holiday celebrations for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

The Indonesian traditional dress kebaya gets its name from the abaya.

Kaftan

A kaftan or caftan (/ˈkæftæn/; Persian: خفتان‎ khaftān) is a variant of the robe or tunic, and has been worn in a number of cultures around the world for thousands of years and is of Asiatic origin. In Russian usage, kaftan instead refers to a style of men’s long suit with tight sleeves. Used by many Middle Eastern ethnic groups, the kaftan is ancient Mesopotamian (modern day Iraq) in origin. It may be made of wool, cashmere, silk, or cotton, and may be worn with a sash. Popular during the time of the Ottoman Empire, detailed and elaborately designed garments were given to ambassadors and other important guests at the Topkapi Palace. Variations of the kaftan were inherited by cultures throughout the Middle East and Asia and were worn by individuals in Russia, South East Asia and Northern Africa ^[1] Styles, uses, and names for the kaftan vary from culture to culture. The kaftan is often worn as a coat or as an overdress, usually having long sleeves and reaching to the ankles. In regions with a warm climate, it is worn as a light-weight, loose-fitting garment. In some cultures, the kaftan has served as a symbol of royalty.

Guipure lace fabric

Guipure lace fabric is a delicate type of lace created of convex lace elements which are connected with bars or plaits, resulting in an airy ornament. Its structure makes it one of the most elegant options for cocktail, evening and bridal dresses, blouses or accessories.

Guipure appeared in Italy at the end of the 16 th century and was created of finest cellulose or silk threads. In Milan and Flanders, the technique “point de rose” was applied. Point de rose is about ethereal floral pattern, which elements are interconnected with small picot loops.

In fashion context, guipure is widely perceived as a regal fabric imbuing women’s textured outfits with a particular grace.

Guipure lace is produced both by traditional and modern methods:

1. Pulling out — a pattern is applied onto fabric and the extra fibres are literally pulled out of it. To eliminate friability and generally make the fabric more durable, the pattern gets enforced by weaving it with additional threads.
2. Etching — the embroidery is performed on a soluble fabric, which afterwards gets dissolved in a special solution.
3. By spinning machines — a pattern is set with the help of the program. This production method includes both natural fabrics (stiff and densely woven lace with a pronounced pattern) and synthetic ones (providing a particularly fine fabric).

Guipure can be woven of various threads:

• Silk — a natural fibre obtained by unwinding the cocoons of a silkworm;
• Cotton — an organic fibre of cotton fluff;
• Flax — an organic natural fibre of a flax plant;
• Viscose — an artificial fibre based on wood pulp;
• Lurex — a synthetic fibre that is metallized or covered with foil to give shine;
• Lycra — a synthetic stretch fibre;
• Polyester — a synthetic fibre made from thermoplastic polymers.

Most often, the main ornament is made with natural threads, and the connecting grid includes synthetics. However, this rule is optional and the detailed composition is typically indicated by the manufacturer on the label of the product.