What is lacoste fabric? What does the Lacoste fabric look like and what is its composition?

In modern textile catalogs you can often see exotic novelties with attractive names: devour, cupra, chiffon-dillon. Get acquainted with one of them - a lacoste cloth.

What does the lacoste fabric look like?

The description of the fabric from one catalog of clothes sounds as follows: "knitted fabric with warp knitting, octagonal or other weaving". In fact, everything is simpler. This fabric was probably seen by many: it's just a loose knit fabric, more airy and lightweight than a normal one, resembling a waffle cloth or a mesh. It can be very dense, hard, and can be soft and airy. From this fabric, you can sew any light clothing, but it is already so strongly associated with sports, which is most often used for making dresses and polo shirts, sports suits.

Lacoste fabric and pique: what's the difference?

There is no difference between these two kinds of tissues . One name is more official, and the other is popular. In Western catalogs, you can often find such a description of the material: "LACOSTE PIQUE" (lacoste pique). Having become acquainted with the properties of the pique fabric, you will learn everything and about the fabric of the lacoste, which, incidentally, is also called lightweight French jersey. The word "pique" came from the French piquer (to squander). So called knitted fabric with a complex weave. It does not matter at the same time, from what material it was made: natural cotton or synthetics. Although in the early twentieth century synthetic fibers were only just beginning to appear. The interlacing could be different: in the form of diamonds, hexahedrons, squares. One of the varieties of pique is the widespread and familiar wafer fabric. There are species with scars. There is a peak for the manufacture of children's clothing and a tight peak with fleece. This kind of fabric is characterized by increased strength. It can be washed in a typewriter. Also due to the structure, it almost does not crumple.

But why did the fabric of pique get the name "lacoste"?

A new life began when the famous tennis player, Rene Lacoste, decided to create a new, more convenient form for sports. Prior to this tennis players looked very elegant. But, alas, the long sleeves of the traditional shirt had to be rolled up, and dense non-elastic fabric held the movements. For his model, Lacoste chose a light and comfortable cotton pique, which, nevertheless, held shape. He demonstrated the novelty in 1926 at one of the championships. The new shirt was popular with the public, especially the athletes, who immediately began to adopt a new comfortable style. The greatest enthusiasm was shown by players in polo. And with the growth of the democratization of society and the desire of the youth for freedom, the polo shirt, and with it the peak, became popular all over the world. Today, polo shirts from Lacoste are considered elite in their class and very popular. Probably, therefore, the piqué fabric, characteristic for these shirts, has acquired in the people yet another name - "lacoste cloth".

Composition

According to some sources, lacoste fabric is a knitwear with a special weaving that avoids the loss of shape or appearance of spools. Made exclusively from natural cotton. Other sources say that it includes cotton, polyester and viscose. And this is also lacoste fabric. Description in the third source clearly indicates that this is the cheapest fabric of all possible: it is made of 100% polyester. In fact, there is no confusion. Sellers and buyers often say "lacoste cloth", and they mean a peak - the type of weaving of knitted fabric, which, as you know, can be made from a wide variety of fibers: cotton, wool, half wool, viscose, silk, kapron, etc.

Cotton, wool, corn

There is also a lacoste of "corn". In fact, it's still the same knitting pike, which is made from corn fibers. Despite the fact that this material is of natural origin, in the production process it undergoes such changes that it can be considered synthetic. However, all the same in the end it remains environmentally friendly. The production process is simplified as follows: dextrose is extracted from corn, then it is fermented and lactic acid is produced, from which water is subsequently removed and fibers are made. Fabric is extremely soft, elastic. But this is not all of its merits. It perfectly absorbs moisture, while it dries up in a few moments. Corn cloth is painted in the brightest juicy colors - it does not fade with time, even if it is constantly exposed to the sun. Even allergy sufferers can wear this fabric, and the choice of products that can be sewn from it is very wide: suits, dresses, blouses, skirts, headdresses. Lacoste-"corn" has not yet won widespread popularity, but only because it did not have time. This material is eco-friendly and comfortable, like natural fibers, such as silk, cotton or wool. At the same time, it has a low price, easy maintenance, like synthetic fabrics.

Quality of the Lacoste fabric

As mentioned above, if we mean just the jersey under the lacoste cloth, the jersey from which the famous Lacoste brand is sewn, then yes - this is really a high-quality elite knitwear, excellent in wear and exploitation, not skewing or losing shape. But if the name "lacoste" refers only to the type of interlacing of the yarns of the material, then the quality of the fabric will be quite different. Pay attention to the composition: polyester, mixed fabric, cotton, which cotton? It is on this that the properties that the lacoste fabric has depend on. Does this material seem to change? In general, the pike is a rather dense and strong fabric that perfectly holds the shape (remember the strict collars of polo shirts). But the peak can be very different in density. The densest species are rather tough to the touch, stretching only with effort. The thinner the peak, the more it looks like an ordinary knitwear, which stretches well in width. But still the pique - the material is more friable, so it is usually made of soft-fitting but not tight things. Today there are options for pique with elastane - more plastic. They are quite suitable for sewing light summer dresses, tunics, blouses, skirts and children's clothes.

So, lacoste fabric, French knitwear, pique knitwear are three names for the same material, which can be so different in their properties that three names are clearly not enough.