We have investigated the effects of the interaction between fabric cover factor and finishing on fabric properties with a systematically designed array of fabric structures and finishing treatments. Permanent setting induced in finishing had the greater effect on fabric mechanical and dimensional properties. For lightly finished fabrics with a low degree of set, the influence of cover factor was significant. For the entire range of plain weave and twill fabrics, the hygral expansion could be related to the weave crimp and the shear properties of the fabric. There was also a contribution from yarn curvilinear expansion.The tailoring performance of woven wool fabrics is affected by a wide range of fabric properties. Extensive research conducted since the 1960s has indicated that the more important fabric properties in producing suits and tailored garments with good appearance and stability are fabric weight; bending, shear, and tensile properties; longitudinal compressibility; dimensional stability; and possibly surface frictional characteristics [9,10,11,12,14,18]. Various data charts [ 12] have been developed using different combinations of mechanical properties to define the region in which fabrics would be expected to have good tailoring performance and handle. Naturally, the details of such charts are determined by the end-use requirements of the fabric (e.g., men's suiting or ladies' wear). Formability, derived from fabric bending and longitudinal compressional properties, or from bending and tensile properties, has been shown to predict tailoring performance to some extent [9, 10]. Other formability parameters incorporating bending, shear, and tensile properties have also been used [ 14]. Predictors of seam pucker and overall tailoring performance [ 15] (derived from a range of mechanical data) have also been developed with limited success.Although these approaches have ascertained the properties that ensure good tailorability, there remains the problem of predicting a fabric's mechanical properties and dimensional stability from the construction and the routine used to finish it. Moreover, a finisher would be greatly aided by a knowledge of how fabric properties might be changed if they fall outside the guidelines set by the tailor.In the 1960s, Karrholm and co-workers examined the effect of fabric structure and finishing on some of the mechanical properties of wool fabrics [5]. They concluded that (a) finish was more important than construction in determining some fabric properties, e.g., bending stiffness and shear stiffness, (b) the properties of highly sett (high cover factor) fabrics were more affected by finishing than those of lightly sett (low cover factor) fabrics, and (c) the effect of construction was more pronounced in lightly finished fabrics. More recently, Mori described techniques, both successful and unsuccessful, used by a Japanese finisher to meet the specifications for fabric properties requested by tailoring firms [ 11 ]. Mori also reported the effect of individual construction and fini...

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Hydrothermal setting techniques (setting in the presence of water) were used to stabilize wool-polyester blends to piece dyeing. The resultant dyed and finished fabrics differed in several respects from those that were heat set prior to dyeing. Hydrothermal setting generally produced fabrics that were thinner and smoother than those that were heat set, giving the fabrics a smoother and "cooler" feel. The method used to achieve hydrothermal setting also had a considerable influence on the subsequent properties of the fabrics, particularly the tensile properties. Under the conditions used, the tailoring performance of heat set fabrics was marginally superior to that of the hydrothermally set fabrics, but again the extent of the difference depended on the conditions of setting.Wool-polyester fabrics are set at several stages during finishing from loom state to the final form ready for sale to the garment manufacturer. Loom state fabrics are set to relieve strains remaining in the fibers and yams after weaving, which may result in fabric distortion in later processing. Fabrics are also set after scouring and, where applicable, after dyeing to give the fabric additional flat stability.The procedures used to set fabrics have important implications not only for the flat stability of the fabric, but also for the dyeing properties [ 12] and subsequent handle and tailoring characteristics of the finished fabric. Consequently, the effectiveness of any change in the conditions used to set fabrics prior to dyeing must be assessed on not only the propensity of fabric to form rig marks or crows feet, but also the effect on dye uptake by the various component fibers, the subsequent processing performance of the fabric, and the mechanical properties of the fabric affecting handle and tailorability.The chemistry of setting wool and polyester fibers is well understood, and a number of techniques are available to exploit the more recent advances in setting technology. Setting of wool involves rearrangement of both hydrogen and disulphide bonds in the fiber [13]. Such rearrangements occur rapidly in the presence of heat, moisture, and reagents that break disulphide bonds (e.g., reducing agents). Setting of polyester, on the other hand, requires rearrangement of nonpolar bonds and dipolar interactions associated with the ester groups in the macromolecules [ 12]. Polyester may be set by the action of heat alone, although a variety of reagents will plasticize the fiber and facilitate the various rearrangements. These reagents include water, generally in the form of steam, and some phenols.Most piece dyed wool-polyester blend fabrics are heat set (set using hot air at 150-190°C) prior to dyeing to stabilize the polyester component. This operation does not set the wool component of the blend; however, because both the wool and polyester fibers are set in the presence of steam [ I I ] (called hydrothermal setting), pressure decatizing and crabbing [9] offer alternative approaches to the setting of wool-polyester blend fabrics before dyeing...

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