crimplene dress

A long sleeve crimplene dress donated by Clara Ronayne. The dress is blue and white that has diamond patterning (diamond lines blue, surface white). It has a white zipper attached on the front, two straps on either side at the top, and a smaller strap attached with buttons on the back. The dress is made of cotton. Crimplene is a texturized continuous fiber launched in 1959, produced by modifying Terylene. The fabric enjoyed popularity upon its introduction in the 1960s in response to its convenient ‘wash-and-wear’ properties. Crimplene was often used to make the typical A-line dress of 1960s fashion. It was also popular amongst men in British mod culture for use in garish button-down shirts. In the early 1970s, Crimplene began to fall out of fashion. Other, lighter-weight polyester fabrics like Trevira replaced Crimplene for their ease of movement and ventilation. Crimplene is seldom used today as fashion preferences have drifted towards more natural cottons.