What is Gored Fabric?

As a means of creating attractive and popular fashions, gored fabric has proven toe be a big plus in the garment industry. Here is some information about gored fabric, the appearance of the material, and how it is used to make interesting and practical clothing.

In its simplest state, gored fabric is simply a triangular shaped piece of cloth. This triangular fabric can be constructed from any type of cloth, and may contain elastic properties, depending on what use or design the fabric will be used for. One of the most common uses for gored fabric today is the two small triangular flexible pieces of material that are used on either side of the instep on a lot of shoes, especially slip-on designs. The flexible gored fabric in this instance allows for a snug fit without placing too much pressure on the upper section of the foot.

A similar usage for gored fabric was popular during the heyday of the corset. Gored fabric would be used to cover the metal framework of the corset, providing additional strength to the garment and helping the shape desired by women of the period to emerge. While some corsets had little to no flexibility, those that utilized gored fabric did have a small amount of flexibility, and were often easier for women to tolerate for longer periods of time.

Gored fabric may no longer be used to create an hourglass figure, but it still has proven to be a versatile fabric when it comes to clothing design. One of the more popular uses of gored fabric is to crate what is referred to as a tulip skirt. Essentially, the flowing fabric panels taper to a point and are combined to form a a pattern that is similar to the gentle petals of the tulip. The tapering fabric holds its shape very well.

For several decades, gored fabric has been used to create light and airy summer dresses, including sundresses. Because gored fabric has such an easy flow, it lends itself well to fuller skirts that can be either flowing or pleated, and still hold its shape even in humid weather. Gored fabric often contains cotton, which makes it ideal for those hot months when clothing needs to allow for easy passage of air among the fibers.

Gored fabric has long been a favorite when the idea was to create a garment that included long and flowing lines. For this reason, gored fabric today may be used to create capes that have a beautiful and easy flow, oversized blouses and tops, and even some designs of pants. But the mainstay these days for the use of gored fabric remains those little triangles of flexible material that help to hold shoes in place on the foot and the flowing dresses of summer.