Commonly Misused Fashion Words – Interlining, Facing, Eyelet

In the Nigerian fashion industry, there has been a rise in the number of brands being set up, and some of the brand owners do not necessarily get all the right training. Training should be done to equip fashion business owners with the right tools, and resources needed to run their fashion brand.

Getting familiar with certain terminologies and understanding the proper context in which they should be used is one of the areas fashion training should cover. In our Commonly Misused Fashion Words segment, we aim to correct the wrong notion fashion entrepreneurs have about certain words and highlight how they can be used. So, what do interlining, facing, and eyelet mean with respect to the fashion industry?

Interlining

In fashion designing, interlinings are the accessories used between two layers of fabric to keep the different components of the garment in the desired shape. This is done to improve the appearance of the garment. Interlinings can be used in dresses, waistbands, lightweight coats and many more, simply to retain the contour of the garment, as well as strengthen the garment components.

Unlike in interfacing, where a support fabric is used in areas that need more stability than just the fabric weight, interlining can be constructed or designed separately from the actual garment.

Facing

In fashion designing also, facing is an area of a garment or sewn item that turns to the inside, thereby, giving a finished appearance to the outfit. The facing process is usually done on necklines, armholes in sleeveless garments, and waistband-less waistlines.

Why is it important?

This process is generally employed as a means to tidy up the raw edges of garments, so as to have a far neater finish when compared with other methods. Facing makes a garment look professionally finished with all the seams well hidden inside the folds of the facing.

Eyelet

As we all know, some types of footwear are designed in such a way that they have to be laced in order for them to be worn comfortably. A shoe eyelet is that hole that is punched into a shoe’s upper part that allows shoelaces to be threaded through.

They are usually covered with a metal or plastic grommet to prevent them from fraying. 

How These Words Should Be Used

As a fashion designer, interlinings are very important in garment construction as they have a huge role to play in defining the profile of the garment and smoothing out the contours of the body. Interlining made from cotton, nylon, polyester and many more, ensures the anticipated look, quality and effect of the fabric, is gotten which leads to a great outfit.

Mastering the facing process as a designer would be helpful as it would help to achieve a more professional look for your outfits. There are different methods of facing, which include shaped facing, bias facing, extended facing, and so on, all with the same goal of achieving a neat finish.

An eyelet, whether functional or decorative, provides a smooth surface through which the laces are fed easily. And this is essentially responsible for keeping the shoes together and on the foot.

So there you have it! These are some of the words that are commonly used in the fashion industry, and how they should be used.