Module 1 — Performance materials and finishes
What makes a fabric technical: structure, membrane, coating, finish and its limits.
What you will be able to do
Read a technical fabric package and separate the properties built into the fabric from the properties that only a finish provides — and know how long each lasts.
The practical work
Take one technical fabric you use. List its performance claims, the test method behind each claim, and which claims depend on a finish that washes off.
Prerequisite: No prior module required.
Reading for this module
Read these 4 Garment Ed subjects in order, then take the quiz below.
Practical worksheet
Take one technical fabric you use. List its performance claims, the test method behind each claim, and which claims depend on a finish that washes off.
- Identify requirements and assumptions.
- Record evidence and calculations.
- Choose a decision and containment action.
- Assign an owner and verification check.
Module quiz
5 questions on Module 1 — Performance materials and finishes. Answer them all, then check your score before moving on. 4 correct or more is a pass. Your best score is saved on this device, and to your account when you are signed in. This is a self-check, not an accredited assessment.
1. A fabric is called 'waterproof breathable'. What must accompany that phrase to mean anything?
2. Why does a durable water repellent finish behave differently after twenty washes?
3. Moisture management in a knit activewear fabric depends most on what?
4. Why is abrasion resistance tested alongside tensile strength for workwear fabric?
5. What is the risk of specifying only fabric performance and not garment performance?