What is a crinoline?

You probably overheard or read about this but are not really sure what crinoline is. If you have seen a bird cage then you would probably be able to visualize what a crinoline is. Unfortunately, crinoline is not used for animals and is not hanged from a ceiling nail but a clothing accessory.

That is correct. A crinoline is a woman apparel accessory that has been in the in 17th century. If you knew about the sisters of Cinderella and their dresses during the ball called upon by the Prince then that is exactly what a crinoline is.

Here's Wikepedia's definition of crinoline:

"Crinoline was originally a stiff fabric with a weft of horse-hair and a warp of cotton or linen thread. The fabric first appeared around 1830, but by 1850 the word had come to mean a stiffened petticoat or rigid skirt-shaped structure of steel designed to support the skirts of a woman’s dress into the required shape. In form and function it is very similar to the earlier farthingale."

Now, with that, can you imagine using that kind of workwear apparel for your job these days?

What is an Empire Waist?

Empire waist is where the waist line is raised above the natural waistline, sometimes as high as right below the bust. This cut is less restrictive, more comfortable than those with lower waistline and very much cooler as the rest of the dress floats over the bottom half of the body. For those with little curves, it can create an illusion of a fuller body and can also be used to maximize the bust.

Designers use this particular design for their gowns and other elegant dresses but there are also other uses of this design. Medical scrubs and other uniforms may also make use of this design. Examples of brands that make use of this design are Landau medical scrubs, Dickies scrubs uniforms,Urbane scrubs sale, and Cherokee nursing scrubs.

Why do matadors use red capes and unusual uniforms during a bullfight?

Bullfighting is one of the oldest sport so to speak in Latin-America. It's history often points back that bullfighting originated from Rome as a temporary replacement to gladiatorial matches.

The main reason why matadors uses unusual clothes or uniforms is rooted with its history and culture. Since the time the sport has been practiced the matadors are already using velvets as a part of the performance.

The red cape on the other hand is a tool to make the bull come closer the matador. But contrary to many beliefs, the color red does not anger the bull because the bull is colorblind. The movements however of the cape is what allure a bull thus try to gore the cape. There are other colors used for the cape. Gold is one and is basically used in the first death stage wherein a matador allures a bull with gold cape.

What is tunic?

Dresses come in different cuts and styles and colors and designs. They come in different brands as well as quality. They come in different materials and texture. And they come in different names.

Ever since, our apparels have been named into particular cut or design. As time goes by and as fashion even develop, these names that once our ancestors used have been used to characterize or identify a particular clothing. Hence, the word tunic is one of these names together with the gown, empire, lace, etc. And so they are applied to different clothes we use be it for workwear uniforms or simply casual apparel.

Wikepedia states that:

"A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles. The name derives from the Latin tunica commonly worn by both men and women in Ancient Rome, which in turn is based on earlier Greek garments."

How peppers can help burn calories?

In India and in Mexico, chili or peppers are known to having aphrodisiac effects thus it is often labeled as a symbol of romance and exoticism. Together with the spiciness of the fruit lies an identifiable property that can also be attributed to romance and sexiness. Yes, according to studies, peppers are great agents that burns calories.

By simply making an observation, hot food makes one sweat thereby loosing calories. But further studies showed that there are properties in pepper that simply burn calories and use energy even by just consuming it. Capsaicin is the component that is present in most chili that brings forth this fat burning factor.

In the study, a batch of men and women has been tested. One group has been given with special formulated pill that contains chili properties and a meal while the other group is given by the same amount of meal yet with a placebo. It turns out that those who actually taken the pills with capsaicin burned fats at very observable amounts while the second group who partnered the meal with placebo simply does not register any change.

So how does peppers burn calories? 1) It can actually be a factor to lose weight as it can let you sweat because of the burning sensation brought about by capsaicin and 2) Capsaicin has been proven by the study shown above that it contains or rather it has the ability to actually burn calories stored up in a human body.

So peppers are really that a helper, now you can use your favorite workwear uniforms without thinking so much of your enlarged tummy, legs, or arms.

How to produce silk?

You might be puzzled how your favorite gown or workwear uniforms may have been made. You might be wondering how textiles are being produced. And you might be thinking hard how silk has been produced.

We all know that silk is commonly associated with caterpillars and similar worms. In China and some other parts of the world, these worms are being farmed or cultured, whatever term that best suit the practice, in order to get their most treasured property - the silk fiber. Silk fiber are not inert of the worm like that of a spider but can be primarily extracted from the cocoons that serves as their shelter while the worms ovulates and becomes adult.

After a caterpillar matures and become adult, the left cocoon is processed and the silk proteins are being extracted to become a fine fabric. With the help of modern mechanisms, silk fiber can be dyed. These fibers will now be rolled into yarns and will finally be made into fabric - the last material necessary for making clothes.

What is weaving?

When dealing about fibres and yarns which basically compose a textile or fabric, the term that for the process of the making of them is known as weaving. Weaving is just of several ways of attaining a fabric or textile from fibres or yarns. Wikepedia describe the term as a form of art in textile making that further will be used to make workwear uniforms, shirts, apparels, and accesories.

Weaving is the textile art in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads, called the warp and the filling or weft (older woof), are interlaced with each other to form a fabric or cloth. The warp threads run lengthways of the piece of cloth, and the weft runs across from side to side.
Cloth is woven on a loom, a device for holding the warp threads in place while the filling threads are woven through them. Weft is an old English word meaning "that which is woven".

The manner in which the warp and filling threads interlace with each other is known as the weave. The three basic weaves are plain weave, satin weave, and twill, and the majority of woven products are created with one of these weaves.

Woven cloth can be plain (in one colour or a simple pattern), or it can be woven in decorative or artistic designs, including tapestries. Fabric in which the warp and/or weft is tie-dyed before weaving is called ikat.

How to wash fleece?

By this time you supposedly already know about fleece, its composition, texture, and its difference polar fleece. Now, we will tackle how to clean this type of textile before it could be woven or hand-spun to become your favorite workwear uniforms and other apparels. This cleaning is important in order to attain the desired color of the fibre before applying dye or making it a textile.

So here are the ways to wash fleece:


1. Remove vegetable matter, clumps of dirt, or other soiled fibre from the fleece.
2. Fill a large tub or wash basin with hot water.
3. Add a mild soap to the hot water, such as dishwashing liquid or liquid detergent (no bleach).
4. Place the fleece in the hot water.
5. Allow the fleece to soak for several hours, or overnight.
6. The lanolins and oils will soak out into the water.
7. Drain the water and remove the fleece from the wash tub.
8. Refill the tub with cool water and place the fleece back in to rinse.
9. If the fleece is especially dirty, the above steps may need to be repeated.
10. Spin the fleece dry to remove excess water, by using the Spin cycle of your washing machine.
11. Lay the washed fleece on a flat surface or drying rack to dry.