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Lamé ( ) is a type of fabric woven or knit with thin ribbons of
metallic fiber
Metallic fibers are manufactured fibers composed of metal, metallic alloys, plastic-coated metal, metal-coated plastic, or a core completely covered by metal.
Having their origin in textile and clothing applications, gold and silver fibers have ...
wrapped around natural or synthetic fibers like silk, nylon, or spandex (for added stretch), as opposed to ''guipé'', where the ribbons are wrapped around a fiber yarn. It is classically
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
or
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
in
color
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...
; sometimes
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
lamé is seen. In current day, almost all lamé is made with synthetic metalized fibers instead of true metallic yarn, and is available in any color. Common variants used in the fashion and costume industries are liquid lamé, tissue lamé, hologram lamé and pearl lamé.
[Fabia Denninger, Elke Giese: Textil- und Modelexikon. 8. vollständig überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage, Bd. L–Z. Deutscher Fachverlag, Frankfurt am Main 2008, ISBN 3-87150-848-9, page 402]
An issue with lamé is that it is subject to seam or yarn slippage, making it less than ideal for garments with frequent usage. The wrapped fibers can be coated in plastic to increase strength and to prevent tarnishing. Lamé is often used in evening and dress wear and in theatrical and dance costumes. It is commonly used in futuristic costumes and spacesuits for
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
television, films, and performances.
Lamé is also used for its conductive properties in the sport of
fencing
Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, s ...
to make the overjackets (called
lamés) that allow touches to be scored.
See also
*
Cloth of gold
Cloth of gold or gold cloth (Latin: ''Tela aurea'') is a fabric woven with a gold-wrapped or spun weft—referred to as "a spirally spun gold strip". In most cases, the core yarn is silk, wrapped (''filé'') with a band or strip of high conten ...
*
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
Notes
Knitted fabrics
Woven fabrics
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