Is Viscose Stretchy? Stretchiness of Viscose & Its Characteristics

Viscose is the type of rayon fabric that has soft and lightweight characteristics, and it has been around since the late 1800s. It is a semi-synthetic fabric often used to create jackets, blouses, dresses, upholstery, and carpets. The textures of this fabric make it look luxurious, but without the expensive price, tags attached to it. With viscose fabric, you can feel the luxury and comfort of wearing silk for cheap.

Viscose fabric might be a type of semi-synthetic fabric, but this fabric’s production is plant-based. The primary material comes from plants and trees made into wood pulps combined with various chemicals. It is biodegradable, meaning that the viscose fabric itself won’t damage the environment when you throw it away. In this guide, you will learn about various things related to viscose fabric, such as its stretchiness, characteristics, caring procedures, and more.

The Characteristics of Viscose Fabric

Viscose fabric has certain characteristics that make it unique when compared to other fabrics, such as rayon and modal. As the type of rayon fabric, the viscose doesn’t share the same characteristics as rayon. There are some things that viscose can offer that rayon can’t. Viscose also has different textures compared to rayon, so you can expect a different feel when you wear clothing items made from viscose fabric. Here are the characteristics of viscose fabric:

  • Comfortable. Viscose fabric is soft and relaxing to wear, so you can wear viscose clothing items for various occasions and for a long period.
  • Absorbs water. This fabric can also absorb water well, so it’s a great material for sports clothing items or T-shirts, and you can wear it even during the hot weather.
  • Lightweight. Viscose fabric doesn’t weigh you when you wear it, so it gives you a relaxed feeling, even when you have high mobility, and viscose clothing items can keep comforting you during various activities.
  • Breathable. Viscose fabric will keep good air circulation in your body, so you don’t need to feel stuck when you wear clothing items made of viscose fabric.
  • Vibrant colors. The fabric can absorb water well, so it can also absorb dyed colors well, making the colors of this fabric vibrant and beautiful. Also, the colors will be intact even when you wash the fabric a lot.
  • It can shrink. Viscose fabric will maintain its shape, so it won’t shrink when you wash it at a cool temperature. However, it can shrink when you wash it at a hot temperature. You can combine this fabric with other fabrics to add more stretchiness and elasticity to it, so you can avoid shrinking it.

Benefits of Wearing Viscose Clothing Items

Viscose fabric is the fabric used to create various clothing items, such as T-shirts, sportswear, dresses, blouses, jackets, and many others. Compared to other materials, viscose has various benefits when you wear them. Clothing items made of viscose can give you a better look and feel when compared to other fabrics, aside from giving you various other benefits. Here are the benefits of wearing viscose clothing items:

  • Luxurious look and feel. Viscose fiber has a silky characteristic that makes it look luxurious when you wear viscose clothing items, but without the expensive pricing.
  • Keep you comfortable during hot weather. Viscose fiber can keep good air circulation around your body, and it can also absorb water, so you can keep feeling comfortable wearing it during hot weather.
  • Keep you relaxed for long hours of wearing it. This fabric gives you a comfortable feeling, which can keep you relaxed when you wear it for long hours on any occasion.
  • Best for exercises and other activities. Viscose fabric can absorb your sweat well, and it is also lightweight, so you can wear the viscose clothing items during exercises and other activities without weighing you down.
  • Improve your appearance with its vibrant colors. Viscose fabric can also absorb dyed colors well, so it will keep the colors on the clothing items look vibrant, so you can improve your appearance when you wear it.
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Disadvantages of Wearing Viscose Clothing Items

Aside from its many benefits, viscose clothing items can also give you some disadvantages, just like any other fabric. Certain characteristics might cause this fabric to have some disadvantages. When you wear clothing items made from viscose fabric, you need to be aware of these disadvantages. Keep proper care and maintenance of your viscose clothing items to minimize these disadvantages. Here are the disadvantages of wearing viscose clothing items:

  • Viscose will create wrinkles after you wash it, so you need to iron the clothing items made from viscose right away after drying it.
  • You can also shrink viscose clothing items if you wash or dry them at a hot temperature, which can alter their shape and appearance.
  • Viscose fiber might be prone to mold and mildew when you didn’t wash it in proper ways, such as when you leave it wet for too long.
  • This fabric can stretch, and when you stretch it too much, it might not come back to its original shape, which can be bad for its overall appearance.
  • You can also create spots or stains on the fabric surface if you put it too long in the water, and this can happen when the fabric has too much moisture on it.

Is Viscose Stretchy? What Can You Expect?

Viscose fabric has been around for a long time, and people have used this fabric to make various types of clothing ever since the pre-modern time. Today, you can find this fabric to be a part of dresses, blouses, jackets, sportswear, and other clothing items. But can you stretch this fabric? The answer is that viscose fabric is not quite a stretchy material by itself. This fabric can stretch if you pull it hard enough, but then again, you will damage the fabric by doing that.

The fabric has the characteristic to go back to its original shape in normal conditions. You can shrink the fabric a little when you put it at a hot temperature. But you can’t stretch it with regular use. You can make this fabric stretch by combining it with spandex or other elastic fabrics. By doing this, you can make viscose stretch to an extent, and you can also make it elastic as well. However, by itself, viscose is not a stretchy fabric, and if you can stretch it hard enough, it won’t come back to its normal shape.

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Things that Might Cause Viscose to Stretch

Viscose might not stretch with normal use, but yes, it can stretch. This is the reason you need to take care of this fabric as best as possible. Viscose fabric is not the type of fabric that will stretch when you put it at a hot water temperature while washing it, but there are some factors that might cause viscose to stretch. Remember, stretching viscose fabric might damage it if you are not careful, such as when you do it on purpose and with full force. Here are the things that might cause viscose to stretch:

  • You can stretch viscose when you iron it at a high temperature and in the wrong direction for quite a long time.
  • Also, you can stretch viscose fabric when wetting it using water mixed with a hair conditioner, wait for about 5 minutes, and stretch it in a gentle movement with your hands.
  • A steamer can also stretch viscose clothing items when you expose the clothing items to the high-temperature steamer for a long period and then stretch the fabric while it’s still wet.
  • Another way to stretch the viscose fabric is to combine it with spandex or other elastic fabrics, thus making the blend stretchier.
  • You can also just pull the fabric by hand to stretch it, and with enough force, you can achieve this goal.

Remember, stretching viscose fabric on purpose might damage it, and you might not be able to restore it to its original shape. However, stretching it on purpose is useful if your fabric has shrunk in such a way that you need to restore it back to its original size.

How to Avoid Viscose Fabric from Stretching Too Much

Again, viscose is not the fabric that can stretch with ease, so you need to apply quite a force to stretch it. Stretching this fabric without thinking about the result might also damage the fabric, so you need to avoid stretching it too much. To keep viscose fabric in its original shape, you might need to stretch it with gentle movements from time to time, in case it shrinks. Here are some tips to avoid viscose fabric from stretching too much:

  • Don’t put it in the water for too long. Viscose fabric becomes weak when you put it too long in the water, and you can stretch it with no problem in this condition.
  • Mind your movements while wearing viscose clothing. Viscose clothing can stretch during everyday use, such as when you move in ways that can cause it to stretch, so wear this type of clothing with this possibility in mind. At least, you shouldn’t stretch your clothes too much while wearing it.
  • Keep the fabric dry as much as possible. Viscose clothing items can absorb water and sweat, but when it is wet, it will become weaker and vulnerable to stretching. It is important for you to keep the fabric dry as much as possible.
  • Don’t apply full force when you stretch the fabric on purpose. Stretching the fabric on purpose is a good way to bring it back in shape after shrinking, but you shouldn’t apply full force when you do that.
  • Make a balanced mix for your viscose fabric. When mixing viscose with other elastic fabrics, be sure to balance the mix so that it won’t be too elastic and stretch too much during everyday use.
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FAQ

  • How far can viscose stretch? Viscose fabric is not a stretchy fabric, as it will maintain its shape when you stretch it. However, when you stretch this fabric in certain conditions, the stretch might get permanent, and it might also ruin the viscose clothing items you have. Viscose will stretch at around 2-5% in normal situations, and only if it is not a blend of other elastic fabrics.
  • Is viscose clingy? Viscose fabric is the primary material for some types of clothing items like blouses and dresses, and with its luxurious look, these clothing items will make you look even better when you wear them. However, viscose is not a clingy fabric, so you can’t expect it to follow your body shape and make it fit your body unless you combine it with other elastic fabrics. Dresses and blouses will look better if it is non-clingy, which is the reason viscose becomes the primary material for making these clothing items.
  • Is viscose the same as spandex? Viscose and spandex are not the same. Viscose is not a stretchy or elastic fabric, while spandex is a stretchy and elastic fabric. However, you can mix viscose and spandex to give you the perfect combination of luxurious look and good elasticity.
  • Why is viscose bad? Viscose clothing items will make you look good, as you will get the luxurious and premium look and feel from wearing the viscose clothing items. Viscose fabric might be bad because sometimes, it can cause some allergic reactions to some people, such as headaches, nausea, irritation, and so on. Also, some people consider the viscose fabric’s production to be bad for the environment, as it can create pollution for the Earth.

Conclusion

Now, you’ve learned about the stretchiness of viscose fabric, along with additional information related to this fabric. Viscose is a good fabric you can use for various types of clothing, and it feels comfortable to wear while giving you a luxurious appearance. It’s also not as expensive as silk or linen, so you can enjoy the luxury without spending too much money on it.

Remember, viscose fabric can shrink in certain situations, and it can also stretch to a certain extent. You can add more stretchiness and elasticity to this fabric by combining it with spandex and other elastic fabrics. You can also stretch this fabric to get it back to its normal shape after shrinking, but you need to do it with carefulness.