FASHION INDUSTRY DICTIONARY

Define Plisse.

Plisse is the name of a finish as well as the name of a fabric produced with this finish. It is a permanent finish, produced on cotton by the action of sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide is printed on the fabric as a paste. The fabric shrinks only where the sodium hydroxide is applied, producing a puckered effect.

Plisse fabrics usually do not require ironing. If they must be ironed, caution should be exercised not to pull the fabric while pressing because the plisse effect can be severely flattened. An inexpensive plisse can also be made by embossing, but the effect does not last as long as in plisse made with the use of a chemical. When the sodium hydroxide is applied as length-wise stripes, the fabric puckers and takes on the appearance of seersucker.