Melange

Melange (French for mixture) refers to yarns or the fabrics made from them with a mixed, shading colour impression. It arises when differently coloured fibres (typically grey + black, blue + white or multicoloured) are mixed at the sliver stage and then spun into a yarn. The eye perceives the individual colour points as a dissolved mixed shade, but on close inspection the coloured fibres are clearly distinguishable.

The classic example is the heather grey or salt-and-pepper look on T-shirts: a mix of grey and white (or black and white) cotton or cotton-polyester fibres. Sportswear often uses melange for a sporty, lively appearance and to enable tone-in-tone concepts. Melange yarns are frequently used for sweatwear, sport tanks and basic T-shirts.

Production: grey and white sliver (tops) are doubled in a drawframe and then spun together. Alternatively differently coloured fibre flocks are mixed on the card. The proportion of fibre colours determines the final impression: 85 % white + 15 % black gives silver melange, 50 %/50 % anthracite melange, other ratios finer or coarser effects.