Designers have often appropriated drapery or upholstery fabrics and altered them to simulate other materials. They have infused them with resin and plastic to use as room-dividers, or to make ...

Let's be real, shapewear has had its moment. We've all been there, trying to squeeze into those control garments that promise ...

The following is part of a series on brain-machine integration and biomechanical solutions to restore function to tissues damaged by disease, trauma, or time. This and the previous piece focus on ...

Imagine getting a beautiful new couch... only to see it ruined by pizza stains the next day. Here's what you need to know about performance fabrics.

The Flintstones had it easy. When all your furniture is made of rock, you never have to worry about food spills or the pet dinosaur leaving a calling card on the couch. While few of us would be ...

Waxed fabrics first came on the slippery scene when European sailors discovered that wet sails performed better than dry sails. Applying fish oil (and eventually linseed oil) to the sailcloth resulted ...

Someday our clothing may eavesdrop on the soundtrack of our lives, capturing the noises around and inside us. A new fiber acts as a microphone — picking up speech, rustling leaves and chirping birds — ...