Rayon Tops in Large Sizes for Women

Designers know that rayon tops in large sizes for women are a fashion staple. Women love the figure-flattering drape and the skin-cooling touch of the fabric.

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Rayon is a fiber made from wood pulp. The process was developed in France in the 1880s as an inexpensive alternative to silk. DuPont Chemical bought the rights to the process in the 1920s and began to mass produce rayon fabric.

Rayon is widely used in dresses and casual separates because it:

• Drapes well
• Is easy to dye into a variety of colors and prints
• Is cool to wear since it is highly absorbent

The downside of rayon is that it does not maintain its quality over long periods of time. Rayon will eventually:

• Yellow with age
• Pill (form small balls) where the fabric is well-worn

Many fabric manufacturers combine rayon with other fibers to create a blend that combines the best features of both fibers:

• When Lycra is added to rayon, a stretchy, slinky knit can be produced.
• When linen is added to rayon, a hot weather fabric is created with the crispness of linen but the easy drape and non-wrinkle benefits of rayon. Linen/rayon fashions are excellent for travel.
• When polyester is added to rayon, the resulting fabric is more durable than rayon and has the easy-wash characteristics of the polyester.

There is a wide selection of rayon tops in large sizes for women. Rayon has become a popular fabric for larger size women because of the figure-flattering effects of the fabric's soft drape and the coolness of the fabric, particularly in the hot summer months.

Rayon tops come in a variety of styles from t-shirts to tunics to blouses.

• A rayon t-shirt is very versatile because it looks equally good with jeans or a business suit.
• A tunic-style top is a little longer than most tops. You can wear it untucked and let it flow down over your hips for a more slimming look.
• A rayon blouse is very comfortable because it feels cool against the skin. The soft drape of the rayon fabric provides a more feminine look to a shirt or blouse. The rayon fabric lends itself to a wide variety of prints and to intense solid colors. A red rayon blouse is a good addition to your wardrobe for holiday or year-round fun.

Rayon tops are available in a variety of finishes including knit, woven and satin:

• Knit finishes are usually blended with a stretchy fiber like Lycra or Spandex to give the fabric more stretch. The fabric often has a very smooth appearance with a hint of shimmer, much like a silk-blended fabric. The rayon gives a drape to the fabric which keeps it from clinging or pulling on a woman with a fuller figure.
• Woven finishes feel like medium-weight cotton and are often seen in classic blouses with lace collars or in beautifully printed shirts such as the We Be Bop big shirts. The woven finish usually requires ironing or steaming to reduce the wrinkling. Even if you wear the shirt wrinkled, the rayon will give the fabric drape and it will look particularly attractive on a curvy body.
• Satin finishes are often a little heavier in weight and are seen in classic-styled shirts in solid colors during the winter and holiday seasons. The satin finish is also used with print designs to produce a silky, oriental-feel to shirts and tops.

Reading the fabric care label is very important for rayon tops since the care instructions can vary widely. Some fabrics have a tendency to shrink, so you should either take them to the dry cleaners or use an in-home dry cleaner-like process in your dryer. Other rayon tops look great after hand washing or machine washing on the gentle cycle.

A tumble in a hot or moderate dryer is likely to cause shrinkage. Rayon tops should be hung to dry. This will also minimize wrinkling. You may want to do a little ironing or steaming on a woven rayon top to smooth out any wrinkles.

Rayon tops in large sizes for women can be purchased in most plus size retail stores. However, the largest selection of styles and colors are online and in plus size catalogs:

• Macy's – High-quality separates to size 3X at moderate prices.
• Ulla Popken – Euro-inspired styles in dresses and separates to women's size 36/38.
• Two Sisters – Large selection of We Be Bop rayon shirts to size 5X.
• eBay – Bid at various retailers for a variety of styles and fabrics to size 6X.

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