Mesh Fabric - Everything You Need To Know - Bryden Apparel

28 Jul.,2025

 

Mesh Fabric - Everything You Need To Know - Bryden Apparel

Mesh Fabric: What Is Mesh Fabric And How To Use Them

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You’re probably familiar with the tutus of the dancing ballerinas that you see when they’re performing. Or, you might have seen someone wear the ever-so-sexy fishnet stockings during night outs.

Those fabrics with little holes are called mesh fabrics, which are one of today’s most distinctive fabrics.

Mesh has been around for a century. Fishermen originally used these in the form of fish nets. But, it was only during the late 18th century that mesh was used as a fabric. It was first produced by British mill owner Lewis Haslam.

Mesh fabrics were originally called Aertex due to their breathability from the holes. But, it only became popularly known during the s as mesh fabric.

Mesh textiles are used in various products, from apparel to home furnishings.

What Is Mesh Fabric?

Mesh fabric is a loosely-knit fabric. It’s a knit fabric that follows a grid pattern with evenly spaced holes for breathability, forming a net-like appearance.

These fabrics come in different weights, mesh shapes, elasticity, and thicknesses. So, they may look and feel very different compared to other mesh textiles.

Characteristics of mesh fabrics

The most known characteristic of mesh textiles is their breathability. This is because of the holes present in the fabric. But, there are also more characteristics as to why people choose to use this fabric:

Breathable

Because of the loose pattern of mesh fabric, it’s very breathable, even if it’s made from polyester or nylon. Heat and sweat escape from the holes in the fabric, making it a good choice for sportswear.

Easy to maintain

Mesh textiles are relatively easy to maintain because of their moisture-wicking properties and are synthetic.

Wrinkle-free

Mesh doesn’t easily wrinkle because it is knitted. So, you don’t have to iron them.

Strong

Mesh textiles were made to be strong because of their original purpose—catching fish. It’s also made from synthetic materials that even strengthen it.

Elastic

Mesh fabric is a type of knitted fabric, which means it will stretch well.

Water-resistant

Like polyester and nylon fabrics, mesh fabrics are water resistant. Thus, it’s a good choice to make sports apparel for its wicking properties.

What kind of material is mesh?

Mesh cloth can be made from different materials. But, most mesh materials are typically made from polyester, nylon, and spandex. This is because mesh textiles are made to be strong, so synthetic materials are the preferred choice of materials to make mesh.

What is the strongest mesh material?

Mesh cloth made from polyester is the strongest mesh material. Studies say that polyester mesh has 112 pounds of tensile strength and 31 pounds of tear strength. In fact, the polyester mesh is 100% stronger than fiberglass.

Polyester mesh can survive many rigorous and extreme conditions, so you can imagine how strong polyester mesh is!

How Are Mesh Fabrics Made?

Mesh fabrics are made differently depending on the fiber used for the fabric. But most of them start with extracting polyamide monomers from petroleum.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website what is mesh material.

The polyamide monomers are then mixed with acids to create polymers. The polymers will then be melted into a machine to create polymer strands.

These are then dyed to the manufacturer’s color of choice and shipped to the textile factory. That’s where they knit the polymer fibers into the fabric.

Types of Mesh Fabrics

Because mesh fabric can be used in various products, there are also many different types of mesh. Here are the most common types of mesh fabrics.

Polyester mesh

Polyester mesh is a mesh textile that’s made from polyester. It is the strongest type of mesh and is lightweight. Polyester mesh is good for wicking sweat. Thus, it’s mostly used for sportswear.

Nylon mesh

Nylon mesh isn’t used as much compared to polyester mesh. This is because it’s mostly used for home items. Nylon mesh is used for tent screens, laundry hampers, and beekeeping veils. But, it can also be used for evening dresses.

Tulle

Tulle is a mesh textile with a hexagon pattern instead of the regular grid pattern. Tulle is frequently used in performance attire, such as ballerina tutus. It is usually stacked together to create a more bouncy and textured appearance.

Power mesh

Power mesh is more elastic compared to regular mesh. Thus, this is mostly used for sportswear and shapewear. Power mesh is also known as a power net.

What Is Mesh Fabric Used For? Applications Of Mesh Fabric

Mesh fabric can be produced in different shapes, sizes, and materials because of its versatility. Here are the most popular uses of this fabric.

Intimate apparel, hosiery, and shapewear

Mesh is mostly seen in intimate apparel, hosiery, and shapewear. This is because of the intricate pattern it has, which is loved by many, as well as the comfort it provides. This can be used in lingerie, tights, stockings, and form-fitting undergarments.

Sportswear

Another popular use of mesh textiles is for sportswear. Because of mesh fabric’s lightness and breathability, it is commonly used in leggings, sports bras, swimsuits, and other sports apparel.

Home use

Mesh fabrics are not limited only to apparel use. It can also be used for your home. The fabric can be used as blinds, mosquito nets, awnings, laundry hampers, etc.

Net products

Mesh was originally used for fishing and is still used for this purpose today. But compared to before, when they used ropes, fishermen now use nets made from synthetic mesh textile.

Medical use

While many overlook this, mesh fabric is also used in medicine. What they use is surgical mesh. It’s used for hernia operations or whenever there are prolapses.

Can You Sew On Mesh Fabric?

Yes, mesh fabric is still considered fabric. So, you can definitely sew on the fabric. Here’s how:

How to sew mesh cloth

Mesh cloth is considered a knit fabric. So, treat it as a knit when sewing mesh fabrics. You can either do the following:

  • Use a serger, overlocker, or edging machine to sew mesh fabric.
  • Use a portable sewing machine with a ballpoint needle and a zigzag stitch.

Conclusion

There are a lot of things that you can create with mesh textiles because of their versatility. You can create your favorite sportswear, a costume, a body shaper, or even sexy lingerie!

You can also make home items like a laundry hamper or a mosquito net. If you feel more adventurous, you could also make tent covers, outdoor gear, and fishing nets!

With so many things you can do with mesh fabrics, you can surely use them for one of your projects!

Mesh - Wikipedia

Material of connected strands of metal, fiber, or other flexible or ductile materials For other uses, see Mesh (disambiguation).

A mesh is a barrier made of interlaced strands of metal, fiber or other flexible or ductile materials. A mesh is similar to a web or a net in that it has many interwoven strands.

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  • A plastic mesh may be extruded, oriented, expanded, woven[1] or tubular. It can be made from polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, PVC or PTFE.
  • A metal mesh may be woven,[2] knitted, welded, expanded, sintered,[3] photo-chemically etched or electroformed (screen filter) from steel or other metals.
  • In clothing, mesh is loosely woven or knitted fabric that has many closely spaced holes. Knitted mesh is frequently used for modern sports jerseys and other clothing like hosiery and lingerie
  • A meshed skin graft is a piece of harvested skin that has been systematically fenestrated to create a mesh-like patch. Meshing of skin grafts provides coverage of a greater surface area at the recipient site, and also allows for the egress of excess serous or sanguinous fluid, which can compromise the graft establishment via formation of haematoma or seroma. However, it results in a rather pebbled appearance upon healing that may ultimately look less aesthetically pleasing.[4]
  • Fiberglass mesh[5] is a neatly woven, crisscross pattern of fiberglass thread that can be used to create new products such as door screens, filtration components, and reinforced adhesive tapes. It is commonly sprayed with a PVC coating to make it stronger, last longer, and to prevent skin irritation.
  • Coiled wire fabric is a type of mesh that is constructed by interlocking metal wire coils via a simple corkscrew method. The resulting spirals are then woven together to create a flexible metal fabric panel. Coiled wire fabric mesh is a product that is used by architects to design commercial and residential structures. It is also used in industrial settings to protect personnel and contain debris. Additionally, coiled wire fabric mesh is used for zoo enclosures, typically aviary and small mammal exhibits.[6]
  • Meshes are often used to screen out insects. Wire screens on windows and mosquito netting are meshes.
  • Wire screens can be used to shield against radio frequency radiation, e.g. in microwave ovens and Faraday cages.
  • Metal and nylon wire mesh filters are used in filtration.
  • Wire mesh is used in guarding for secure areas and as protection in the form of vandal screens.
  • Wire mesh can be fabricated to produce park benches, waste baskets and other baskets for material handling.
  • Woven meshes are basic to screen printing.
  • Surgical mesh is used to provide a reinforcing structure in surgical procedures like inguinal hernioplasty, and umbilical hernia repair.
  • Meshes are used as drum heads in practice and electronic drum sets.
  • Fence for livestock or poultry (chicken wire or hardware cloth)
  • Humane animal trapping uses woven or welded wire mesh cages (chicken wire or hardware cloth) to trap wild animals like raccoons and skunks in populated areas.
  • Meshes can be used for eyes in masks.