From least to most expensive: polyester organza, jusi, piña fabric. Polyester organza fabric - a synthetic fabric. Can be made with a sheen / shiny appearance or a matte finish. Jusi fabric - a silk organza fabric. It's the most widely used fine fabric for formal Barongs and dresses. The original Jusi fabric of the Philippines was made of banana leaf fibers. However, the mechanically woven silks from China became the fabrics of choice circa 1960's. From that time, "Jusi" became synonymous with silk organza from China, and the banana leaf fiber Jusi fabric was no longer produced. Piña fabric - made with great labor from fibers of a special pineapple leaf. The fibers are hand extracted, the thread is manually worked on a loom to create the fabric. A garment of piña fabric can be considered an heirloom garment. |
