Fringe is another one of those terms that covers a lot of ground. Everything you see in this post is a fringed trim.
A fringe can be short, it can be long, it can be crazy long. A fringe can be a woven fiber, animal hair, feathers, sequins or even rhinestone chain.
The fringe may be attached to a tape designed to be hidden inside a seam, or on a finished ribbon or edge that doesn’t have to be hidden.
Generally, the longer the fringe and the fancier the material it’s made from, the more expensive it will be.
Chainette fringe is a good standby for decorating flapper-type dresses, steampunk gear and Victorian garb. It’s made from polyester, comes in many colors and the fringe can be as short as two inches or as long as thirty. Two-inch fringe will cost you about two dollars a yard. Thirty inch fringe, though, will be more like $25 a yard.
Rhinestone fringe is a fabulousness all to itself. If you want to make an evening dress really pop, reach for the rhinestones. It can also be used in fantasy gear and can sit in for diamonds when dressing up your historical or fantasy nobles. It’s not cheap – although it’s worth every penny – and obviously can’t be washed.
I wouldn’t put any fringe-trimmed garment into any kind of washer. Even if the materials could take it, you’re asking for tangles and breakage to happen. If it’s washable, do it by hand and hang it up to dry.