Colour of knits on some contracts due to fading ?

[Peter Graham]

There's an interesting discussion going on over in the cloth section that some may have missed, regarding the colour of knits on some M-422a and A-2 contracts. Start on page 4. Opinions ?

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=9274

 

[a2jacketpatches]

There's an interesting discussion going on over in the cloth section that some may have missed, regarding the colour of knits on some M-422a and A-2 contracts. Start on page 4. Opinions ?

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=9274

I know purple and yellow dye make a brown, and that brown can be tinted further with the addition of other colors, Yellow is easily faded so possibly why some knits end up brown.

 

[foster]

I commented in the linked thread. More likely it is an improper dye technique, as the method of accurately dyeing wool required specific temperature ranges to yield the ideal color. Slight temperature variations in the dye bath can cause some variance.

When textile goods are manufactured, they are placed on a roll for ease of transport and storage. Sun fading would not be of a uniformity, as in rolled form only the outer layer of the roll, and the edges, are exposed for sunlight to take effect.

 

[Dr H]

Yes, agree that temp/time/mordant are all factors as well as UV bleaching/degradation.
If I'm following the thread (and I know nothing about the BR story either way), the comment was that cuffs (rather than fabric) had been used up in the contract. In that case wear would not have been entirely uniform (but more so than on a roll).
I presume BR might have copied a jacket with red(der) knits. How representative that might have been is anybody's guess.
I like the combo, but purely on aesthetic grounds.