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  3. Textiles / Clothing / Fashion

matière aérienne

English translation: airy material

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:matière aérienne
English translation:airy material
Entered by: Rory Andrew Gale

14:34 Dec 5, 2019
French to English translations [PRO]
Textiles / Clothing / Fashion
French term or phrase: matière aérienne
Cette jupe longue, coupée dans une matière aérienne, à l'imprimé unique

Translating clothing descriptions for the new season's line by a French label.

I came up with 'flowy material' but that's about it.
Rory Andrew Gale
France
Local time: 18:18
airy material
Explanation:
It is also pretty common to talk about simply "airy material," as well.
Selected response from:

Melanie Kathan
Canada
Local time: 12:18
Grading comment
Went with this one. Thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +6diaphanous material
Philippa Smith
4 +1airy material
Melanie Kathan
3 +1delicate fabric
Manie van den Heever
4flowy fabric
SafeTex
4floaty fabric
Lara Barnett


  

Answers


52 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
airy material


Explanation:
It is also pretty common to talk about simply "airy material," as well.

Melanie Kathan
Canada
Local time: 12:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Went with this one. Thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cyril Tollari: Light airy fabric (like muslin or viscose)
2 hrs
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56 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
delicate fabric


Explanation:
Another suggestion.

Manie van den Heever
Local time: 18:18
Native speaker of: Native in AfrikaansAfrikaans, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Wolf Draeger: Or "lightweight fabric" (e.g. https://sewguide.com/thin-lightweight-fabrics/).
6 hrs
  -> Thanks, Wolf! Yes, "lightweight" is another good option.
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
diaphanous material


Explanation:
Depends a bit on the tone, whether it's in a press release or catalogue or...
Here's one option anyway.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2019-12-05 15:51:30 GMT)
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Here's a link showing a dress described as having this material, looking floaty and see-through:
https://www.hugoboss.com/fr/robe-de-soiree-en-crêpe-de-soie-...

Philippa Smith
Local time: 18:18
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 59

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: Though this has connotations of "see-through", which may not be ideal.
6 mins
  -> Thank you kindly Phil! / It does technically, but is used synonymously with floaty, gauzy, etc.
agree  B D Finch
51 mins
  -> Thanks BD!
agree  Sheila Wilson: I was going to post "floaty" but I see you've mentioned it already I agree that a lot depends on the readership.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Sheila! Yes I considered "floaty" but thought it might not be "serious" enough - tho' as I said it might, depending on the context.
neutral  Wolf Draeger: Too specific methinks (more sheer than light).
7 hrs
  -> Sheer = light, cf. "Sheer - Any very light weight fabric " https://www.duralee.com/Fabric-Glossary.htm
agree  Yolanda Broad
9 hrs
  -> Thanks Yolanda!
agree  Sandra & Kenneth Grossman
17 hrs
  -> Thanks S&K!
neutral  Lara Barnett: I don't think this is a good term for fashion marketing, which is what this sounds like.// Good, but i was simply suggesting what is used in the links for brand marketing & clothing lines.
20 hrs
  -> I do, obviously: which is why I didn't put "floaty" as for me that isn't right for fashion marketing!
agree  Shelley Upton: I only use diaphanous if you can see through the fabric (OED says "Permitting the free passage of light and vision; perfectly transparent; pellucid.") - otherwise 'floaty' (for children's clothes) or 'lightweight and airy' as others have suggested.
3 days 20 hrs
  -> Thanks.
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
flowy fabric


Explanation:
I like "flowy" as suggested by the asker but change material for fabric to get a nice-sounding phrase. "Material" is not used so often by the fashion industry but rather fabric when we have an end garment.


    https://www.etsy.com/market/flowy_fabric
SafeTex
France
Local time: 18:18
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 11
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20 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
floaty fabric


Explanation:
While the French seem to use an air-related adjective, in English we often talk in terms of "floaty", which can obviously relate to either air or water.

Example sentence(s):
  • "Made from FLOATY FABRIC , a tiered hem and pretty floral print give an air of femininity that can’t be beaten."
  • "The FLOATY FABRIC is embellished with our contrasting Dalmatian motif all the way down. "

    https://www.brora.co.uk/ds1941fl1924
    Reference: http://https://www.thekooples.com/eu_en/women/new-arrivals/p...
Lara Barnett
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:18
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7
1 corroborated select project
in this pair and field What is ProZ.com Project History(SM)?
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