What Is Boca Satin?
If you’ve ever been accused of putting your foot in your mouth, you may sense the irony of pairing boca -- translation: mouth -- and satin, especially since boca satin is the go-to material for the ubiquitous dyed-to-match shoes women don beneath bridesmaid’s dresses. Boca satin has replaced Peau de Soir as the most favored shoe covering because it holds up better than the more fragile, older fabric, so no matter how long the festivities last, they'll still be ready for one more dance.
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The Benefits of Boca
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Query your mom about the shoes she wore on her way to the altar and you’re bound to hear Peau de Soie. Shoemakers used this delicate cotton fabric exclusively for tinting shoes over time, despite the fact that only light-colored dyes produced a decent result. Color aside, a bridesmaid was lucky if her dyed Peau de Soir shoes held up past the reception, which is why boca satin is far superior, even to “luxe” fabric, a pricey contemporary shoe fabric that lacks the satiny sheen of boca satin.
Boca Satin or Boca Crepe?
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Boca satin has a pseudonym; it’s also known as boca crepe because the weaving process consists of short, irregular floats in warp and weft that result in an all-over random pattern that's the hallmark of any crepe fabric. The yarn must be highly twisted, and once the textile comes off the loom it can appear crinkled or puckered. Hot embossing rollers iron out the puckers before the fabric is cut, stretched, glued and trimmed to create the shoe.
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Boca Satin Designs
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Today’s boca satin shoe designs represent out-of-the-shoebox thinking. Closed-toe pumps, boots, stilettos with ankle straps and peep-toe platforms are fabricated by footwear manufacturers to meet demand, though traditional, lower heels are still sought by brides who want to be certain attendants get to the altar without tripping. Boca satin can be paired with leather, lace and fancy appliques before being dyed. The textile also takes kindly to pearls, rhinestones, beads, crystals and faux gems. All it takes is a little fabric glue to attach these embellishments.
The Downside of Boca Satin
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Custom dye professionals strive to be accurate, but in the hands of an inexperienced cobbler, your boca satin shoes could miss the color mark. Guarantees are fine, but getting your money back or a letter of apology isn't of use if a newly dyed pair or two don't arrive in time for the ceremony or the new color isn’t much of an improvement. When all is said and done, if you’re a perfectionist, face this fact: no dyed shoe – made of Peau de Soir or boca satin – will ever match exactly, so you may want to opt for a leather shoe instead.
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References
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