We have been adding so many cool yoga tees lately and many of them have what is called a "burnout" effect to the fabric. They are super soft and sheer in spots - the sheer spots sometimes make a pattern, or sometimes the burnout is used make it look worn and broken in. (Just luv worn in tees!) So, we peeked around and found explicit instructions at eHow.com on this process. Turns out it's not so easy and we now have a true appreciation for the efforts and really amazing process designers go through to achieve this look, especially the added process of adding a graphic design to the final tee on top of creating an unusual fabric to print on!

We've learned that burnout or Devoré fabric is a material that has been chemically "burned" with an acid to produce sheer areas. This technique can be used on a wide range of fabrics, including t-shirts and velvets. However, the fabric must be a combination of cellulose (plant) fibers, such as cotton and linen, and protein or manmade fibers, such as silk, wool, polyester or nylon. The acid used burns away the cotton, leaving only the protein or manmade fibers behind.