What makes up a textile?
The type of fabric you choose affects the overall structure, look and feel of your garment. If you’re looking for a breathable fabric, you may go for a textile containing cotton. If you are looking for something to hug your figure, without discomfort, you may lean towards a spandex/elastane textile. There are two classifications of fibres which we’ll discuss in this article.
Natural fibres are found in nature while manufactured fibres are scientifically designed to resolve particular problems and answer specific needs. Both fibres have different characteristics which can be viewed as a benefit or conflict.
Photo by author - August 2023
Natural fibres are obtained from plants and animals. Natural fibres containing plants can be harvested from leaves (e.g; sisal) , stems (e.g; flax, hemp and e.g; jute) and seeds (cotton). Animal fibres such as “wool” and “cashmere” are often used for protecting humans from the cold. The advantages to a natural fibre are its breathability/temperature control. More times, if you’re seeking comfort and breathability, you’ll find these characteristics in natural fibres. Silk is another natural fibre which is categorized under animal fibres, although it comes from the cocoon of a silkworm rather than a mammal’s fur.
Synthetic fibres are scientifically manufactured fibres. They are made up of chemical solutions that are forced through tiny holes called a “spinnerette” in order to create filament fibres (long fibre length). This solution then hardens. There are different methods for this process. The wet spinning method which is what was previously described. This is similar to the effect of silk liquid turning into solid upon contact with the air. The melt spinning method is a solid material that is melted to form a liquid solution that is then forced through a spinnerette and into cool air causing the fibre to harden.
Now that we’ve gone over the difference between natural and manufactured fibres, we’ll go over chemical composition. Fibres fall under various categories based on their chemical makeup. Cellulosic fibres (cotton and hemp) plant based. Protein (wool and silk) natural animal source through condensation of amino acids. Synthetic (polyester and acrylic) man made. Knowing the chemical composition relates to its reaction to various items. Will it react to bleach? Does it change colour and react to the sun? Is it going to catch on fire and melt? Or just burn? Different fibres share similar properties even if they aren’t of the same category.
When choosing a garment or creating a garment. You should be aware of its performance properties. This is how designers pick the correct fabric for the item being designed so that it is functional to the wearer's needs. Before items are distributed by dress code, they are placed into textile performance categories to evaluate their properties.
Aesthetics (appearance and practicality); flexibility, piling, resilience, thermoplasticity and static etc.
Durability (resistance to wear); Abrasion resistance, chemical effects, strength and environmental conditions etc.
Comfort (physical comfort); Absorbency, elasticity, cover and wicking etc.
Safety (danger or risk of injury); Flammability.
Although all of these properties blend depending on the fabric in question. Here is a brief breakdown of textile X performance;
Everyday fashion (especially fast fashion) is placed under the aesthetics category. T-shirts, pants, undergarments,long sleeves and dresses. The textiles to consider are cotton, spandex, acrylic, bamboo and polyester. Wash and dry clean safe.
Outerwear and exterior furnishing function off of environment and strength. Consider durable textiles such as denim (cotton), canvas (cotton), nylon, tencel (active wear).
Athleisure has become a popular everyday style. This is why comfort is important for both leisure and athletic clothing. Textiles such as Tencell, bamboo and viscose rayon are excellent for comfort and wicking.
Flammability is classified as being flammable, flame resistant or flameproof. Polyester itself is flammable, however, when treated with solution it becomes flame resistant. Part of the process of making Polyamide is when a monomer, called diamide acide is extracted from crude oil. The most common source for these monomers is petroleum oil which is flammable before treatment. This fabric ultimately is a pollutant. This all contributes to safety.
Next time you’re shopping, take a look at the fabric content and evaluate it based on the information you learned here. :)
Thank you for reading!
- Angelina Of The Land
Sources;
Sewport. “What Is Polyamide Fabric: Properties, How Its Made and Where.” Sewport, 18 Mar. 2019, sewport.com/fabrics-directory/polyamide-fabric.
Johnson, Ingrid, et al. J.J. Pizzuto’s Fabric Science. Fairchild Books, 2015.
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