No matter who you are, what your aesthetic is, or where your interests lie in regards to fashion and style, you’re going to come into contact with clothing every single day of your life. Whether you purchase all of your clothes from stores or you’re planning on starting to make your own clothes, it’s extremely important that you familiarise yourself with the different fabrics that are often used in clothing production. It will help you to decide which you want to choose or use and which are the most appropriate for your needs! So, here are a few commonly used materials that you should know a little more about!
Cotton
Cotton is perhaps the most popular fabric used in clothing. In fact, it’s been used in clothing for around 7000 years! It’s not surprising, then, that it’s grown in 85 different countries around the world and takes up 2.5% of the world’s arable land. If you’re planning on working with it in making your own clothes, it’s a good idea to buy in bulk from a wholesale fabric company, as you’ll be using it on a regular basis. It is a completely natural fibre, which means that people are less likely to experience allergic reactions or irritation in response to wearing it. It’s relatively hypoallergenic! Not only is this beneficial, but it is soft and breathable too. One cotton bale also goes a long way. Just one bale can make 250 single bed sheets, 1200 t-shirts, 215 pairs of jeans, 750 shirts, or 4300 pairs of socks. Chances are that you have several cotton items in your wardrobe already!
Polyester
When we think of fabrics, we often cross plastic off the list. After all, this is a material reserved for bottles, carrier bags, and pipes, right? Wrong. Believe it or not, polyester is a type of plastic which is incorporated into the manufacturing process of various items of clothing. For polyester fabric clothing, polyester fibres are bound together. It is durable and resistant to many chemicals, shining, and stretching. It is also easy to dye, retains its shape well, can be washed and dried at home, and is very lightweight. One of its key features is its fast drying. This is why it’s so common in items designed for workouts or outdoor wear.
Bamboo
In a world that’s becoming increasingly aware of the detrimental impact that human activities are having on the environment, we’re constantly in search of alternative materials that can prove more eco-friendly. Bamboo is a champion amongst environmentally friendly materials. It grows at a rapid rate, so crops are easily replaced once they’ve been used up. Shoots also grow vertically, taking up relatively little space when it comes to the diameter of fields that it is grown in. This is great too, as it means fewer habitats are destroyed for the sake of space for human crops. But these aren’t the only benefits of bamboo being made into fabric. It’s antibacterial and extremely soft too!
Hopefully this has helped you to familiarise yourself with some of the most commonly used fabrics on the market!
