Know Your Fabrics

Clothing and fashion are deep areas to try and understand. Your individual style makes a lot of difference, as does the setting you’re dressing for, your budget and even the weather. The weather can actually be a big difference maker, because you might have two identical items made from different fabrics where one is summer appropriate and the other is more of a winter item.

Today it’s the fabrics that we’ll be looking at, though a complete list would be enormous. We’ll be focusing instead on the main types and how they differ.

Natural vs Synthetic

The same fabric can also be available in a synthetic version. Synthetics are less likely to shrink or lose their dye, are more affordable and usually harder wearing too. This sounds great, right?

On the flipside, natural fabrics are more comfortable and breathable. They can also come pre-washed, eliminating a lot of the shrinkage and colour loss issues. Some people also find natural materials have a nicer feel to them.

A lot of clothing is made from a blend of natural/synthetic, so check the labels to see which way it leans towards more. As a tip, the breathability of naturals can be good for keeping cool whilst synthetics are likely to be more tightly woven and will retain more heat.

Cotton

Cotton is a very popular material thanks to its’ availability and low cost. Good quality cotton is both soft and durable, as well as highly breathable, although the level of breathability and durability will be affected by the length of fibres used. Longer fibres are better because they give more durability and a softer feel. This is a great material choice for lower priced or more common items, covering the hard-wearing everyday type of clothing.

Linen

Linen is another soft and comfy fabric. It’s similar to cotton because it’s cheap and breathable. For durability, it isn’t as good as cotton though, and it also tends to be used more for thinner, summery items. The breathability is a real benefit for those, though in the winter it backfires and leaves the wearer feeling the cold!

Wool

Wool varies widely by quality, so two wool products can act differently from each other. This is a material used in mid-range to high-end items, especially high-quality wool (the stuff with finer fibres). Wool is generally elastic and hard-wearing, though products can need looking after – sometimes with special cleaning techniques. The thickness of the wool can make it more suited for cold or warm weather, and it also has a soft feel (with higher quality being even softer).

Denim

Denim is popular because of how hard-wearing it is. Low-quality denim can feel hard and tough, so go for high quality. It is a heavy fabric too, with a lack of breathability making it a cold weather material. Check the quality of the denim as cheap pieces actually rip easily and are quite uncomfortable. Denim is definitely an item I’d only recommend going high quality for, both for comfort and durability – a durable piece of denim can last decades!

Leather

Not technically a fabric, leather is, of course, animal skin – though synthetic versions are available. There are different qualities (grains) which have their own pro’s and con’s, though full grain is usually preferred by connoisseurs. Leather products can become permanently creased and might require special care or cleaning. It’s also a very warm item, suitable for winter and uncomfortable in summer. High-grade leather does retain a lot of warmth, and also has a very soft and comfortable feel.