Inglese per la moda - Fabric Types and their properties

Cotton

Cotton: Plant fibre. Cotton fabrics are very soft and comfortable. They absorb perspiration, thus they keep the body fresh. However, they wrinkle, stain and shrink easily so they are often treated with finishes so that they are more resistant.

Silk

Silk: Insect fibre. Silk fabrics are versatile in their use, soft, comfortable, resistant to wear and tear. It absorbs moisture, which makes it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It is easily dyed, retains its shape, drapes well, caresses the figure, and has a shimmering surface.

Wool

Wool: Animal fibres (sheep, goat, rabbit, llama, etc.). Woollen fabrics have a soft feel and fuzzy surface, are very warm, have very little shine or sheen, will not hold a crease, and are heavy and bulky. Worsted wool fabric is smoother than woollen fabric, takes shine more easily, holds a crease well, is lighter and less bulky, and wears longer than woollen garments.

Linen

Linen: Plant fibre (flax). Linen is the strongest of the vegetable fibres, 2 to 3 times the strength of cotton. It is considered to be one of the most elegant and refined fabrics. Highly absorbent and a good conductor of heat, good for cool garments. It wrinkles easily but also presses easily. Linen has poor elasticity and does not spring back readily. It tends to show wear on collars and hems or wherever constant creasing occurs.

Hemp and Ramie

Hemp and Ramie: Plant fibres. Very similar to and often mistaken for Linen. Hemp withstands water better than any other natural fabric. Ramie has a high lustre and is resistant to bacteria and molds (muffe). It is a very strong fibre which dries quickly. Woven into other fabrics to improve their quality and durability.

Synthetic fibre fabrics

Synthetic fibre fabrics are man-made manufactured and are usually made of filaments extruded as liquid and formed into various fibres. For this reason, they are usually coloured in the liquid state (before becoming filament) as it is difficult to dye a woven synthetic fabric.

Rayon

Rayon: Made from cellulose (wood pulp), was manufactured as artificial silk in 1894 and was named “rayon” in 1924. It has the qualities of silk and cotton. It is strong, extremely absorbent and can be made to resemble natural fabrics. It drapes well, has a soft, silky hand, and has a smooth, napped, or bulky surface. Rayon will wrinkle easily and may stretch when wet and shrink when washed. Viscose and synthetic velvet are produced from rayon.

Nylon

Nylon is stronger yet weighs less than any other commonly used fibre. Well known from the 1940’s for knitted hosiery. It is elastic and durable. It is smooth, non-absorbent and