A Beginners Guide To Fabric
A Guide To Fabric 101
One of the most important elements when choosing to live with a minimalist, or capsule, sized wardrobe, is the quality of the garment. Since you’re choosing to have only a limited amount of clothing in your wardrobe, it’s important that those garments are of the best quality that you can afford, so they will last the distance.
Without a doubt, the most important part of a garment is the fabric. It doesn’t matter how fantastic the seems are, if your garment is made from less than gorgeous materials, it is not going to last.
So what are the different types of materials out there? Well, there are two different categories of materials out in the world; synthetic and natural.
Natural fibers come from nature and include cotton, wool, linen, silk and cashmere. Synthetic fibers are man-made and basically cover everything else like polyester, acrylic, nylon and rayon.
Both have pros and cons to them, however it is my opinion that natural is best, and here is why.
1. Natural fibers ‘breathe’ which means the fabric will keep you comfortable in hot weather by absorbing perspiration and releasing it into the air.
2. Natural fibers are insulators, which means they will also keep you warm in cold weather
3. Natural fibers are lightweight and so easy to layer with
4. Natural fibers are great for sensitive skin as you are less likely to get allergies or rashes if you wear them
5. Natural fibers are incredibly strong and durable and so will last the distance
6. Synthetic fibers are made using complex chemical processes and treatments and so are not eco-friendly
7. Synthetic fibers do not ‘breathe’ and so will cause you your sweat to ‘lock in’ and as such, cause stains
8. Those stains will be very hard to remove
9. Synthetic fibers have a shine to them which makes clothing unattractive
10. Synthetic fibers will irritate the skin, especially for those with sensitive skin
However, having a mixture of both natural and synthetic fabrics doesn’t make a garment automatically bad. When the movement, feel and overall vision of the garment is thought about carefully, sometimes a mixture of fibers is used. High end designers especially take this into consideration.
However, the higher percentage of natural fibers used in your garments the better.
Do you have any tips on fabric?
xx
