There are certainly a variety of different fabrics out there, and some have more uses than others. On top of that, when it comes to shirts specifically, you might have even more options to choose from. So how can you figure out which fabric is best for your needs? We’ll do our best to answer that question in the next post.

 

Cotton

Cotton dates back at least 7,000 years and the oldest discovery was made in a cave in Mexico. About 3000 BC cotton was also found in India’s Indus Basin, while Egyptians were found making and wearing cotton clothing. The word cotton comes from the Arabic word qutun or kutun to describe any fine textiles.

In 1730, Britain began to use machines to spin cotton, the British Industrial Revolution and the invention of the American cotton gin contributed to the importance and popularity of cotton in today’s world. Cotton is currently produced in more than 100 countries around the world, but six of them – China, India, Pakistan, the United States, Brazil and Uzbekistan – contribute about 80%.

Characteristics

Cotton is a soft and fluffy natural fiber that grows on cotton plants. For thousands of years, it has been one of the most important fibres in the world, producing 60% of clothes made from cotton. Cotton is a natural fiber that absorbs water and is breathable, making it suitable for clothing.

Because cotton is a good heat-conductive material, it is used to produce clothes that are all seasons appropriate because it keeps the body cool in summer and warm in winter. Cotton rarely causes allergic reactions and is a good choice for people and children with sensitive skin.

Pima Cotton

Pima cotton is the best cotton in the world and is known for its superior softness, luxury and durability over regular cotton. Pima cotton is a common term for ultra-long fibre cotton in the United States, Australia and Peru.

Pima cotton dates back to the famous cotton grown on the South Carolina island in the 1790s. Island cotton is used to selectively pollinate with Egyptian cotton, thus producing a unique American super-long cotton crop.

Characteristics

Why is Pima cotton considered one of the best in the world? Compared with the fiber length of common cotton, pima cotton has an average length of 35%. When weaving, the number of threads in each piece of fabric made from it is higher. In other words, a piece of pimp cotton has a wider weaving range than other types of cotton.

The long short fibers and superior strength make the yarn stronger, meaning it can be made finer and softer than regular cotton. Because there are fewer fiber ends exposed, it is highly ball resistant and abrasive.

How Does It Feel?

The delicacy of the pima cotton fiber, combined with extra length and strength, gives a silky feel and a luxurious sheen. Due to its fiber length, pima cotton is known for its smooth fabrics, which have an unusually soft feel and are resistant to wear, tear, wrinkle and fade.

Pima cotton is also hypoallergenic, which means it is an excellent choice for sensitive skin. Our Pima cotton jersey weighs 190 GSM and gives a smooth and strong feel. It is ideal for wearing alone or under a jacket or cardigan to keep warm.

Pima Cotton is named in honor of the Pima Indian tribe, a peaceful farmer who lived in southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. They helped cultivate ELS (Super Long Staple) cotton at the USDA Experimental Farm in Sacatton, Arizona.

Premium Cotton

Our premium cotton fabrics are finely woven ring-woven knitted fabrics that have been combed to remove excess loose fibres and come with an extra ball-proof coating for higher quality.

The yarn of the ring spinning cotton rotates around a ring spinning mechanism to produce very fine yarn, in which the fiber is also twisted in a consistent manner. The finished yarn is then woven into a tight texture.

How Does It Feel?

The whole production process of ring spinning is designed to produce fine, smooth and soft cotton cloth. Ring spinning cotton after further combing process, remove any impurities and short fibers, make the fabric more soft and smooth.

Standard Cotton

Our common cotton knitted fabrics are ring knitted fabrics, which are produced in the same way as our quality fabrics, in addition to the combing process.

How Does It Feel?

Because the production process is one step less than the carded ring ingot cotton, these ring ingot fabrics are slightly cheaper than the coiled ring textile, but still maintain a comfortable, smooth and delicate feel.

Standard Cotton Polyester Blend

Our cotton blend knit fabrics are made of 60% polyester, 35% cotton and 5% spandex, combining the strength of these three fibers. It is well known that polyester is less resistant to tear than cotton and is more durable in the long run. Use cotton in fabrics to breathe, as 100% polyester fibres do not breathe.

Washed cotton mixed textiles are also less prone to wear, build-up and wrinkle, can be washed more frequently and do not shrink like 100% cotton or 100% polyester. We recommend that polyester cotton blend fabrics be used in clothing suitable for medium to low intensity sports because they have a more sporty appearance and do not leave sweat stains.

If you’re looking for a t-shirt that retains its structure and feel after a lot of use, polyester cotton blend fabrics are also a good choice.

Cotton – How Do I Care For It?

You can wash cotton or cotton-blended clothing in similar colors at temperatures up to 60 ° C. Do not use hot water, because hot water will shrink the fabric. They can be rolled dry in low heat and quickly removed to avoid folds.

For ironing cotton or cotton-blended clothing, it is best to use a mild environment. It is recommended not to bleach, dry clean and soften products during washing. Cotton fabrics are stronger when wet, which is why cotton is so important to many wet products such as wipes and medical fabrics.

Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic fiber invented in 1941 by British chemists John Rex Whyfield and James Tennant Dixon. From coal, air, water and oil, it is called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It is made of ethylene glycol and parabens. It quickly became popular in the 1950s and 1960s because it was inexpensive and could be used in different types of clothing products.

Characteristics

This fiber is very robust but lightweight and resistant to many chemicals. It is also popular in fashion because it resists wrinkles, contractions, stretches and wear, and can be easily stained and used.

How Does It Feel?

Polyester fibres feel smooth and dry quickly for sports, sportswear or outdoor wear. Because it absorbs dye/ink well, it is ideal for printing or design in a variety of colors. However, it is impervious and some people will feel sweaty or wet after wearing it. Our polyester knitted fabrics are made of 95% polyester and 5% spandex for exceptional flexibility.

How Do I Care For It?

It is best to turn the polyester fabric garment over before washing to avoid damage, as it can easily be hooked by buttons or zippers of other garments.

You can wash similar coloured polyester clothes with a warm water machine. They can be rolled dry in low heat and quickly removed to avoid folds. Softeners can be used to wash polyester clothing to eliminate the effects of electrostatic attachment. For ironing cotton or cotton blend clothing, it is best to use a low-heat setting.

Final Words

At the end, you do need to look at the pros and cons of whatever fabric you plan on using, and how these will relate to your individual project. At this point, if you’ve asked yourself several questions about your proposed project and have conducted some research on the fabric of your choice, you should have a solid idea of what fabric will work for you. Of course, if you’re still having difficulty deciding, we recommend doing a test run with a mock-up shirt or two before moving on to the real thing. It’s better to have something than nothing in most cases.