Taking care of your new garment.

FABRICS MADE FROM NATURAL FIBRES

THESE ARE FABRICS MADE FROM FIBRES THAT ARE FOUND IN NATURE. FOR EXAMPLE, COTTON, LINEN, WOOL, ETC. THE MAIN ADVANTAGES OF NATURAL FIBRES ARE THAT THEY ARE ABSORBENT, USUALLY MAKING THEM MORE COMFORTABLE TO WEAR AS THE FIBRES ALLOW YOUR SKIN TO BREATHE.

NATURAL FIBRES ARE OFTEN PERCEIVED AS BEING MORE SUPERIOR QUALITY THAN THAT OF SYNTHETIC FIBRES AND CAN COST MORE TO PRODUCE. THEREFORE, GARMENTS MADE OF NATURAL FIBRES CAN USUALLY DEMAND A HIGHER PRICE.

HOW TO CARE FOR NATURAL FIBRES

COTTON

WILL SHRINK IF WASHED IN WARM OR HOT WATER, BUT CAN BE IRONED AT A HOT TEMPERATURE. IF THE GARMENT IS COLOURED, IT MUST BE WASHED ALONE THE FIRST TIME.

COTTON IS INELASTIC. THIS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WRINKLING AND THE CREASING OF COTTON GARMENTS. THIS INELASTICITY ALSO PREVENTS FIBRES FROM RETURNING TO THEIR ORIGINAL POSITION, SOMETIMES RESULTING IN 'BAGGINESS'.

COTTON HAS GOOD MOISTURE ABSORBENCY, SO IS A COMFORTABLE FIBRE TO WEAR.

COTTON GARMENTS ARE DRY CLEANABLE AND MASHINE WASHABLE.

LINEN

LINEN IS OBTAINED FROM THE FLAX PLANT, AND THEREFORE IS A NATURAL CELLULOSE FIBRE. FLAX IS A VERY STRONG FIBRE. IT'S STRENGTH INCREASES WHEN WET.

THE INELASTICITY OF FLAX IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WRINKLING OF LINEN FABRICS. WHEN WET, FLAX BECOMES EVEN MORE INELASTIC AND WRINKLES MORE READILY, A POINT TO BE WATCHED DURING LAUNDERING.

LINEN MUST ALWAYS BE HAND WASHED, DO NOT SPIN DRY OR TUMBLE DRY. DO NOT WASH AT A WARM OR HOT WATER TEMPERATURE. HOWEVER, LINEN CAN BE IRONED AT A HOT TEMPERATURE.

WOOL

WOOL IS OBTAINED FROM THE FLEECE OF A SHEEP THEREFORE IS A NATURAL PROTEIN FIBRE.

WOOL IS A WEAK FIBRE, BECOMING WEAKER WHEN WET AND MORE EASILY DISTORTED, SO WASH AND DRY WITH CARE.

WOOL WILL SHRINK IF WASHED IN A HOT TEMPERATURE AND IT CAN LOOSE SHAPE IF HUNG TO DRY. WOOL TENDS TO PILL WITH USE, BUT STOPS AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME.

WOOL IS A POOR CONDUCTOR OF HEAT AND A GOOD INSULATOR SO IS REGARDED AS A WARM FIBRE. IT IS BEST IRONED SLIGHTLY DAMP WITH A PRESS CLOTH TO MORE READILY REMOVE WRINKLES (THE PRESS CLOTH WILL ALSO HELP AVOID SHINING THE FABRIC).

SILK

SILK IS PRODUCED BY THE SILK MOTH LARVAE (OR SILK WORM), THEREFORE IS CLASSIFIED AS A NATURAL PROTEIN FIBRE.

SILK IS A STRONG FIBRE BUT LOSES STRENGTH WHEN WET, SO MUST BE LAUNDERED DELICATELY. ONLY WASH IN COLD OR WARM WATER AS HIGHER TEMPERATURES WILL YELLOW OR DULL SILK GARMENTS.

SILK GARMENTS ARE DRY CLEANABLE.

FABRICS MADE FROM MAN-MADE FIBRES

THESE FABRICS ARE PRODUCED USING CHEMICAL ELEMENTS OR COMPOUNDS. THEIR FIBRES CANNOT BE FOUND IN NATURE.

THE MAIN BENEFITS OF SYNTHETIC FABRICS ARE;

EASY CARE

IT'S USUALLY MORE CREASE RESISTANT THAN NATURAL FABRICS

IT RETAINS ITS SHAPE WELL

IT'S OFTEN MORE DURABLE AND STRONGER THAN NATURAL FABRICS

IT'S OFTEN CHEAPER

BLENDING A SYNTHETIC FIBRE WITH A NATURAL ONE CAN IMPROVE THE DURABILITY AND STRENGTH OF A FABRIC. IT CAN MAKE FOR EASIER CARE E.G. BETTER CREASE RESISTANCE, AND MAY ALSO REDUCE THE COST COMPARED TO A 100% NATURAL FABRIC.

POLYESTER

POLYESTER IS A VERY STRONG FIBRE. WHEN WET THE FIBRES DO NOT ALTER IN STRENGTH. THE ELASTICITY OF POLYESTER FIBRES IS GOOD THEREFORE MAKING IT VERY WRINKLE RESISTANT.

POLYESTER MAY BE REGARDED AS NON-ABSORBENT, SO IS NOT CONSIDERED A COMFORTABLE FIBRE TO WEAR IN WARM WEATHER. IT'S NON-ABSORBENCY ALSO CAUSES STATIC ELECTRICITY TO DEVELOP.

POLYESTER IS DRY CLEANABLE.

POLYESTER IS SENSITIVE TO HEAT. MUST BE WASHED IN COOL WATER AND IRONED WITH NO STEAM AT A LOW TEMPERATURE.

NYLON (OR POLYAMIDE)

NYLON IS A STRONG FIBRE, HOWEVER, IT LOSES STRENGTH WHEN WET.

THE ELASTICITY OF NYLON IS VERY GOOD SO HAS GOOD WRINKLE RECOVERY. NYLON IS NOT VERY ABSORBENT SO IS ESSENTIALLY AN UNCOMFORTABLE FIBRE TO WEAR, IT IS HOWEVER QUICK DRYING.

LIKE POLYESTER, NYLON IS A POOR CONDUCTOR OF HEAT SO GARMENTS MAY BE HOT AND CLAMMY TO WEAR.

NYLON IS DRY CLEANABLE.

NYLON IS SENSITIVE TO HEAT, SO MUST BE WASHED IN COOL WATER AND IRONED WITH NO STEAM AT A LOW TEMPERATURE.

THE ADVANTAGES OF NYLON ARE THAT IT DOES NOT FADE, IT'S RESISTANT AND GETS VERY FEW CREASES.

VISCOSE

CARE MUST BE TAKEN WHEN LAUNDERING AS VISCOSE LOSES STRENGTH WHEN WET. SEVERE WRINGING SHOULD BE AVOIDED.

VISCOSE FIBRES ARE INELASTIC WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR IT READILY WRINKLING, ESPECIALLY WHEN WET.

IT IS A VERY ABSORBENT FIBRE MAKING IT COMFORTABLE TO WEAR.

VISCOSE IS DRY CLEANABLE.

IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE SHAPE OF THE GARMENT IT MUST NOT BE TUMBLE-DRIED. VISCOSE IS FLAMMABLE AND PRONE TO STATIC ELECTRICITY.

NB: VISCOSE IS ALSO KNOWN AS RAYON.

MODAL

MODAL IS A BIO-BASED FIBRE MADE FROM BEECH TREES. IT IS 50% MORE WATER DURABLE THAN COTTON. MODAL IS ESSENTIALLY A VARIETY OF RAYON AND IS RESISTANT TO SHRINKING AND FADING.

ALTHOUGH MODAL IS A VERY DURABLE FABRIC IT DOES NOT LOSE ANY OF ITS HAND FEEL QUALITY MAKING IT VERY SMOOTH AND SOFT TO TOUCH.

LIKE COTTON, MODAL SHOULD IDEALLY BE IRONED AFTER WASHING.