All About Fabrics

 

Cotton
Polyester
Polycotton Blends
Kooldri
Wool
Polyester/PVC
Polyester/Polyurethane
Drilon
Synerflex
Hydrolite
Polynosic
Cordura

 

Cotton
Cotton is a natural fibre that has been the backbone of the textile industry for many years. It is considered one of the more versatile fibres and is woven and knitted into many fabrics of diferent properties such as Jersey, Interlock, Pique, Linen and others.

Cotton grown in different climates may possess slightly different characterics, such as strength, softness and wearability. This is most noticable in tightly woven fabrics like sheeting and linen.

Most cotton fabrics tend to wrinkle unless folded neatly or pressed.

Polyester
Polyester for textiles resembles cotton balls before being spun into thread. Polyester is a man made fibre derived from petroleum, which after processing can have a range of different properties. New processes for polyester fabric production are still being invented, and new exciting fabrics are emerging.

Polyester tends to not require ironing and is generally harder wearing for a given thickness than cotton.

Polycotton Blends
Polyester and cotton are commonly spun together to create threads for blended babrics, combining the properties of each. Common blends (in %) include 25/75, 50/50, 70/30, 95/5.

Kooldri
KoolDri creates a cool, dry, comfort for high exertion, high climate living, in the sporting, leisure, and work environment.
KoolDri's micro construction causes the yarns to bulk up when exposed to moisture, and quickly dry when exposed to air.
KoolDri wicks away perspiration from your skin to its outer surface, spreading moisturefrom fibre to fibre with capillary action.
KoolDri dries quickly through evaporation by the movement of air across the fabric. KoolDri has an anti- bacterial treatment to keep garments fresh.
KoolDri is a unique fibre construction and is lightweight and highly breathable; it is a yarn, not a fabric and can be knitted into different forms such as micromesh, pique knit, herringbone, waffle, etc.

Wool
The fibre derived from animal fur and usually that of sheep, wool fibres have overlapping scales on the surface of the fibre and it has a 'crimped' form in its natural state.
These characteristics make it relatively easy to spin into thread. The scales aid the fibres in binding to each other. The crimp allows the fibres to retain bulk and trap air, creating extremely effective insulation. Wool keeps us warm in winter and cool in summer. It is also naturally elastic with excellent 'memory'. It will stretch a little and then return to its original shape.
Fine wools are extremely soft to touch, a valuable characteristic in clothing, but can feel itchy when rubbed against the skin and so many wool garments are lined with other fabrics.
Wool is relatively inflamable making it ideal for some safety wear. It is valued by people who work in hot environments and around sparks or fires. Hard to ignight, it does not melt or drip.
Wool readily absorbs moisture, upto 30% of its own weight can be absorbed into the fibres. This combined with moisture trapped between the fibres makes wet wool very heavy - sometimes an undesirable feature. Wool garments should be dried flat (not hanging) as they will deform under the weight of there water content.

Wool Faille cloth, popular in Europe and increasingly so in North America, is known for its soft hand, excellent drape and crease resistance

Polyester / PVC Coating
Polyester fabric is coated with Polyvinyl Chloride to make in waterproof - ideal for industrial and commercial uses.

Polyester / PU Coating
Polyester fabric is coated with Polyurethane to make garments waterproof, longer lasting, lightweight and often breathable for casual and recreational activity.

Polyester Oxford / PU
Polyester fabric with an oxford weave for strength and Polyeurethane coating for waterproofing. Ideal for workwear.

Polycotton / PVC Coating
Strength, Waterproofing and an attractive 'natural' look, ideal for outdoor leisurewear.

Drilon WP
Drilon is a proprietory synthetic fabric designed for superior waterproof properties.

Synerflex
Synerflex offers a unique soft feel and comfortable stretch in a robust industrial protection garment. Waterproof, hi viz day and night, grease and acid resistant.

Hydrolite Stretch
A modern 'smart' fabric that is both lightweight and quick drying, it wicks moisture away from the skin. It has very high UV resistance.

Polynosic
A long-fiber rayon-and-polyester blend with a soft finish, used mainly in clothing.
Fine count/denier yarn is possible thanks to the high strength of the thread. Polynosic fabrics have excellent luster and dry tactile feeling. In addition, because polynosic fibers are friendly with other types of fibers, they are suitable for blended and union cloth.
Laundering will make little shrinkage and shape deformation.
Polynosic thread is resistant to acid and alkali. Fabrics blended with cotton may be mercerized or sanforized.

Cordura
Today Cordura is the registered name of a high performance Nylon 66 fabric product manufactured by Invista, a division of Koch Industries.
Designed to be long lasting and particularly resistant to abrasion, tears and scuffs, it is popular in the manufacture of motorcycle clothing, quality workwear, military apparel and boots, luggage and backpacks, and performance sporting apparel.