Learn Fabrics (old)
General Fabric Introduction
There is evidence that humans started wearing clothes between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago but it is not clear whether it was for protection from weather conditions or for magic, cult or decoration.
The materials first used were probably a mass of fibre, tiny, hair-like strands found in vegetation which were then matted together to form a felted non-woven fabric. It was not long until humans developed spinning by drawing out the fibres and adding a twist making a longer and stronger thread and producing a yarn. This could then be knitted or woven together to make fabric.
If we want to understand fabrics we need to know about fibres, where they come from and how they are processed into fabrics, and what makes them so attractive for use in cultures all over the world.
Textile fibre types
We have natural fibres that come from plants and animals and we have man-made fibres that come from natural polymers (vegetable and animal) or synthetic polymers (oil based). There are two different types of fibre that go into the manufacture of fabric.
Staple Fibre: Short strands, high quality staple yarn is longer and finer, lower quality is shorter and coarser.
Filament Fibre: Continuous strands, high quality is finer and stronger as this is mainly man-made fibre it really depends on its final use.
Natural Fibres
Natural Staple Fibres |
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Natural Filament Fibres |
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Plant (cellulose) fibre |
Animal (protein) fibre |
Plant (cellulose) fibre |
Animal (protein) fibre |
Cotton |
Fleece |
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Silk |
Kapok |
Wool |
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Spider silk |
Bast (stem) fibre |
Merino |
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Flax (linen) |
Mohair |
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Hemp |
Cashmere |
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Ramie |
Camel Hair |
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Kenaf |
Alpaca/Vicuna |
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Nettle |
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Jute |
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Leaf fibre |
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Sisal |
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Pina |
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Abaca |
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Manmade and Synthetic Fibres
Manmade Staple Fibres |
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Manmade Filament Fibres |
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Cellulosic staple fibre |
Synthetic staple fibre |
Cellulosic filament fibre |
Synthetic filament fibre |
Viscose rayon |
Polyester |
Acetate |
Polyester |
Lyocell |
Virgin (new fibre) |
Viscose rayon |
Virgin (new fibre) |
Tencel |
Recycled fibre/garments |
Lyocell rayon |
Recycled fibre/garments |
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PET polyester |
Bamboo rayon |
PET polyester |
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(Produced from plastic bottles) |
PLA |
Recycled plastic bottles |
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Triexta |
Soy |
Triexta |
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Nylon |
Rubber |
Nylon |
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Virgin (new fibre) |
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Virgin (new fibre) |
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Recycled fibre/garments |
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Recycled fibre/garments |
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Acrylic and mod-acrylic |
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Elastane |
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Elastane |
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Metallic |
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Carbon fibre |
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Synthetic spider silk
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Please note that new raw materials an are being introduced for new fibre production all the time alongside innovative developments of recycling fibres, garments and fabrics.
Over the coming months we will add more detail and explanation to all these fibre and fabric types.