Understanding Blends!

Fabric Blends

What they mean and why they matter buying new clothes? fabric content might be your most important consideration.

Shopping for clothing can be overwhelming. Say you need a new skirt — how do you begin to choose from the innumerable options? Style, color, length, cut, and weight are just a few of the variables you need to consider. Find the right combination and you could have a new staple in your closet, a go-to favourite. Choose badly and you might be stuck with a wardrobe misfire, one of those potentially expensive mistakes that gets pushed to the back of your closet with that old bridesmaid dress and the outdated blouses.
 
One of the most overlooked, and most important, considerations in buying new clothes is fibre content. Even more than the fit of a garment, the contents of its material will determine how it looks, how it feels, how it wears, and how high- or low-maintenance it will be.
 
A lot depends on your personal preferences. If you’re shopping for a new suit and you live in a warm climate, you might be drawn to linen or cotton. But are you ready to spend some time ironing? Both materials are easily wrinkled. If ironing is your thing, go for it. But if you want the breathability of cotton or linen without the wrinkles, you might want to have a look at some polyester blends. At their best, blends combine the best qualities of two complimentary fibres, in this case the comfort and classic look of cotton or linen with the convenience of polyester.
 
When considering the fibre content of clothing, ask yourself some basic questions: Is it for work or home? Is it dressy or casual? Will you wear it all the time, or just occasionally, or maybe even just for one big occasion? Finding the right combination means finding a garment that fits your need exactly.

A few to think about:

Wool/Nylon: Durable, Warm and Soft Wool alone brings a host of desirable qualities, including warmth, stain-, wrinkle-, and odour-resistance, and rapid drying. But adding nylon to the mix improves its overall durability. Tests have shown, for example, that socks made of a wool/nylon blend have about three times the wear of socks made purely of wool.
 
Machine washable? Sometimes. Check label for care instructions.
 
Silk/Ramie: Nice Hand, Good Shape Ramie, a strong material made from the ramie plant common to Southeast Asia, is quick-drying, breathable, and has a permanent lustre. Unfortunately, it’s also very stiff. Combined with the delicacy of silk, the result is a smooth, beautiful material that also holds its shape well — a perfect choice for a dressy blouse or dress.
 
Machine washable? No. Ramie is machine washable, but silk should be handwashed or dry cleaned.
 
Cotton/Rayon: Wearable, fashionable Rayon is a man-made fibre that can come in a variety of weights and feels. But like many man-made fibres, it may not breathe well and it can be delicate, with a tendency to shrink or stretch. But blended with natural, no-nonsense cotton, many of these problems can be mitigated. Cotton/rayon blends offer everyday wearability combined with a fashionable drape and soft hand.

Machine washable? Yes. Check care instructions for specific guidelines.
 
There’s almost no end to the blends on the market these days, and new combinations are being experimented with all the time. Remember when shopping for clothes to do your research, ask the right questions, and be sure you’re choosing the right material for the right garment.

www.fabrics-manufacturers.com/fabric-blends.html 
www.taunton.com/threads/pages/bt0002.asp 
www.fabrics.net/hemp.asp