Drowning in a Sea of Polyester.

I always think it’s hilarious when people walk into the store and ask “Where is your polyester?”

I extend my arms in a grandiose way and proclaim, “YOU ARE SURROUNDED!”

Polyester has come a long way since the 70’s (I assume). Its not just a psychedelic stretchy fabric to make disco suits. It, like many other fibers, is a chameleon.

It’s difficult for many people to distinguish fiber from fabric. Especially when a good portion of the fabric store identifies itself as just “plain cotton.” Most clothing tags will tell you what sort of fiber your clothes are made of, but every once in a while they’ll mix it up by saying “100% cotton sateen” or “cotton poplin.” How is anyone supposed to figure out anything?

Even Wikipedia is sparse when it comes to fabric/ fiber identification. I wanted to find a list of synthetic fibers… not there. If you already know the name of the fabric, you might be able to find some information on it, but you’re probably setting your self up for some sort of goose chase. Most likely the wild kind.

So, with my general knowledge, and what I could scrape together from the internet, I present a basic understanding of fibers and fabrics.

First off, there are three basic categories of fibers: Natural, Artificial and Synthetic.

Natural fibers can be further categorized into animal or vegetable fibers.
Animal fibers include:
Wool (fleece or hair from animals, primarily sheep)
Silk (produced by the silk worm)

Vegetable fibers are usually from plants of the same name. Like:
Cotton
Bamboo
Hemp
Jute
Linen (flax)
Natural fibers are usually the most prized, though most cotton is pretty cheap, I guess cause its so easy to cultivate. They have great breathability, drape well, and look classier than other fibers. When set on fire they burn to ash. They are biodegradable, and can be organically made. The drawbacks to them are that they shrink, wrinkle easily, and generally require a bit more attention and care. (A.k.a. dry cleaning).


Artificial Fibers are chemically altered versions of natural fibers. (At work I call them Frankenstein fibers.) They usually imitate the look and feel of natural fibers, but aren’t as durable. The first artificial fiber was created in the late 1800s. The list includes:
Viscose
Rayon
Acetate
Modal
Tencel

There are a lot more, but these are the only ones I’ve seen in abundance. These fabrics breathe well, drape well, but like I said before, aren’t as strong or elastic as naturals. They don’t retain heat, so they’re nice here in sunny Fla, but I’ve had some customers complain that they “cling” to their bodies (Showing off unwanted panty lines.)

Synthetic fibers are probably the most versatile and inexpensive fibers on the market. Nylon was the first ever synthetic fiber manufactured. It was born in the United States in the 1930s (U-S-A! U-S-A!) Followers include, but are not limited to:
Polyester
Nylon
Acrylic
Olefin
Spandex

Synthetics are all manufactured to behave differently, so there aren’t really many set characteristics. However they typically don’t shrink, they are wrinkle and wear resistant, they retain heat and don’t breathe well, and they either melt when burned, or don’t burn at all. The ones that melt can be handy sometimes, because, you can run a lighter along the edge to keep the fabric from fraying. (Disclaimer: my husband is a lawyer, so if you burn yourself doing that, don’t sue me!) But burn at your own risk! Like an anonymous poster mentioned to one of my earlier posts, synthetic fabrics can cause severe burns if you get caught on fire while wearing them, because they melt onto your skin and trap heat until they are surgically removed. This just reinforces one of my strong beliefs that you should BE CAREFUL AROUND FIRE!

To make things even more confusing, these fibers can be woven, knitted, or compressed into different types of cloths. This is what determines how fabrics are sorted in the stores.

The most popular type of fabric is woven. this is when the fibers are spun into “yarns” and are woven over and under each other, like a basket. The warp and the weft are the two main directions the yarns go.


The warp goes lengthwise, (and determines how many yards you’re getting). it also decides the grain line. The weft goes widthwise, and usually has more stretch than the warp. It also creates the selvege of the fabric.

There are three types of woven fabrics: plain weave, twill weave, and satin weave.

Plain weave is just that. over under over under. common fabrics include taffeta, plain cotton, chiffon, organza, poplin, lame, seersucker, batiste, chambray, flannel, corduroy, etc. If the fabric makes little crosses, it’s a plain weave.

Twill weave is made from skipping a few warp/weft fibers. The yarns make a diagonal pattern. Fabrics with twill weave include denim, twill, chino, drill cloth, tweed and gabardine.

(Fun fact: gabardine was invented by the guy who founded Burberry)

Satin weaves make a shiny looking fabric, by putting more warp fibers over more weft fibers. The only satin weave fabrics I’m really familiar with are satin and charmeuse. If a cotton fabric has a satin weave, for some reason it’s called sateen.

There are some special weaves that make fabrics like brocades and jacquards, something about shuttle weaving, where they weave the fabric and then create a secondary design. Then there are special techniques used to make velvet and tapestry, but I’m not too familiar with them. The important thing to know about these special fabrics is that in most situations they are VERY delicate, and need special care when working with them.

Knits are another very common fabric, mostly used to make sportswear and street wear. Knits have stretch without needing spandex. I think knits are good for beginners because even if you mess up a little bit, they will stretch over your body and disguise most flaws. There are several different techniques. I know some, but if you want to get a better idea of different kinds, ask someone who knits or crochets.

Interlock is most commonly used for t-shirts. Ribbed knit is what most t-shirts have on the collar and the cuffs.

Double knit fabrics, like ponte, aren’t as stretchy, but they are durable. I think this is the fabric most polo shirts are made of.

Tricot (tree-co) is an interesting knit, because it uses three strands of yarn to create a triangular shaped knit. I’ve only seen it as cheap Halloween knits. they’re hella stretchy, but will break whatever screen print is on it.

Non-woven fabrics are made by compressing and heating a tangled mess of fibers until they fuse. Fleece and felt are the two primary forms of non-woven fabric, but it does appear in many forms. Like American currency! Dollars are made from a blend of cotton and linen, which is why they last so long, even after getting crumpled and soaked.

Hopefully this is helpful, even with my limited formal education on fabric. The best way to learn more about it is to touch it. Feel it, move it, wrap it around your arm to test it’s breathability. Get acquainted. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions about it. Most of the people who work at the store would love to help you. If they don’t, find someone else. Fabric is a niche market. Most people who work in the store work there because they are interested in it and would love to show you just how smart they are.

Go forth and sew!