When Adam and Eve got expelled from
the Heaven, they were naked.
They used leaves as their clothes.
Later when man became more and more
civilized, he began using animal skins as their clothes.
The skin would be shed from the
animals caught or grown for food.
We are certainly a long way from
there.
Now with the most advanced technologies,
fabrics are made from all sorts of raw material.
Be it something found naturally on
earth or made by man.
In this article, we are going to
dig deep into natural fabrics.
What are natural fabrics?
Natural fabrics are fabrics that
are made out of resources found naturally on earth.
It is mostly derived from plants,
animals, and minerals.
The process of making a fabric starts
with extracting the fiber from the raw material.
It is then processed to create
yarns and the yarns are further processed to make fabrics.
Plant fibers
Plant fibers are derived from
plants and it is the top source of making fabric in today's world.
These cellulose-based fibers are
extracted from various plants.
The most common natural fibers are
cotton, flax, jute, hemp, and bamboo.
Animal fibers
Fleeces from animals like sheep, goats, camel, and alpacas are used for making animal fibers.
Hairy animals that grow thick fur
on their skins are also used in the making of animal fibers such as the rabbit,
tiger, polar bear, etc.
The distinct type of animal fabric
is the silk.
Because it is not harvested from
its skin, rather, it is spun by cocoons of moth larvae.
A great deal of power is utilized
in making silk fiber and silk fabric.
It is the reason, they are
expensive compared to other common fabrics.
Mineral fibers
Mineral fibers are made using minerals
found on the earth.
Metallic fibers are drawn in a thin
style to produce yarns and it is woven together with other fibers to make
special fabrics used for industrial purposes.
Top 4 Natural Fabrics and their properties
Cotton:
Cotton is the most used fiber for
making clothes. It was in use since 3000 BC. The fiber is found in the seed
part of the cotton plant.
- Soft
-
Withstand heat
-
Absorbs water and breathable
-
Comfortable to wear
-
Versatile
Hemp:
Hemp fibers are extracted from the
hemp plant. It is surprisingly durable and strong. It shows similar properties like
the other natural fibers.
-
Soft and strong
-
Anti-microbial
-
Resistant to UV light, mold, and mildew.
-
Easy to wash
Linen:
Linen fabrics are made from the
flax plant.
-
Easy dries
-
Becomes softer with each wash.
-
Feels cool to wear
-
Resistant to cloth moths and dirt
Silk:
This natural protein fiber is the
strongest natural fiber available. Silk fabrics are:
-
Lightweight
-
Shiny in texture
-
Elasticity is high
-
Smooth and soft against the skin
Where to buy them?
I have written a comprehensive
guide on Where
to buy woven fabrics in India, on my blog before.
You can check out there to
find more information on this.
From where do you buy fabrics?
Comment below and let me know.
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