A Fabric Guide: How Natural and Synthetic Fibres Feel and Wear

Most of us choose clothes with our eyes and then find out about the fabric in the wash. This guide to the main types of fabric for clothes, natural and synthetic, tells you what each one feels like to wear, how it behaves at the end of a long day, and what it wants from you when it is dirty.

Why the Types of Fabric for Clothes Matter More Than the Label

Two jumpers can be the same colour, the same shape and the same size, and feel completely different by four o'clock. One stays soft and keeps its shape. The other has gone baggy at the cuffs, bobbly under the arms and slightly clammy on the bus home. The difference is almost always the fibre, and how it has been spun and knitted.

Fibres fall into three families. Natural fibres come from plants (cotton, linen) or animals (wool, silk). Regenerated fibres, such as viscose, modal and lyocell, start as wood pulp and are turned into thread in a factory. Synthetic fibres, such as polyester, nylon, acrylic and elastane, are made from oil-based polymers.

None of these families is good or bad on its own. Each has a personality, and the trick is matching the personality to the job. A warm knit for a frosty walk, a cool shirt for a sticky office, a dress that survives a suitcase. Once you know what each fibre does, labels start to make sense, and you can predict how something will feel long before you have worn it all day. A good place to start feeling the difference is a classic cable knit crew neck jumper next to a waffle knit cowl neck jumper: two textures, two very different handles. The full range of jumpers shows how many textures one simple shape can take.

Jumpers to start with

A few pieces that fit what you have just read.

Cable Knit Crew Neck Jumper, Classic FitWaffle Knit Cowl Neck JumperCable Knit High Neck Jumper with Rolled Edges

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Natural Fibres From Plants: Cotton and Linen

Cotton

Cotton comes from the fluffy seed pod of the cotton plant, and it is the fibre most of us grew up in. It is soft, breathable and absorbent, which is why it feels comfortable against the skin in almost any weather. It washes well and usually tolerates warmer temperatures than other fibres, although it can shrink if it has not been pre-shrunk, so check the care label before you turn the dial up.

Its weakness is that it holds on to moisture. A cotton T-shirt soaked through on a summer walk stays soaked. It also creases, though less than linen, and it can lose its shape over time if it is knitted loosely.

Linen

Linen comes from the stem of the flax plant. It is one of the oldest fibres in the world and still one of the coolest to wear on a hot day: the fibres are long and smooth, the weave is usually open, so air moves through the fabric and moisture leaves it quickly. Linen is strong, softens beautifully with every wash, and has a slightly uneven, slubby texture that people love.

And it creases. Not a little. Linen creases if you look at it, and the honest answer is to embrace it, because the crumple is part of the charm. If you love the look but would rather arrive somewhere uncreased, a collared linen-look top gives you the texture; the composition on its product page tells you how much ironing to expect.

Natural Fibres From Animals: Wool and Silk

Wool

Wool is the great all-rounder of cold weather. The crimped fibres trap air, which keeps you warm, and they can absorb a surprising amount of moisture before they feel damp, which keeps you comfortable when you go from a cold street into a warm shop. Wool also resists odours well, so a wool jumper usually needs washing less often than a cotton one.

Fine wools, such as merino, are soft enough to wear against the skin. Coarser wools are hard-wearing and warm, but can feel scratchy on sensitive necks, which is why a T-shirt or a fine knit underneath is often the answer. Texture plays a part as well: a tightly knitted, rolled-edge design such as a cable knit high neck jumper sits differently on the neck than a loose, open knit, so try both before deciding that knitwear and you simply do not get on.

Wool's one real danger is heat combined with rubbing. Hot water and a vigorous cycle make the fibres lock together and felt, and a felted jumper does not come back. Wash it cool, on a wool or hand-wash setting, and dry it flat. Our guide to washing jumpers without shrinking them covers this step by step.

Look closely at a chunky cable knit and you can see why knits feel so different from woven fabrics. Each stitch is a little loop that traps air and springs back after stretching. That bounce is why a V-neck cable knit cardigan feels warm and comforting, and why knits forgive a big lunch better than any woven skirt.

Silk

Silk is spun by silkworms, and it is the smoothest and lightest of the natural fibres. It drapes like water, has a natural sheen, and is surprisingly warm for its weight, which makes it lovely as a layer under a jacket. It is also delicate: it dislikes heat, strong detergent, sunlight and deodorant, and water can leave marks on some silks. Many silk pieces are labelled dry clean only, while others are happy with a cool hand wash. The label is the only thing to trust.

The In-Betweens: Viscose, Modal and Lyocell

Regenerated fibres are made from plant cellulose, usually wood pulp, which is dissolved and then pushed through tiny holes to make long filaments. They are not quite natural and not quite synthetic, and they are everywhere, especially in summer dresses and blouses.

• Viscose (sometimes called rayon) drapes beautifully, feels cool and breathes well, which makes it lovely for floaty dresses. It is weaker when wet, so it can shrink or lose its shape in a warm, fast wash. Cool and gentle is the rule, and a low iron while it is still slightly damp gets creases out easily.
• Modal is a close cousin of viscose, softer and a little more stable in the wash. It is often used in jersey tops and underwear for that silky-soft feel.
• Lyocell is made in a process that recycles most of its solvent. It is strong, soft, breathes well and creases less than viscose, which makes it a good choice for shirts and trousers.

If you run warm, these fibres are worth seeking out, along with cotton and linen. Our guide to dressing for hot flushes goes into layers and fabrics that make warm moments easier to manage.

Synthetic Fibres: Polyester, Nylon, Acrylic and Elastane

Synthetic fibres get a bad name, sometimes deservedly, but they do things natural fibres cannot. They are strong, quick to dry, cheap to make and very good at holding a shape or a pleat.

Polyester

Polyester is the most common fibre in the world. It barely creases, holds colour well, dries quickly and survives years of washing. Pleated skirts keep their pleats largely thanks to polyester. The trade-off is breathability: it does not absorb moisture, so on a hot day it can feel close and hold on to odours. Modern polyester can be very soft, and much of it is woven to look like other fabrics, from crepe to chiffon.

Nylon

Nylon, also listed as polyamide, is light, very strong and slightly stretchy. You will find it in tights, linings, swimwear and lightweight rain jackets. Like polyester, it dries fast and breathes little.

Acrylic

Acrylic was designed as a wool substitute, and it is warm, light and easy to wash. It tends to pill more than wool and does not breathe as well, but in a blend it can make knits softer and easier to look after. If your jumpers go bobbly, our guide to removing bobbles from jumpers will save them.

Elastane

Elastane is the stretch. A small amount, often between two and five percent of a fabric, gives jeans, trousers and jersey tops the ability to move with you and spring back. It dislikes high heat, so tumble drying on hot and very hot washes slowly wear it out and leave the fabric baggy.

One thing worth knowing: satin is a weave, not a fibre. The long threads floating on the surface of a satin weave are what catch the light, and that weave can be made from silk, polyester, viscose or a blend. The same goes for chiffon, crepe and velvet. So a satin cowl neck blouse with a shirt collar tells you about its finish and its shape, and the composition on the product page tells you the fibre. The blouses collection is full of these finishes.

Weaves and Knits: Why the Same Fibre Feels Different

Fibre is only half the story. The way the yarn is put together changes how a fabric feels, drapes and wears just as much.

• Plain weaves, such as poplin, are crisp and smooth. Good for shirts.
• Twill weaves have a fine diagonal line, as on denim and gabardine. They are hard-wearing and drape well, which is why trench coats and jeans use them.
• Satin weaves give a glossy face and a matt back.
• Crepe has a fine crinkled texture that drapes and resists creasing, a quiet favourite for dresses that need to travel.
• Jersey is a fine, flat knit, the fabric of T-shirts and easy dresses.
• Rib knits stretch sideways and hug gently, which is why cuffs and hems use them. A ribbed knit midi dress moves with you in the same way.
• Knitted shirts borrow the shape of a woven shirt and the give of a knit, so a check knitted shirt with a collar looks crisp and moves like a jumper.
• Pile fabrics, such as velvet and corduroy, have raised fibres that feel soft and look rich, and they show every brush stroke, so press them gently or not at all.

Knit gauge matters too. A fine knit, like a crew neck button cardigan in a fine knit, slips under a jacket and drapes close to the body. A chunky knit stands away from you, adds warmth and adds volume, which is lovely on a narrow frame and less so if you prefer a closer, smoother line.

Blends, and Why They Usually Make Sense

Many fabrics are blends, and a good blend is a sensible compromise rather than a cheat. Cotton with a little elastane makes jeans comfortable. Wool with a little nylon makes socks and knits last longer. Polyester with viscose gives a dress drape without so many creases.

The main thing to watch is which fibre dominates. A knit that is mostly acrylic will behave like acrylic, however much wool is mentioned on the swing tag. Read the percentages, then follow the care instructions for the most delicate fibre in the mix.

Blends also explain why two similar garments can wash so differently. A cardigan that is half wool and half acrylic will usually pill sooner than an all-wool one, but it may also forgive a slightly warmer wash. A soft stand collar button cardigan and a chunky one can sit side by side in your drawer and need completely different handling, so it is worth keeping the labels in, however much they tickle.

Choosing Types of Fabric for Clothes by Season and Need

Here is a quick way to match fibre to the day ahead. These are general tendencies: a specific garment can always surprise you, for better or worse.

For British weather, where a single day can include drizzle, sun and a cold wind off the sea, layering breathable fibres works better than one thick garment. The guide to layering for British weather shows how to build the layers, and the cardigans make the easiest middle layer of all.

How to Read a Care Label

Care labels look like hieroglyphics, but there are only five basic symbols to learn. A cross through any of them means do not.

• The washtub is washing. A number inside is the maximum temperature in degrees, and a hand in the tub means hand wash only. Lines underneath mean a gentler cycle.
• The triangle is bleach. Most coloured clothes carry a crossed-out one.
• The square is drying. A circle inside the square means tumble drying, with dots for the heat; a line inside means dry flat or hang to dry.
• The iron shows heat with dots: one for cool, two for warm, three for hot.
• The circle on its own is professional cleaning, the dry cleaner's business.

When in doubt, go cooler and gentler than the label allows. Nobody ever ruined a jumper by washing it too kindly. And if something you love is labelled dry clean only, believe it the first time. The dresses and knits you choose will thank you by lasting for years.

Next, from our cardigans

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