Too familiar in the garment industry, cotton fabric is a leading material, has many applications and is loved by countless consumers. Do you know what cotton fabric is? What is the origin of cotton fabric? How to produce cotton fabric? What are the characteristics or advantages and disadvantages of this material? All will be shared in today’s article by Roostershirt.

What is cotton fabric?

Cotton, also known as cotton fabric, is a synthetic fiber material, the main ingredient being natural cotton fibers. Some other types of cotton will be mixed with artificial fibers to limit the disadvantages of regular cotton, giving the fabric more elasticity and color durability. This is also one of the most popular and widely used materials in today’s life.

Some of the most common characteristics of cotton fabric are that it absorbs sweat well, is breathable, does not get stuffy or hot, and can be dyed in many different colors. This material even has the ability to prevent dirt and mold. Natural cotton also has antibacterial properties, is safe and extremely gentle on the skin. Organic natural cotton is mainly used for people with sensitive skin or children.

Origin of cotton material

It can be said that cotton or cotton fiber was used a long time ago. Archaeologists also confirm that cotton may have appeared more than 7,000 years ago. Every civilization that exists in this world has had traces of cotton. Fragments of fabric believed to be cotton were found in Mexican caves. Around 3000 BC, ancient people used the simplest weaving methods to produce cotton fabric, distributed mainly in the valleys of the Nile and Ganges rivers or in Idus…

There are also many records that say that when Alexander the Great’s army invaded India, they learned about Cotton and brought it back to Europe. Initially cotton was woven by loom, then in 1350, it was woven by spinning wheel and flourished in Europe. Industrial developments also caused the textile industry to develop extremely rapidly. Countries like India and China are the world’s largest cotton fabric producers.

Popular cotton classification on the market

On the market today there are many different types of cotton fabrics, specifically they are often divided according to composition or origin. See some of the best-selling types below.

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Popular cotton classification on the market

Cotton 100% Organic
This is the best and most chosen type of cotton on the market. The advantages of this type are extremely many such as softness and safety for the skin. In addition, its absorbency or dyeing ability is also highly appreciated.
– This material has only one drawback: it is expensive. If you don’t check carefully when buying, you will easily buy a fake product.

Cotton 65/35 (CVC)
The second type is CVC, also known as 65/35 cotton. With a composition of 65% cotton and 35% PE fiber. CVC fabric is much cheaper than 100% cotton but has all the advantages of cotton such as durability, softness and safety. However, it will not absorb sweat as well as natural cotton.

Cotton 35/65 (Tixi/TC)
The third is 35/65 cotton, also known as Tixi fabric. With a composition of 35% cotton and 65% PE fiber, the absorbency is not as good as the two fabrics above. However, its price will be cheaper than both types. Depending on your intended use or finances, you can choose different types of fabric.

Cotton Borip
The composition of borip cotton fabric is 100% cotton. They are not mixed with any other synthetic fibers, providing great advantages such as softness and high absorbency. They are often used to make baby clothes or diapers…

Cotton mixed with Spandex
For those who love sports, cotton mixed with spandex is certainly no stranger, right? % spandex helps the fabric stretch and hold its shape better. In addition, it also increases color retention. Wash without worrying about clothes fading or getting loose.

Egyptian Cotton
A product grown and produced in Egypt. The nature of this fabric is still 100% cotton, but due to favorable climate conditions, it provides a more beautiful natural shine than other regions. It is also considered the “king of cotton” so you can use it with complete peace of mind.

Cotton USA
The advantage of USA cotton is its durability and tough fiber structure, so its absorbency is also highly appreciated. In addition, USA cotton fabric is also loved by many people because of its good color fastness and heat resistance. This type of fabric does not wrinkle or shrink like natural cotton.

Cotton Satin
The difference of this material lies in the way it is woven. Using satin weave helps the fabric have a smooth and shiny surface. Of course, they also have all the advantages of regular cotton fabrics such as good absorbency, skin-friendly and airy. Cotton satin is most often used to make bedding.

Silk cotton
With 90% cotton and 10% silk, the fabric is soft, shiny and extremely smooth to the touch.

Cotton velvet
The next type of cotton is velvet cotton, with ingredients from cotton and silk and rayon fibers. This type of fabric will have a beautiful shiny surface, look very luxurious, has very good absorbency and is durable. However, the disadvantage of this material is that it is cleaned by the wind and often gets dusty.

Dry cotton
Finally, dry cotton is a material that has recently been chosen a lot by young people through dry cotton T-shirt models. The fabric absorbs quickly, is soft and breathable when worn. Especially the price is very affordable.

Cotton fabric production process

Harvesting cotton
The first step is to harvest the bolls. Normally there will be 3 harvests, from root to tip. Next, the cotton balls will be graded for quality, then dried and prepared for the next step.

Refining cotton fiber
After drying, cotton will be refined. Cotton fibers will be torn and separated into individual fibers. Next, it will be cooked in a steam oven and filtered many times to remove impurities inside such as pectin or other impurities.

Spinning
In the next step, the cotton fibers will be dissolved in a special solution. Put them into the spinning machine and stretch them, then into cotton yarn.

Weaving cotton fabric
After having the cotton threads, workers proceed to weave cotton fabrics in the weft and warp threads. The fabric will be polished to increase water absorption and color retention when dyed.

Dye
The dyeing solution will be added with some additives to help the dyeing process become more colorful. Finally, the fabric will be washed to soften the fabric, increase durability and ensure the fabric will not fade or lose its fibers.

Advantages of cotton fabric

Soft, safe for skin
Extremely environmentally friendly
High self-decomposition ability
Durable, elastic and quick to dry
Cool to wear
Absorbs sweat well
Standard product shape

Disadvantages of cotton fabric

Natural cotton fabric has a high price
100% cotton fabric will be a bit stiff, so when used for women, add a little spandex to make the fabric softer and gentler.

Application of cotton fabric in life

The demand for cotton fabric is currently extremely large. In every industry and every area of life, we see the appearance of this material. From the garment industry to interior decoration or bedding….

Garment industry

With its advantages, cotton is mainly used to make all kinds of costumes. Cotton clothes are also easy to wear and can be used to sew many different designs. From basic T-shirts to shirts, dresses or home wear.

Cotton fabric is also widely used to make sports products such as pants, gym sets, or even the underwear industry also uses a large amount of cotton fabric.

Bedding industry

To be considered a good product, bedding needs to be both soft and absorbent. 100% cotton meets this. Cotton is also chosen to make other items such as towels, face towels, socks, gloves…

How to recognize natural cotton fabric?

Touch the surface of the fabric
If it is genuine cotton, the fabric surface will be extremely soft to the touch. In addition, you can also try rubbing the shirt, if it is wrinkled, it is standard cotton. If not, it can be a cotton blend like TC or CVC…

See water permeability
The higher the percentage of cotton fabric, the better its water absorption ability. You can use this feature to check whether your suit is genuine cotton or not.

Instructions on how to wash and preserve cotton fabrics

Do not soak cotton clothes in detergent for too long
If you soak clothes in washing powder for too long, the color will fade. Especially with 100% cotton, it is not recommended because it does not have spandex to retain the dye.

Sort clothes before washing
Before each time you wash clothes, you need to create a habit of sorting. Keep colored items separate from white items to avoid the situation where your bright colored items will fade and become extremely unattractive.

Do not use strong detergents
When you use too strong a detergent, it will easily cause the fabric to tear or rot, thereby reducing the lifespan of the clothes. Especially with underwear, you should not use bleach but rub it thoroughly with your hands. Avoid dangerous diseases.

Dry clothes in a cool place
Avoid drying clothes in places that are too humid or in places with strong sunlight as this will easily cause your clothes to become moldy or have their fiber structure broken.

Some other questions about cotton

Does cotton fabric absorb sweat?
Cotton fabric is highly appreciated for its ability to absorb sweat, so you can feel secure when buying cotton clothes to wear. However, if you buy PE cotton, its ability to absorb sweat will be much worse than natural cotton.

What type of fabric is cotton? Is it ruffled?
Cotton has fluffing phenomenon. Especially with 100% natural cotton, it becomes easier to fluff after a period of use. If you want to choose a cotton fabric that is less prone to pilling, you should pay attention to its composition and weaving method.

Is cotton fabric hot?
With natural origins, cotton is airy, cool and not stuffy when worn. However, if you choose cotton fabric mixed with too much nylon, this advantage will no longer exist.

Does cotton fabric stretch?
Cotton material has good elasticity. More or less elasticity depends on other components of the fabric such as spandex or PE.

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Above are Roostershirt’s shares about cotton fabric as well as some advantages and disadvantages of this material. As one of the most popular names in the fashion industry, cotton will definitely be the fabric you should choose to buy and use this summer. If you have other questions about cotton fabric or other materials, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below so we can advise and answer you as quickly as possible.

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What is cotton fabric? All you need to know about cotton