I wear things that … can look good for extended periods of time —
Fabrics that don’t wrinkle, things that don’t stain easily.
— Rachel Zoe
What do the following have in common?
Labradoodles, Tex-Mex food, Rock-Opera and Cotton – Linen?
Answer: All are blends that combine the best of two worlds.
It seems that humans, upon discovering something perfect, feel the need to improve it — and often succeed. Whether by chance or intentional experimenting, we seize the opportunity to create our own perfection in breeding, food, music and certainly in our clothing.
By combining fibers, both natural and synthetic, manufacturers, designers and consumers have a wide range of options to meet needs and preferences. The goal is to enhance the properties of each individual fiber to provide better aesthetics (drape, color, fullness etc) or performance (stretch, durability, moisture wicking etc). Not surprisingly, the first fiber combinations were with the natural fibers of both plant (cotton, linen, hemp) and animal fibers (wool, silk, alpaca, mohair). Coco Chanel combined wool with other natural fibers to create her iconic tweed textures and patterns.
It would not be until after 1935, when nylon, the first synthetic to be discovered, that many more combinations would enter the market. (Nylon played a critical role in WWII as parachute material and later came into high demand for women’s hosiery. Demand was so high and supplies so limited, women actually drew black lines up the back of their legs to simulate the seams of nylon stockings! Such was the status symbol of this first synthetic). Since then so many man-made fabrics have been produced, combinations are seemingly endless and fabric and fashion designers are continually experimenting with the possibilities.
While natural fibers — cotton, linen, wools, silk — are often blended together, adding synthetic fibers enhances function, structure and new silhouettes. An example is Roberto Cavalli (subject of an earlier blog) who was the first to combine spandex with heavy denim to create stretch jeans and a new body conscious silhouette. Ralph Lauren is known for the use of wool and cashmere for the luxury line and cotton/polyester for the less expensive casual line. Blending synthetics with natural fibers allows designers to offer the beautiful and the practical at a lower price. Natural fibers are breathable, nonallergenic and bio-degradable. However, they are more expensive, higher maintenance and can shrink compared with synthetics. On the other hand, synthetics can produce skin reactions and are not biodegradable but they resist water and staining, add stretch and durability and help retain garment construction and shape for better fit and comfort.
Polyester, one of the most common and popular synthetics, is added to both cotton and linen. Both cotton and linen can wrinkle easily, cotton can pill and linen does not stretch and both can fade when exposed to sunlight. Adding polyester counters the tendency to wrinkle, adds drape and maintains shape. It also takes and retains color brilliantly improving the performance of both natural fibers.
Rayon, another synthetic, is also found blended with both cotton and linen. Rayon adds drape and a soft, silky feel to both natural fibers. It dyes easily, is very moisture absorbent and helps reduce wrinkling when added to linen. Though rayon requires dry cleaning, it is very inexpensive and so lowers the initial cost of a garment.
Beneficial natural fiber blends popular for summer include silk and bamboo. Often added to cotton, bamboo is both eco-friendly and antibacterial. It is very soft and breathable with excellent drape and flow. Its comfort and wearability immediately found an enthusiastic public demand.
Silk as a stand alone summer fabric offers gorgeous colors and hard to resist flowing beauty but can feel too delicate for many activities. Combined with linen or cotton it is an expensive and high end fabric but offers a beautiful, durable, lustrous fabric with a flowing drape perfect for swirling summer breezes.
Perhaps the most classic of natural fiber summer blends is the cotton/linen. Linen fibers do not stretch but are cool and crisp in feel and look. When blended with cotton, the fabric is soft, breathable and has increased strength and drape. One gains the texture of linen with the soft comfort of cotton — summer perfection!
Whether you are a purist or a realist, there is a summer blend to meet your needs and comfort level. Allow the wide range of fabric blends help to express your Purely Personal Style.
