Natural, synthetic, and artificial fabrics: discover the characteristics of each type of fiber.
Clothing today features a multitude of fabric types, 100% natural, synthetic, and artificial. Additionally, there are various types of "blended" fabrics, which can integrate to compensate for deficiencies of a certain fiber by mixing it with another fiber in different proportions, depending on the desired outcome. An example is the stretch shirt, where a percentage of elastane can be added to overcome the "stiffness" of pure cotton, making the fabric more elastic and prone to stretching. Natural fibers derive from different parts of plants, such as the stem, seed, and leaves. The most important ones are linen, cotton, and hemp, but there are many others like bamboo, coconut, and broom. Natural vegetable fibers, which have a high percentage of cellulose, are typically considered summer fabrics because they do not have the ability to retain body heat. Natural fabrics are ideal from a hygienic point of view; they allow the skin to breathe and rarely cause allergic reactions. Artificial fibers are predominantly of vegetable origin: viscose, modal, cupro, or acetate. They result from the chemical treatment of a naturally occurring substance, cellulose, derived from trees, which is the most substantial part for these fibers, as the chemical component is rather small. Artificial fibers are quite elastic, softer, and more drapey than natural ones. They have limited insulating power and are quite breathable. Synthetic fibers contain a very high amount of chemical substances, particularly derived from petroleum: polyamide, polyester, acrylic, polypropylene, elastane, aramid. Synthetic fibers have the advantage of protecting the body from cold by acting as thermal insulators, but they are not healthy. In addition to causing allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, they retain sweat in contact with the skin, which therefore cannot breathe freely.
