What Are T-Shirts Made Of & Which Fabric Is Best To Wear With Jeans
Want to know which t shirt is best or which shirt material is best when it comes to wearing a shirt with jeans? There are so many options when it comes to tops, t-shirts and shirts nowadays; we really are spoilt for choice!
In our ‘What Are T-Shirts Made Of & Which Fabric Is Best To Wear With Jeans’ blog we discuss the properties and features of different t shirt fabric and shirt material options, so we can try to avoid those mysterious tiny holes in shirts near waist.
Cotton
Known as the number one choice for t shirt material; cotton is a natural, fluffy fibre that grows in a round protective case around the seeds of the cotton plant, known as a boll. The fibre is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft textile. With brushed, pima, slub and organic cotton options, being easy to dye, breathable and affordable; it’s understandable why cotton is the most widely used natural fibre in clothing today. However, one of the biggest downsides to cotton is that it can shrink after the first warm wash.
Jersey
Jersey is a thin knitted material usually made up of cotton and/or a synthetic blend. The best of both worlds; it’s stretchy yet breathable, comfortable yet keeps its shape, is durable and washes well.
Linen
Need a shirt to wear with jeans? The second most popular shirt fabric (after cotton); linen is made from the flax plant. This natural fabric is slightly rougher and more textured than cotton. It has an open weave so is even more breathable; perfect for warmer months and climates. Linen dries quickly, is lightweight and doesn’t take up much space in a suitcase, however as you’ll know if you’ve ever worn it, linen creases easily so needs a lot of attention (and ironing). An unusual feature of linen is that it’s stronger when wet, so gets better after every wash!
Rayon
Rayon is a man-made fibre made from natural sources such as trees, woody plants and cotton. Viscose, Lyocell and Modal are all forms of Rayon and can be made to look and feel like natural fibres such as cotton, linen, silk and wool! Rayon is a good material for athletic and outdoor wear because it’s lightweight and breathable. One of the downsides to rayon is that it can wrinkle with repeated wear and doesn’t tend to last well over time.
The Future Of Fabrics
Increasingly popular with big names in fashion, such as Stella McCartney; how many of these sustainable fabrics made from fruit and vegetable fibres have you heard of, or even tried?
● Hemp
● Jute
● Bamboo
● Banana stems
● Nullarbor made from coconut waste
● Piñatex® aka pineapple fibres
● ‘Orange Fiber’ made from citrus fruits
● Parblex™ aka potato peelings
● MycoFlex™ is made from fungus, so basically mushrooms
● Vegeatextile aka grape leather; acquired from wine industry biomass
● Winner of the H&M Global Change Award for its work is Agraloop BioFibre; this award-winning fabric is made from leftovers of the farming of hemp, flax, pineapples, bananas and sugarcane
● Ocean plastic waste
Moral Of The Story
Like the game ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’, scissors will always beat paper by cutting it. We can’t think of any type of fabric that’d be totally free from harm if/when it was put next to a metal button for the day; there’s always a chance you’re going to end up with a t shirt with holes in it, when wearing it with jeans or trousers.
Why risk damaging a favourite, expensive or new top when you can buy yourself a pack of four Holé Button Covers for only £10 and keep those t shirt holes at bay?!