Sustainable Fashion

Slovak Brands

Selfless Purchasing

Material guide

Material composition impacts our choice of clothing. In summer, we tend to prefer lightweight materials, but in winter we choose materials that will keep us warm. Some materials we know very well, but others not at all. That is why we provide a detailed description of material composition for every non-ordinary piece we offer to our #slovflowers, to help you with your choice.

We prepared a brief materials guide for the most common materials used in the textile industry. Our textile materials can be split into two groups – natural and synthetic materials. The natural material can further be split into plant-based and animal byproducts. Materials that were obtained from natural sources but are processed as synthetic materials form a specific category.

NATURAL MATERIALS

NATURAL MATERIALS PROCESSED SYNTHETICALLY (SEMI-SYNTHETIC MATERIALS)

SYNTHETIC MATERIALS

BAMBOO

  • plant-based material
  • bamboo fiber

 

Properties: Bamboo fiber is strong and naturally antibacterial, therefore suitable for people with allergies and atopic eczema. Bamboo fiber is absorbent and cooling, similar to linen.

COTTON

        plant-based material

        fiber from cotton plant

        international abbreviation for cotton – CO

 

Properties: Cotton is breathable, relatively strong and absorbent. It retains its durability even when wet. It is not very elastic and prone to wrinkles.

Cotton satin is made from combed cotton fibers. It is very soft, light, breathable and repels water. It is soft to touch.

SILK

  • animal byproduct
  • fiber obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori (domestic silk moth)
  • international abbreviation for silk – SE

 

Properties: Silk is hypoallergenic, breathable and soft, but very strong material. It has thermoregulatory properties – cooling in the summer and warm in the winter. Silk is not prone to wrinkles and has a pearly shine. It is a high-maintenance material.

CASHMERE

  • animal byproduct
  • fiber obtained from cashmere goats

 

Properties: Cashmere is an elastic, fine, soft and light material. It has thermoregulatory properties and is better at thermal insulation than merino wool.

HEMP

  • plant-based material
  • fiber from the industrial hemp plant
  • international abbreviation for hemp – CA

 

Properties: Hemp fiber is strong and durable, but breathable. It has antibacterial and thermoregulatory properties – cooling in the summer and warm in the winter. Even after multiple washes it retains its original colour.

CORK

  • plant-based material
  • made from the bark of the cork oak tree

 

Properties: Cork is light, elastic, strong and durable material. It is waterproof and has thermal insulating properties. Cork is also hypoallergenic. It is easy to maintain – all you need is water and soap. It is a recycled material.

LEATHER

  • animal byproduct
  • made from animal skin

 

Properties: Leather is strong, elastic, durable, breathable and water-resistant. Its colour can change with use and it tends to get darker.

FUR

  • animal byproduct
  • made from animals with thick hair on their skin

 

Properties: Fur is a warm material. It is often used for aesthetic reasons.

LINEN

  • plant-based material
  • made from the fibers of the flax plant
  • international abbreviation for linen – LI

 

Properties: Linen textile is stronger and more durable, but less elastic. It is naturally smooth. People tend to prefer it mainly in summer, as it is breathable, saturating and cooling. Its main disadvantage is that it is very prone to wrinkles.

MERINO

  • animal byproduct
  • wool from merino sheep

 

Properties: Merino wool is much softer than wool from regular sheep. It is warm, light and has thermoregulatory properties. It does not itch and is very soft to touch.

MOHAIR

  • animal byproduct
  • fabric made from the hair of the Angora goat

 

Properties: Mohair is characteristically glossy. Mohair clothing does not itch or shed. It is durable and very elastic.

WOOL

  • animal byproduct
  • fabric derived from the fur of sheep or lamb

 

Properties: Wool is thermoregulatory, therefore it is cooling in the summer and warm in the winter. Sheep wool is naturally elastic, breathable and soft to touch. It has antibacterial properties, therefore clothing made from wool does not smell after wearing it. Its advantage is that it can be easily recycled. Its disadvantage lies in the fact that it dries slowly and it is not suitable for people allergic to lanolin or people with atopic eczema.

ANGORA

  • animal byproduct
  • fabric from the coat of the Angora rabbit

 

Properties: Angora wool is one of the softest natural materials. It is lighter and warmer than sheep wool. Angora wool is known for its thin fibres, and what knitters refer to as a halo. The halo essentially refers to the yarn’s fluffiness, so each strand in a finished product looks like it has a layer of fluff surrounding it. Some of its disadvantages include limited elasticity and durability.

ALPACA

  • animal byproduct
  • fabric from the coat of the Alpaca

 

Properties: Alpaca wool is stronger and more durable than sheep wool. It is soft and breathable. It also has thermoregulatory properties. It is very soft to touch.

LYOCELL

  • plant-based material processed synthetically
  • made from cellulose fibre from oak, birch or eucalyptus wood
  • international abbreviation for lyocell -CLY

 

Properties: Lyocell clothing is light, breathable, glossy and shaded. Thanks to its smoothness and softness it is nice to touch. Lyocell is strong and elastic. It has good moisture absorption, and it is antibacterial because of its moisture management property. It is also biodegradable and compostable.

 

Tencel is a lyocell type made from eucalyptus wood. Its production is more eco-friendly than regular lyocell – the production uses several chemicals, but these are less toxic and recyclable, so it produces minimal waste.

MODAL

  • plant-based material processed synthetically
  • made from regenerated cellulose fibre from beech wood
  • international abbreviation for modal – MD

 

Properties: Modal is a light, glossy and shaded fabric, which is very soft and fine. It retains its colour even after several washes. It is highly absorbent. Modal is soft to touch.

 

Micromodal (CMD) is a modal type, which combines the best properties of cotton with the softness of silk. It is a very fine, soft, breathable fabric that is not prone to wrinkles. It can absorb up to 2 times more sweat than regular cotton and it has antibacterial properties.

WASHABLE PAPER

  • plant-based material processed synthetically
  • made from regenerated cellulose from wood waste, it consist of 95% cellulose and 5% latex

 

Properties: Washable paper is an eco-friendly leather alternative. It is an elastic and durable material, but it is still quite light. Despite it being paper, it can be washed, and its main advantage is that it is waterproof. A disadvantage is that it is not biodegradable.

VISCOSE

  • plant-based material processed synthetically
  • made from regenerated cellulose fibre from spruce wood
  • international abbreviation for viscose – VI

 

Properties: Viscose is a soft and absorbent material that does not get static electricity. Its disadvantage is that it is prone to wrinkles and it is not very durable.

ACRYLIC / POLYACRYLIC

  • synthetic material
  • synthetic fiber made by processing oil
  • international abbreviation for acrylic – PAN

 

Properties: The strength and elasticity of acrylic is almost identical to that of wool. Unlike wool, it is not warm nor breathable and it retains unwanted smells. It is prone to creating lint balls and it gets static electricity, which also attracts dirt. On the other hand, it is very durable, easy to maintain and cheap to produce.

ELASTANE

  • synthetic material
  • synthetic fiber – polyurethane polymer – made by processing oil
  • international abbreviation for elastane – EL

 

Properties: Elastane or spandex is an exceptionally elastic, strong and light fiber. Its advantage is that it is not prone to wrinkles. It is soft to touch.

LYCRA

  • synthetic material
  • synthetic fiber – polyurethane polymer – made by processing oil
  • international abbreviation for lycra – LY

 

Properties: Lycra is an extremely elastic fibre, that is strong and light. It is soft to touch.

POLYAMIDE / NYLON

  • synthetic material
  • synthetic fiber made by processing oil
  • international abbreviation for polyamide – PA, PAD

 

Properties: Polyamide is light, elastic, strong and very durable. It is not prone to wrinkles. It is easy to maintain. Its disadvantage lies in its low thermoregulatory properties. It is also not very absorbent, its colour is prone to fading and it gets static electricity.

POLYESTER

  • synthetic material
  • synthetic fiber made by processing oil
  • international abbreviation for polyester – PL, PES

 

Properties: Polyester is durable, strong and light, and it is not prone to wrinkles. It is not very absorbent, but dries quickly. It is not as breathable as natural materials. However, it is a recycled textile material.

POLYVINYL CHLORIDE / PVC

  • synthetic material
  • synthetic fiber made by processing oil
  • international abbreviation for polyvinyl chloride – PVC

 

Properties: Softened PVC is elastic, durable and waterproof material. It contains chemicals, i.e., additives, which can cause an allergic reaction.

SATIN

  • synthetic material
  • synthetic fiber made by processing oil

Properties: Technical satin is similar to cotton satin. It is glossy, smooth and soft to touch. Its disadvantages include its very low absorbency, and it is prone to getting static electricity.

Sources used:

Ministry of Economy of the Slovak republic Decree that specifies the details about labeling material content and processing of textile items is available at:  www.epi.sk/zz/1999-18#p2

A list of international abbreviations can  be found at: www.lmunderwear.sk/wiki/wiki-international-abbreviations.html

Information about the materials:

Clothing Production book available at: www.soslipany.sk/Projekty/ModerneMetody/Prilohy/aktivita_1.1/U%E8ebn%FD%20materi%E1l/UZ_Odevn%E1%20v%FDroba.pdf

www.zapletky.sk/prirodne-alebo-synteticke-zorientujte-sa-v-sirokej-ponuke-priadzi/

www.lyocell.info

www.washablepaper.sk/som-pratelny-papier-tesi-ma/

www.matnet.sav.sk

The sources for the illustration photos can be found in the Impresum section.