Getting Lost
When traditions get passed down from generation to generation, mystery and myth slowly surround them. A collection of rumors gather like a haze over glass, obscuring the original. To re-discover the essence is not necessarily hard to do. Sweeping away the dust, and getting to the basics, helps to reset the purpose and application of a tradition. In the case of properties of natural materials, this applies effectively to cotton and the textiles made from it
What is cotton?
It is a plant which flowers “bolls” or fluffy flowers of millions of fine hair-like strands Bolls are picked off the plant to convert into yarn, which is then woven into fabric
Let us look at some common beliefs which have spread more recently with the help of the internet and social media
1. "Cotton is not good for the planet because it needs too much water to grow."
True or untrue?
That belief implies that cotton should be easy to grow in the Amazon, or the Pacific Northwest where there is plenty of rain and water. But it does not grow there. Instead cotton thrives in Egypt, The Deccan Plateau, parts of Turkey, inner China, and other similar climates. Those are all dry and hot with lower rainfall. So you decide what is true
Bonus: these are parts of the world where labor is cheaper to pick and process cotton and so it serves financially weaker sections of society
2. "Cotton fabrics consume hundreds, or thousands of gallons of water which is all wasted"
True or untrue?
Textile goods indeed require very large quantities of water to bleach, dye or wash them. Simultaneous it is also true that this water is not actually wasted. Most chemicals used for cotton, can be filtered out so much of that water returns safely to the water table. A lot of water is used, yes! But only a small proportion can be considered wasted
Compare: Petroleum based textiles include synthetics like polyester, nylon, acrylic etc. They consume even more water to begin with, and release extremely harmful chemicals into the water which are very hard to extract. That poisons water for hundreds of years. That is real waste. Those chemicals are in several water tables leading to a high rate of cancer among the people who consume it
Cotton is a sustainable plant material. More cotton textiles, implies less synthetic fabrics. That would reduce waste of water. Cotton is naturally hypoallergenic and does not itch in contact with skin like synthetics. The great thing is that it can also be organically grown
Let us understand cotton a little more before some specific beliefs can be tackled...
What and How - Strength and Weakness of woven cotton
The fine hair of the cotton boll are picked apart, aligned and twisted to form strands of yarn, or what we may call very fine cotton thread. Yarn is then criss-crossed, in a basket weave, to make fabric
A fisherman’s net. It is also made with strings criss-crossing each other. There is plenty of space between the strings to let water out, but keep fish from escaping. For garments, towels and kitchen textiles, we have to bring the strands of yarn closer and hold them tighter
Twisted yarn: For a fisherman to moor his boat, the rope has to be twisted like a braid, in order to be strong enough. Thinner rope is braided to make a thicker rope. Exactly the same way thinner strands of yarn can be twisted. When twisted yarn is used instead of plain yarn, the fabric is considerably stronger and longer lasting; it gives off lesser lint and develops holes less easily. If twisted yarn is criss-crossed in both directions of the weave, you get premium quality cotton fabric
3. "Soft fabric is a sign that it is superior quality."
True or untrue?
Soft fabric is of two types: It is either limp or well formed.
Loose weaving makes fabric feel soft, because it is limp. Soft fabric can absorb be made with denser weaving. To achieve that, long staple cotton is chosen so it can be woven into fine (thin) yarn like what you see in handkerchiefs. That makes the fabric better formed but still soft
But to understand “superior quality”, the density of weave is the determining factor - not softness
Density: If you pick up a tea towel in your kitchen, and hold it up at arm’s length against daylight from a window, you can either:
a) see that window and also easily make out other objects through it, OR
b) you see only light and shade - light from the window and shadows of objects
A denser and tighter weave will not reveal specific objects like the looser weave. In the first case, the fabric is more like a net. In the second case, you have more cotton, more material, and tighter-stronger fabric. That is what lends quality to the product made from such fabric and longer lasting value
Expensive - Quality and Cost:
For a customer, the see-through-light test is a simple way of estimating quality. A combination of twisted yarn and tighter weave consumes more cotton and better quality of cotton to make the fabric more expensive. It is understandable that commercial decisions might force companies to make compromises to manage costs. But if you are armed with real info, you can judge what makes more sense for your budget
Bonus: If you fabric has a denser surface, printed designs look sharper and cleaner. In the long run you get much higher in value when that fabric or textile product lasts for years
Now you know!