Did you ever wonder how that gown ended up in your possession or what kind of textile material it is composed of? We know that fibers from plant, animals and even insects could be fashioned into something more useful, more versatile and more glamorous cloth but the questions is, when did we know about this? Using natural fibers in apparels may have started way back thousands of years ago but the exact date is unknown as historians realized that countries that came to discover these fibers guarded their discoveries with all their might. Flax is generally considered to be the oldest natural textile fiber and the use of it into weaving dates back to the Egyptian dynasties where flax were woven into linen and sewn as shrouds used in burying their pharaohs. Flax is grown in temperate and sub-tropical areas such as Russia, France, Belgium, Spain, Egypt, and among others. Flax is not only grown for the purpose of fabric manufacturing but also because of its oil-rich seeds. Cotton is a native to the Americas, Pakistan, Africa and India. It has been spun, woven and dyed to clothe the ancient people of India, Egypt and China. Because cotton is highly absorbent, it is generally used in making bath towels, robes, blue jeans, socks, underwear, most T-shirts, bed sheets and yarn for knitting and crochet works. In addition to garment manufacturing, cotton is also used in fishnets, coffee filters and oil from cotton seeds. It is believed that silk was discovered by a Chinese princess and silk cultivation and manufacturing were made in secret by the Chinese for over 3,000 years while India developed the silk culture when a Chinese princess married an Indian prince. This material is produced by insects but the most popular of it is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm. Due to its absorbency, it is used mainly during warm season and its low conductivity keeps the skin warm during winter. Silk is used in making lingerie, ties, blouses, formal dresses, parachutes, comforter filling, and among others. A textile fiber obtained from the hairs of animals such as sheep, goats, camel and rabbits is called wool. Wool is primarily used in the production of blankets, horse rugs and saddles, carpets and in some heavy machineries and radio speakers. It is also used as a cloth diaper covers because of its hydrophobic characteristics that repel water and the interior of the wool is used as a covering for wet diapers because of its ability to attract water thus the outer portion remain dry. At present, this remains the most versatile such that its quality has never been duplicated by man-made or synthetic fiber. The quality of natural fibers have never been surmounted or equaled though fibers have been synthetically-made recently. The competition has brought a positive effect to the consumers as they are given an option to choose from.
Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
