Fibers

There has been much discussion of fiber content. I was in a very well known retailer last week and ran across a very nice wrap dress with a horrific fiber content. The 80% rayon (which would have been nice) was offset by 20% nylon! The nylon was obviously added in order to reduce the cost per yard of the fabric (nylon is a very inexpensive fiber), but it made the fabric wrinkle very badly. How much did this retailer save when no one wants to buy the dress because of how badly it wrinkles? I am a bit of a fiber snob. I am not the type of person to only wear natural fibers, but I like 'good' fibers. Some polyester can look cheesy, but polyester microfiber is a very smooth fabric and has the ability to wick moisture away from the body (plus it's easy to clean and color-fast). Generally speaking, I am a fan of rayon and cotton. They are both breathable fibers, and they drape well. In terms of stretch, spandex is my favorite. I love spandex! Not that I want to see everyone walking around in clothing shellacked to their bodies, but stretch is a wonderful thing, and helps to allow the body to move freely in the clothing. Anyone who has put on tight denim without spandex knows that moving freely is a tremendously helpful thing. So fiber content can really make a difference in how well a garment works, so next time you go shopping go ahead and look at the tag.

xoxo,

Ruth