Knitted fabric is a widely‑used textile material. Thanks to its outstanding soft texture, it is adopted by numerous garment manufacturers and serves as a common raw material for apparel production. According to different weaving processes, knitted fabrics are mainly divided into two categories: weft‑knitted fabrics and warp‑knitted fabrics. They differ in raw materials, properties and product types, which are described in detail below.
I. Weft‑knitted Fabrics
Weft‑knitted fabrics have a wide selection of raw materials, such as low‑elastic polyester yarn, profiled polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, cotton yarn, wool yarn and other textile materials. Such fabrics deliver balanced overall performance with favorable elasticity and extensibility, soft hand‑feel, good wear‑resistance and wrinkle‑resistance, and prominent wool‑like texture. They are also easy to wash and quick‑drying, bringing great convenience for daily wear and maintenance.
Nevertheless, weft‑knitted fabrics have certain drawbacks. Their moisture absorption is mediocre, and finished fabrics lack sufficient stiffness. They are prone to unraveling and edge‑rolling during use. For chemical‑fiber weft‑knitted fabrics, problems such as pilling and snagging may also occur.
Various weft‑knitted fabrics are available in the market, including yarn‑dyed polyester knitted fabric, polyester knitted workwear fabric, polyester knitted corduroy‑striped fabric, polyester‑covered‑cotton knitted fabric, artificial fur knitted fabric and velvet knitted fabric, suitable for multiple garment‑making scenarios.
II. Warp‑knitted Fabrics
Warp‑knitted fabrics are mainly made of synthetic filament yarns such as polyester, polyamide, vinylon and polypropylene. They can also be woven from cotton, wool, silk, linen and various blended chemical‑fiber yarns, supporting a broad range of raw materials.
Compared with weft‑knitted fabrics, warp‑knitted fabrics show distinct advantages. They feature excellent longitudinal dimensional stability, smooth and stiff surface, low risk of unraveling and edge‑rolling, good air permeability, as well as neat and durable shaping performance.
Major warp‑knitted fabrics include polyester warp‑knitted fabric, warp‑knitted pile fabric, warp‑knitted mesh fabric, warp‑knitted velour fabric and warp‑knitted terry fabric. With consistent quality, they are widely applied in manufacturing various garments and textile products.
In addition, knitted denim is a distinctive type among knitted fabrics. It boasts flexible designs and rich varieties. Garments made of knitted denim feature strong three‑dimensional effect and attractive silhouettes, gaining high recognition in the market.
With the above introduction, you can gain clear knowledge of the two major categories, core characteristics and common varieties of knitted fabrics. It helps you distinguish different knitted fabrics and provides references for fabric and garment selection.
