Practitioners in the garment and fabric industries, as well as ordinary consumers when shopping for clothes, often encounter pitfalls due to insufficient professional fabric knowledge. Below are 56 basic textile facts compiled in Q‑and‑A format, covering fiber classification, fabric properties, craftsmanship, care instructions and garment sizing to quickly build fundamental fabric knowledge.
- 1. What are the two major categories of fiber raw materials?
Natural fibers and chemical fibers. - 2. What varieties do natural fibers include?
Cotton, linen, wool and silk fabrics. - 3. What are the six synthetic fibers commonly known as "Six Synthetic Fibers"?
Polyester, polyamide (nylon), acrylic, vinylon, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride fiber. - 4. What are the six properties of knitted fabrics?
Extensibility, moisture‑absorbing & air‑permeable property, warmth retention, elasticity, unraveling property and edge‑rolling property. - 5. What are the five main categories of textiles?
Cotton fabrics, linen fabrics, woolen fabrics, silk fabrics and chemical‑fiber fabrics. - 6. What is polyester‑cotton blended fabric and what are its features?
Woven with 65‑67% polyester and 33‑35% cotton, commonly known as cotton dacron. Advantages: combining merits of polyester and cotton; good wear‑resistance and elasticity both wet and dry; stable dimension with low shrinkage; stiff shape and wrinkle‑resistance; quick‑drying after washing. Cautions: avoid high‑temperature ironing and prolonged soaking in boiling water. - 7. What is plain‑jersey knitted fabric?
A single‑sided knit formed by successive loops of one single yarn along the cross‑wise direction. - 8. What is rib‑knitted fabric and its characteristics?
Longitudinal loops are alternately formed on both fabric faces by one yarn. It retains the features of plain jersey including unraveling, edge‑rolling and stretchability, with much better elasticity than ordinary plain‑jersey fabric. - 9. What is pure‑cotton woven fabric and how many types are there?
Woven fabric interlaced by warp and weft cotton yarns. It falls into four types: grey fabric, dyed fabric, printed fabric and yarn‑dyed fabric. - 10. What is polyester?
Commercial name for polyethylene terephthalate fiber, also called dacron. It is melt‑spun from synthetic resin made of petroleum and coking by‑products. - 11. What are the core advantages of pure‑cotton fabric?
Warmth retention, moisture absorption, heat resistance, alkali resistance, skin‑friendliness and hygiene. - 12. Features of mercerized cotton fabric?
A high‑grade cotton material, lighter and softer than ordinary cotton, non‑irritating to skin, with outstanding moisture absorption and air permeability. - 13. Advantages and disadvantages of polyester fabric?
Wrinkle‑resistant, wear‑resistant and good shape retention; disadvantages: poor air permeability and prone to static electricity. - 14. What fabric does corduroy belong to and what are its properties?
Cotton fabric, soft‑handled, sturdy and durable. - 15. What is washed fabric and what are its advantages?
Fabrics made of cotton, silk, chemical fiber etc. processed by special washing treatment. It has soft luster and supple hand‑feel with natural subtle worn‑in wrinkles; resistant to deformation and fading and no‑iron for easy care. High‑quality washed fabric has even short nap on surface with distinctive style. - 16. Simple identification of rayon, real silk and polyester filament
Rayon: harsh luster, relatively stiff hand‑feel, cool sensation when wet; numerous wrinkles after clenching and releasing; easy to break when wet; big difference in elasticity between wet and dry state. Real silk: mild and soft luster, fine and smooth hand‑feel, producing unique silk scroop when rubbed; few wrinkles after release; consistent elasticity wet or dry. Polyester filament: strong reflection, stiff fabric with fast rebound, wrinkle‑resistant, sturdy and hard to tear. - 17. Advantages and disadvantages of common fabrics?
① Cotton: pros‑soft, skin‑friendly and sweat‑absorbent; cons‑wrinkle‑prone, shrinkage & fading, moderate elasticity and durability ② Linen: pros‑breathable, comfortable and cost‑effective; cons‑slightly prickly touch, poor elasticity, easy fading ③ Wool: pros‑wrinkle‑resistant and elastic; cons‑itchy against skin, prone to mildew and moth in storage ④ Polyester: high elasticity, sturdy fabric and smooth surface ⑤ Real silk: skin‑friendly, comfortable and elastic; cons‑wrinkle‑prone, moth‑susceptible and subject to shrinkage ⑥ Rayon: metallic‑like luster, coarse and stiff hand‑feel - 18. What is resin finishing and its pros and cons for treated textiles?
Resin finishing is a post‑treatment applying organic resin auxiliaries to fabrics. Advantages: improving wrinkle resistance, no‑iron performance and quick‑dry property; mitigating pilling of chemical‑fiber fabrics; enhancing elasticity and shape retention. Disadvantages: reduced tensile strength and wear resistance; improper treatment may leave peculiar odor, yellowing or fabric damage. - 19. Are cotton‑polyester fabric and polyester‑cotton fabric the same?
No. Polyester‑cotton (65% polyester /35% cotton) features higher wear‑resistance and stiffness. Cotton‑polyester is cotton‑dominant with better moisture absorption and price close to pure cotton. - 20. What methods are available for textile identification?
Four methods: burning test, microscopic observation, hand‑feel & visual inspection and chemical reagent test. - 21. What is yarn count? What are high‑count, medium‑count and low‑count yarns?
Symbol S denotes yarn count for measuring cotton yarn thickness. Yarns above 29S are high‑count; 18S‑28S medium‑count; below 18S low‑count. - 22. What is clothing?
Articles worn on human body for protection and decoration. - 23. What are three key factors determining garment quality?
Color, silhouette and material. - 24. What contents must be included in textile and garment care labels?
(1) Registered trademark and manufacturer name; (2) Model and specification; (3) Fiber composition and content; (4) Special performance (flame retardancy, moth‑proof, water‑proof, anti‑shrink etc.); (5) Washing instructions; (6) Wearing precautions; (7) Storage conditions and notes; (8) Qualification statement; (9) Manufacturer address. - 25. How many body‑shape codes are there for men’s and women’s garments?
Four: Y‑type, A‑type, B‑type and C‑type. - 26. What are size codes for tops?
Tops: 36, 38, 40, 42, 44 - 27. Two marking systems for trousers sizes?
S, M, L, XL or numeric sizes such as 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 etc. - 28. Size correspondence for T‑shirts?
S M L XL XXL correspond to 46 48 50 52 54 and also correspond to 2 3 4 5 6 - 29. Typical foot length for adult men’s socks?
25CM‑28CM - 30. What do dots on ironing symbols mean and corresponding temperatures?
One dot: low‑temperature iron, 110℃; two dots: medium‑temperature iron, 150℃; three dots: high‑temperature iron, 200℃. - 31. Common material Chinese‑English reference?
LINEN‑‑Linen COTTON‑‑Cotton NYLON‑‑Nylon WOOL‑‑Wool RAYON‑‑Cotton rayon SILK‑‑Silk VISCOSE‑‑Viscose POLYESTER‑‑Polyester - 32. What is shrinkage rate and typical shrinkage values for fabrics?
Shrinkage rate is the percentage dimension reduction after washing or soaking. Synthetic fiber and blended fabrics have the lowest shrinkage; followed by wool and linen; cotton is intermediate; silk shows relatively high shrinkage; viscose, cotton rayon and artificial wool rank highest. General reference: cotton 4‑10%, chemical fiber 4‑8%, cotton‑polyester 3.5‑5.5%. - 33. Trousers size conversion among inch, centimeter and Chinese chi, and dry‑clean symbol meaning?
29 inch=73cm=2.2 chi; 30=76cm=2.3 chi; 31=79cm≈2.37 chi; 32=82cm≈2.46 chi; 33=85cm≈2.55 chi; 34=88cm≈2.64 chi; 36=91cm≈2.73 chi; 38=94cm≈2.82 chi; 40=100cm=3 chi. Symbol O means dry‑cleanable; P permits multiple dry‑cleaning processes. - 34. What does washing symbol F mean?
Washable; F means alcohol may be used during washing. - 35. What does L175/100A stand for?
Size L for standard A‑type figure with height 175cm and chest circumference 100cm. - 36. Garment size conversion standards?
1 Chinese chi ≈13 inch; 16 inch=40CM; 33 inch=2.5 Chinese chi; Chinese XL equals European size 52 - 37. What does mark "T25" on fabric mean?
T stands for polyester; T25 means 25% polyester content. - 38. Regulations for cashmere content labeling?
Fabrics containing over 95% cashmere may be marked as 100% cashmere; the remaining 5% must be wool, no other fibers allowed. - 39. Classification of suits?
Formal suits (two‑piece or three‑piece sets) and casual single jackets. - 40. How to distinguish formal trousers from casual trousers?
Judged by bottom‑hem stitching: formal trousers use blind‑stitch hem; casual trousers show exposed double‑stitch seam allowance. - 41. What is the dominant fabric for casual wear?
Polyester‑cotton blend. - 42. What are the focuses for casual‑wear design and wearing?
Loose silhouette and casual styling. - 43. Primary fabrics for neckties?
Real silk and polyester filament. - 44. Notes for garment display?
Neat top and aligned bottom; minimum 5 pieces for winter goods; minimum 8 pieces for summer goods. - 45. Classification of pure‑cotton fabrics by coloring process?
Grey fabric, dyed fabric, printed fabric and yarn‑dyed fabric - 46. Main fabrics for batik garments?
Cotton and real silk. - 47. Main materials for underwear and their features?
Divided into natural and man‑made. Natural: silk‑fine, soft and breathable, cool in summer and warm in winter; cotton‑sweat‑absorbent and warm; linen‑refreshing. Man‑made: nylon and polyester‑wear‑resistant, easy‑wash, quick‑dry and wrinkle‑resistant. - 48. How to select knitted undershirts and singlets?
Focus on style, size, weave pattern, material and surface defects. - 49. Storage notes for leather garments?
Avoid heavy compression; store in dry wardrobe; ventilate during rainy seasons; wrap camphor balls in paper for moth and mildew prevention. - 50. Storage guidelines for various textile fabrics?
Silk: wash in neutral detergent at low temperature, dry in shade, no rubbing, moth‑proof; Cotton: moisture‑proof, avoid over‑exposure to sunlight; Wool: dry‑clean, no hanging‑stretch, moth‑proof; Linen & man‑made fiber: seldom subject to moth damage or corrosion, no special storage requirements. - 51. Treatment and prevention for yellowed white cotton textiles?
Soak with chlorine‑containing bleach for brightening; keep dry in daily use and reduce sun exposure. - 52. Washing methods for different fabrics?
Cotton: wash at 30℃, no bleach, medium‑temperature iron, dry in shade; Real silk: hand‑wash in cold water, do not wring, low‑temperature iron, no camphor balls; Wool: ≤30℃ with neutral detergent, no chlorine bleach, lay flat to dry in shade, medium‑temperature iron; Polyester: hand‑wash or machine‑wash, medium‑temperature iron; Linen: hand‑wash or machine‑wash, no bleach, low‑temperature iron, tumble‑dry allowed. - 53. Ironing and storage tips for wool sweaters?
1. Must clean before storage; sweat and stains easily trigger mildew and moth damage; 2. Pre‑treat heavy stains and remove surface dust with clean water; 3. Gently squeeze‑wash in neutral lukewarm water, avoid vigorous rubbing to prevent loop deformation; 4. Avoid prolonged direct sunlight; iron lining first then outer surface. - 54. Washing notes for cotton textiles?
Avoid long‑time soaking and limit sun‑exposure duration. - 55. How to wash real‑silk garments?
Hand‑wash in cold water, no hard rubbing; alkaline soap prohibited; use acidic care products; drip‑dry in cool shade. - 56. How should neckties be cleaned?
Dry‑clean only.
