Cotton is the most widely used fabric around the world. This fabric is strong, absorbent, and in its pure state, it does not contain any kind of additives. Types of cotton fabric can be used to make a huge range of different kinds of fabrics.
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Types of Raw Cotton
Cotton comes from cotton trees, then it is put through various cleaning and spun processes. After that, it was made into yarn to weave cotton fabric. 75% of the world’s clothing is made from cotton. Either pure or blended with other kinds of fibers. The types of raw cotton are:
Short staple | Rough cotton which used for daily use. |
Long staple | Smoother and softer cotton to wear. |
Extra-long staple | Luxurious and soft type cotton that is the most comfortable to wear. |
There are two types of cotton in extra-long-staple, both already verified scientifically to prove the high quality and standard:
Egyptian cotton | has the longest fiber cotton and is the most luxurious. |
Pima cotton | is the hard-wearing durable cotton grown mostly in the US. |
Types of Cotton by Weight
Different weights of cotton will produce different types of cotton fabric. There are several categories of weight, from lightweight, medium, and heavyweight. Also the grades in-between. The weight of the fabric also influences its cleaning procedures.
1. Lightweight Fabric Cotton
There are 12 types of lightweight cotton, some of them are blended with other kinds of fibers. This kind of fabric is usually used for clothing, especially children’s wear.
Broderie Anglaise | Or eyelet, because of the cut-out embroidered holes. This is pure cotton or cotton mix but light to the touch. Machine washable and needs warm heat iron on the backside. |
Cheesecloth | Has a loosely woven, rough texture finish. Needs handwashing and warm heat iron. |
Crinkle cotton or crepon | Known for the creased effect of the fabric. Machine washable then left to dry. |
Gingham | A hard-wearing fabric, weave with white and color to make the checked pattern. This fabric is machine washable. |
Lawn cotton | Plain, crisp, and smooth. Needs gentle wash dan warm iron. |
Madras cotton | Light and delicate fabric that creases easily. Needs handwashing and high heat iron. |
Muslin | Unbleached plain, long, and loose weave fabric. Machine washable and needs cool iron. |
Polycotton | This is a blend of polyester and cotton. Easy to care for and sewa up well. |
Seersucker | Woven with strips of plain fabric and puckered fabric to crease to give a seersucker effect. Machine wash with cold water and no need for ironing. |
Shirting cotton | Woven in stripes or checks, and machine washable. |
Silk cotton | Combines soft drape of silk with cotton weave. Wash it with a gentle hand or machine wash. Can be dry cleaned, and needs warm heat iron on the backside. |
Voile | This is a see-through fabric, may be plain or printed, and very soft. Needs a gentle wash and a cool iron. |