It goes without saying that sweater is one of the ‘must have’ items in every wardrobe throughout fall and winter. But, how do you choose the right one for it? There are so many different types of sweater materials out in the market – it is important to know what you are looking for in a sweater and which materials that will satisfy your needs, function, feel and personal style. We have gathered a handy guide to help you choose the perfect sweater to add to your collection for the season.
Cashmere
Cashmere is one of the most expensive materials for sweaters. it comes from goats where they live in the Gobi Desert and Himalayan regions of Asia. Cashmere fibres are a natural wool fibre that offer warmth, lightweight, and softness. It is rare to find sweaters made of 100% cashmere regarding the cost. It is more common to find it being blended with other fibres, such as other wools, cotton, acrylic, and polyester. If you are looking to own a cashmere sweater, you should look for one that is at least made of 75% cashmere fibre to ensure that you will have the above functions and quality that last for years.
Wool
Wool is the most common material for making sweaters. It can come from various animals but the most commonly used ones are merino sheep and alpaca. Wool gives the good keep warm property, comfort, and weatherproof because it could absorb up to 30% of its weight in water. Wool can also be blended with other fibres to make it more comfortable to wear and prevent itchiness.
Acrylic
Acrylic is a synthetic fibre. It was first invented to replace and mimic wool with the property of strong, warm, and lightweight. It also has the excellent heat-retention and good moisture-wicking properties. It is usually blended with wool in sweaters to increase the water resistance of wool. Acrylic is also widely used in winter accessories like beanies, gloves, scarves.
Polyester
Polyester is also a synthetic fibre, which is hydrophobic and excellent moisture-wicking. The fibre shows a very low tendency to absorb water thatlets water pass through without getting soaked. Polyester is more breathable compared to acrylic, but less than natural fibres. Polyester gives artificial feel and is more widely used in outerwear and jacket for its durability and unfading.
Cotton
Cotton is a natural fibre with plant-based which is grown around the world and popular used in variety of clothing. Cotton is less insulating and breathable, soft and comfortable to wear. Therefore, cotton is more common to use in spring and summer, or in warm countries.
Acrylic provides good performance in sweaters, warmth, good hand-feel, and at an affordable price. However, pilling is still considered as a major problem when it comes to synthetic fibres. You can put your pilling worry asides as we offer one of our specialty acrylic fibre products to your solution: Pilbloc™. Pilbloc™ undergoes the chemical treatments during the production process, which ensures its durability of anti-piling function and long-lasting use. It also gives a very soft hand-feel and it is very comfortable to wear.
For more information, please feel free to email us at marketing.taf@adityabirla.com.