Cotton and Summers :
Every year, when we are enjoying the chilled and cozy mornings with our bed tea’s usually happening at 8–9 am, at a point we look forward at our wardrobe and think of shedding out our heavy jackets and winter wears.
Winters are no doubt best for cozy mornings, but also carry loads and loads of clothes that we need to hang up all the time on our shoulders. We get a chance to flaunt our leather jackets and boots, but at some point, we get exhausted of the weight that they come with.
And then we are ready to welcome ourselves with the bright and sunny morning, which are more refreshing and make us feel energetic — The Summers……
Wooow, one of the best things about summers is the clothes…… The colors, the feel, the warmth, and the prints are the thing we get to experiment with.
The fashion houses wait for this season to explore more and more and give their audience more creative outfits that no other season gives them to explore.
Amongst all other materials available in cloth, Cotton comes first in our minds when we talk bout summers. The feel and the warmth that cotton clothes give us cannot be compared with any other materials. The newborn baby or the age-old person, everyone loves cotton, coz of the texture and the threads through which cotton is made.
And when it comes to India, cotton is the most accepted material by almost every citizen throughout the year, because of its weather conditions of course.
But why cotton?
Let’s put up key focusing points on cotton:
What Is Cotton Fabric?
Cotton is one of the most commonly accepted fabrics in the world. This textile is chemically organic, which means that it does not contain any synthetic compounds. Cotton fabric is derived from the fibers surrounding the seeds of cotton plants, which emerge in a round, fluffy formation once the seeds are mature.
Cotton fabric has been prized for its exceptional breathability and lightness and is incredibly soft, but it has heat retention attributes that make it something like a mixture of silk and wool. cotton is more durable than silk, it is less durable than wool, and this fabric is relatively prone to pilling, rips, and tears. Nonetheless, cotton remains one of the most popular and highly produced fabrics in the world. This textile has relatively high tensile strength, and its natural coloring is white or slightly yellowish.
Cotton is very water-absorbent, but it also dries quickly, which makes it highly moisture-wicking. You can wash cotton in high heat, and this fabric drapes well on your body. It is relatively prone to wrinkling and will shrink when washed.
Cotton production begins in the spring when cotton seeds are planted. Approximately 75 percent of the world’s clothing products contain at least some amount of cotton and are the most widely used textile fiber in the world, manufacturers can spin this fabric into a myriad of different types of products. For instance, most T-shirts contain at least some amount of cotton, bathrobes, bathmats, and towels, bedsheets, blankets, duvets, curtains, wall-hangings, and other types of home decorations all use cotton fabric.
Since cotton is highly breathable and absorbent, it is commonly used to make warm-weather clothing. Its softness makes it a good option for formal and business wear, and its notable draping abilities make it an ideal fabric for dresses.
In addition to the above, manufacturers use cotton to make medical supplies, industrial threads, and tarps. In summation, cotton can be used to make practically any type of textile for consumer or industrial use.
Which country is the largest producer of Cotton?
India and China are frequently tied as the largest cotton producers in the world. According to Statista, India overtook its East Asian competitor between 2017 and 2018 by producing 6,205,000 metric tons of cotton. For comparison, China produced 5,987,000 metric tons of cotton fiber during this same period. At 4,555,000 metric tons, the USA is the next-largest producer of cotton. While these three nations produce the vast majority of the world’s cotton, other nations, such as Brazil, Pakistan, and Australia consistently produce more than 1 million metric tons of this fiber per year.
What are the Different Types of Cotton Fabric That are Available?
There are four distinct species of cotton that are used to make cotton fabric.
- Gossypium Hirsutum
- Gossypium barbadense
- Gossypium arboretum
- Gossypium herbaceum
In addition, there are several sub-varieties of cotton fabric that are made from these plant species:
Cotton Fabric Varieties
1. Short-Staple Cotton (SS): It is a type of cotton that consists of fibers that are up to 1.125 inches long. While this type of cotton is great for everyday use, it isn’t as soft as other types of cotton.
2. Long-staple cotton (LS): Long-staple (LS) cotton is a type of cotton that consists of fibers that are between 1.125 and 1.25 inches long. This type of cotton is somewhat more luxurious than SS cotton.
3. Extra-long Staple Cotton (ELS): Extra-long staple (ELS) cotton is any type of cotton that consists of fibers that are longer than 1.25 inches. ELS cotton is the most luxurious and soft type of cotton in existence.
4. Egyptian cotton: Egyptian cotton is a term that refers to certain forms of either LS or ELS cotton. Giza 45 cotton, for instance, is over 45 millimeters (1.77 inches) long, which makes it one of the longest and most luxurious varieties of cotton in existence.
5. Pima cotton: Pima cotton is a type of ELS cotton that was created through a partnership between the U.S. government and the Pima Indians in the early 20th century. It is considered to be one of the most durable forms of cotton.
6. Supima cotton: It is a type of Pima cotton that has received the blessing of the American Supima Association (ASA). To be considered “Supima,” Pima cotton can only be grown in the United States with organic cultivation practices.
Written by
Lakshmi Mishra
A Blogger and Personal Development Mentor.
