Print And Cotton Quality
C O M B E D Q U A L I T Y O F C O T T O N C L O T H I N G
One of the most important prerequisites for creating a long-lasting and sustainable wardrobe is buying high-quality clothing. However, in order to be able to put together such a wardrobe, one must be able to evaluate the quality of the fabric. There are vast differences between well-made clothing that will last a long time and fast-fashion products that lose their shape quickly, do not last more than one season, or even cause unpleasant skin irritations. So it’s important to know what distinguishes high-quality clothing from inferior garments and how to recognize these characteristics before buying.
To help you with future purchases not only in our store but anywhere online, here is an introduction on how to identify high-quality cotton clothing. In this article, our focus is on cotton, the main fabric used to create basics and essentials.
C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S O F H I G H - Q U A L I T Y C L O T H I N G
Before we go into the details of how to find high-quality fabrics, it’s also worth describing what quality means and what distinguishes a premium garment from an inferior one. There are several key factors that define quality:
Longevity: A garment should last longer than just a few months. You should not have to worry that your clothes will tear apart when putting them on or taking them off.
Resistance: All garments should keep their shape. Even after many washes, clothing should not wear out, shrink or twist.
Dye: Colors should not fade. Instead, colors should look deep and fresh even after years of wear and washing cycles.
Drape: Everyone prefers fabrics with a natural drape that are used to design flattering clothing.
Comfort: The fabric must feel good on the skin. Nobody wants a scratchy T-Shirt.
Style: Of course, we want clothes that are not only objectively high quality but also subjectively show that quality.
Fulfilling some or all of these requirements costs time but above all money. Therefore, it is difficult to discover really good quality at extremely low prices. From our research stores that have t-shirts in the range of 15 USD to 35 USD they are using low quality mix cotton or cotton with polyester, or wrong blended one. It will be still 100% cotton is some cases but it won't last long. Of course, it is tempting for most of us to buy an initially great looking piece at a discount price but more often we would advise you to check the composition of any garments that your are buying.
But there is also another factor: sustainability. Even if quality and sustainable production methods are not always directly related, most sustainable small fashion brands also our brand have an ethos that pays extra attention to quality. This is in part because owning a high-quality piece that lasts a long time or even a lifetime is, of course, more sustainable than constantly buying new clothes and throwing them away.
F I R S T I M P R E S S I O N S
Most of us judge a garment by its first impression. Only a few take the time to take a detailed look at the quality. First of all, it is important to see the garment as a whole: a great finish, for example, is of little use if the fabric is of poor quality and vice versa.
D U R A B I L I T Y , S O F T N E S S , B R E A T H A B I L I T Y
Even with 100% cotton fabrics, there are huge differences in quality. Cotton is very popular because it is versatile, relatively inexpensive and, when it’s good quality, also durable. Some of the quality characteristics we have listed above are a matter of taste, such as ‘look’ and ‘drape’, but the following features can be used to objectively judge the quality of cotton fabrics.
Durability: Fabrics made from long-staple fibres are normally higher quality because they are spun into a finer yarn. This makes the resulting fabric stronger and more durable.
Softness: The length of the fibres is also important for the softness of the material. This is because with short fibres their ends cannot finish cleanly, whereas long fibres are woven more evenly into the fabric.
Breathability: One reason why some fabrics are less breathable than others are the tiny air pockets between the individual threads, which provide thermal insulation. Finely combed cotton can be woven very tightly to avoid air pockets and the unpleasant sweaty feeling.
Note the most fundamental quality characteristic of cotton is the length (or staple) of the individual fibres and how finely they are combed – this affects the points above directly.
Haptics: The tactility test. You can easily tell the quality of cotton by its touch: cotton fabrics made from 100% combed or ELS (extra-long staple), or finely combed cotton feels smooth and nearly silky. Cheaper varieties often lack this softness, unless they are made from inferior polyester blends.
Obviously, touching the fabric is not an option when shopping online: but you can be sure that brands using high-quality cotton varieties, like ELS or Combed, will mention this on their website and product description.
Optics: The light test. If you are able to physically touch the garment before buying, another trick is to hold it against the light. Even very thin fabrics should not appear fully transparent. If the fabric lets a lot of light through, it is a sign that it is not knitted or woven very densely and is, therefore, likely to lose shape and wear out easily.
Finishing: The uniformity test. Since cotton is spun to create a yarn, it is easy to inspect the individual threads. These should be even and not show any gaps. Up close, all you should see is a regular pattern of smooth rows.
P R I N T M E T H O D A N D Q U A L I T Y A T M A Y L W E A R
Rubber transfer printing made on Japanese cotton garments is a heat printing method in which material is applied to paper (or some other material) by melting a coating of ribbon so that it stays glued to the material on which the print is applied. Our rubber thermal transfer is a high-quality process. We developed it under strict conditions to keep the highest-quality in graphics. As you can see below the print does not contain the fabric texture, the edges are sharp and colour white on black fabrics stays white.
Digital printing is a type of computer printing that recreates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto fabrics. It is a completely different method than rubber transfer printing... so where is the difference? In this case, ink is absorbed by the fabric and gaining its texture. In some cases, the graphic can lose a bit of its sharpness and clearness, and white colour ink because is absorbed by the fabric can change the brightness. The sharpness can be caused also by the method of how the fabric is weaved. Some garments are having moss on top of the fabric and grainy texture (called raw cotton). It can cause but its very natural process the edges of the graphic to be a bit smudged in the process of print.