Fibers, Part 2: Plant Fibers - Cotton and Linen

Hello everyone!

This is the second installment of our series on "plant fibers."

If you haven't read the previous article, please see the link at the bottom of this page.

Now, let's talk about "plant fibers."

Plant fibers are classified into the following five types:

"Seed hair fibers"

"Bast fibers"

"Leaf vein fibers"

"Fruit fibers"

"Others"

As the names suggest, these are all named after the parts of the plant that become fibers.

Seed hair fibers are made from the seed hairs that protect the seeds, such as cotton.

Bast fibers are made from the inner layer of the plant's outer layer, such as linen (flax, ramie).

Leaf vein fibers are made from the veins of the leaves, such as Manila hemp.

Fruit fibers are made from the fibers of the fruit, such as coconut.

Others include straw and rushes. Of these, cotton and linen are probably the most familiar.

Cotton is one of the most representative fibers, having been used in clothing since ancient times.

Cotton fibers have a hollow structure and are naturally twisted.

This hollow structure is the secret to cotton's "water absorption," one of its defining characteristics.

It can store moisture in this space, resulting in high water absorption.

Other characteristics of cotton include "pleasant feel," "increased strength when wet," "easy to dye," "good breathability," "yellowing when exposed to sunlight," and "shrinkage when washed."

And even within cotton, there are different types.

Among them, those with longer and finer fibers are considered higher quality.

Let's look at the types of cotton by fiber length.

Long-fiber cotton

* Sea Island cotton: A particularly high-quality cotton produced around the West Indies. Fine, long, lustrous, and soft to the touch. A cotton used by the British Royal Family. Cultivated only in limited areas, yields are very low.

* Egypt: Giza cotton. Giza 45 and Giza 70 varieties, in particular, have exceptionally long fibers and superior strength.

* USA: Supima cotton. An improved variety of Peruvian Pima cotton.

* China: Xinjiang cotton.

* Peru: Pima cotton.

These are examples.

Giza cotton, Supima cotton, and Xinjiang cotton are considered the world's three finest cottons and are representative of high-quality cotton.

They are mainly used in high-end shirts, dresses, and sheets.

* Cotton with medium fiber length:

* USA: Upland cotton.

* Mexican cotton.

* Brazilian cotton.

These are examples.

Most cotton falls into this category, meaning that most of the cotton we encounter in our daily lives has medium fiber length.

* Cotton with short fiber length:

* Pakistani cotton.

* Indian cotton.

These are examples. Although thick and short, this cotton is elastic and used in bedding and towels.

On the other hand, hemp is also a plant fiber that has been used since ancient times.

There are mainly two types of hemp that we use for clothing.

One is "flax"

The other is "ramie."

Characteristics of hemp include "strong body and resilience," "crisp texture," "high water absorption and moisture absorption," "becomes stronger when wet," and "wrinkles easily."

"Flax" is also called "linen," and many people may be more familiar with this term these days.

It differs slightly from the general image of hemp; its texture is supple and closer to cotton. It is characterized by its short, thin fibers.

"Ramie," on the other hand, is also called "ramie."

This type of hemp is characterized by its long, thick fibers, a silky luster, and is the strongest of all natural fibers. Linen clothing is often used for summer wear due to its coolness.

Besides clothing, its strength makes it a popular fiber for materials such as ropes and burlap sacks.

Recap:

Plant fibers are divided into five types: "seed hair fibers," "bast fibers," "leaf vein fibers," "fruit fibers," and "others."

Cotton is classified by fiber length; longer and thinner fibers are considered higher quality.

It has high water absorption and is used in underwear.

Linen clothing is divided into "flax" and "ramie." Flax has thin, short fibers with a texture similar to cotton, while ramie has thick, long fibers and is the strongest of all natural fibers. Its coolness makes it suitable for summer clothing.

Next time, we will introduce "animal fibers" in detail.

Thank you for reading this far.

References

Aichi Prefectural Textile Promotion Association (2016) "TEXTILE HANDBOOK"

Teruhiko Ichimi (2014) "Easy-to-Understand Knowledge of Apparel Materials, Revised Edition" Seiunsha

etc.

Next article here ↓