Fabrics Manufacturers

Identifying fabric is important. More important is the comparison of fabrics. This makes us know the true quality of a fabric by differentiating it from its substitutes. The following chart gives a complete information upon different types of fabric at a glance. It gives information about the weaves of the fabric, its characteristics and the uses, the important part of comparison.

The fabric comparision chart table given below is divided into two parts. Part one gives the characteristics of fabrics like Acetate, Acrylic, Alpaca, Angora goat, Beaver,Broadcloth, Camel Hair, Canvas, Cashmere etc. For rest of the fabrics we have another table: Fabrics Comparision Chart 2

Fabric Comparison Chart 1

Fabrics	Weaves	Characteristics	Uses
Acetate		Soft, crisp feel and durable.	Clothing, uniforms, lingerie, linings, interlinings.
Acrylic		Durable, soft and wooly feel.	Used as replacement of wool.
Alpaca	Various weaves, knits and weights.	Fine, silk-like, soft, lightweight, and warm.	Men's and Women's suits, coats, and sportswear, linings, sweaters.
Angora goat	Various weaves and knitted.	Smooth, very strong, and high luster.	Carpet, upholstery, curtain, and automobile cloth.
Angora rabbit	Various weaves and knitted.	Long, very fine, light weight, extremely warm and fluffy.	Knit wear - gloves, scarves, sweaters, etc. for children and women.
Beaver		Soft, silky, shiny.	Fur coats, trimming fur and fabric garments.
Broadcloth	Plain weave.	Closely woven with smooth finish.	Shirts, dresses, particularly the tailored type in plain colors, blouses, summer wear.
Camel hair	Twill or plain	Light weight, lustrous and soft.	Coats, women's suits, sports coats, sweaters, some blankets and put in some very expensive oriental rugs. Also used in (fine) overcoating, topcoating, hosiery and transmission belts.
Canvas	Plain.	Mostly rugged.	Hair canvas is an interfacing material in various weights.
Cashmere (Kashmir)	All weaves but mostly plain or twill. All knits.	Soft, silky and very lightweight.	Knitted into sweaters for men and women, also women's dresses.
Challis	Plain.	Soft and very lightweight.	Women's and children's dresses and blouses, kimonos, neckties, and sportswear.
Chiffon	Plain.	Lightweight, sheer, and transparent.	Evening wear, blouses and scarves.
Crepe	Mostly plain but various weaves.	Crinkled and puckered surface with rough feel and appearance.	Depending on weight, it is used for dresses of all types, including long dinner dresses, suits, and coats.
Damask	Figured on Jacquard loom.	Reversible fabric with woven pattern. Sheds dirt.
Denim	Twill - right hand - may be L2/1 or L3/1.	Originally had dark blue, brown or dark gray warp with a white or gray filling giving a mottled look and used only for work clothes. Comes in heavy and lighter weights.	Pants, caps, uniforms, bedspreads, slipcovers, draperies, upholstery, sportswear.
Douppioni	Plain.	Irregular with many slubs. It is imitated in rayon and some synthetics
Drill	Twill.	Closer, flatter wales that gabardine.	Uniforms, work clothes, slip covers, sportswear, and many industrial uses.
Flannel	Usually twill, some plain.	Soft, with a napped surface that partially cancels the weave. Dull finish. Made in a variety of weights. Shrinks if not pre-shrunk. Sags with wear, unless underlined. Does not shine or hold a crease.	Blazers, dresses, skirts, suits and coats. Boys suits, jackets, and shirts.

Check out Fabrics Comparision Chart 2 to get details of other fabrics.

Fabric Characteristics

The table given below shows the comparison of only the characteristics of few fabrics. For example, water retention is very high in cotton and the lowest in polypropylene. Same with the drying time taken, very long in cotton and vice versa in polypropylene. Cotton and wool shrinks more than polyester and nylon.

	Cotton	Wool	Polyester	Polypropylene	Nylon
Water Retention	High	High	Low	Lowest	Medium
Drying Time	Long	Long	Short	Shortest	Short
Heat Conduction (Wet)	High	Low	Low	Low	Medium
Comfort Level (Dry)	High	Medium	High	Medium	Medium
Shrinkage	High	High	Low	High	Low
Durability	Medium	Medium	High	Medium	High
Colour Choice	High	High	High	Low	High
Paddling Suitability	Low	Low	High	Medium	Medium
Camping Suitability	Medium	High	High	Medium	Medium