Forgive me the cliché, but now with the approaching winter, it's time to stock up on piles and piles of warm sweaters. Or cardigans, little sweaters, pants, or whatever, as long as it's warm. People who brave the North Pole know it well: layers. Layers layers layers, they keep you warm. Quality is definitely a priority. I have been searching for a perfect yet somewhat affordable nice sweater for quite some time, and it's quite a quest. Really pure cashmere quickly exceeds my budget, we obviously can't walk around in angora after recent discoveries, and merino wool, what exactly is that? And what are polyester, viscose, and acrylic? Call me ignorant, but I don't know that. Therefore, today in the Fashion Explorer for education and entertainment, an overview of the most common fabrics and what to look for when buying a sweater.
Wool
There are different types of sheep breeds, and thus different types of wool. Logical. The most well-known is the merinosheep. That fleece provides soft, strong, and fine wool and likewise sweaters. Lambswool for example, also provides soft and fine wool, but is also fragile due to the short fibers. So keep that in mind if you see that on the label. Cashmere is also a type of wool, coming from the cashmere goat. The reason cashmere is so incredibly expensive is that only the undercoat of the goat is used, and the coarser outer coat must be removed. The result: about 150 grams of cashmere per goat. And that's not much. Also, the goats are quite picky about where they want to live: China, Tibet, and Mongolia. Add to that the fact that they need their fleece in winter to survive temperatures of -40, and can only be sheared in spring, and voila; cash registers ring.
Acrylic
This is the best substitute for wool, should you not want to deal with itching. Acrylic is completely chemically manufactured and therefore also a lot cheaper than wool. It is soft, warm, and holds up well against wrinkles. On the downside, it absorbs moisture poorly and, above all; it pills quickly. I hate pilling, those little stupid balls that cheap sweaters always get. (By the way, I always thought that was called ‘rullen’. I casually asked in one store after another if “this sweater doesn’t pill.” Turns out that’s a way to cook minced meat. Embarrassing.)
By the way, I always thought that was called ‘rullen’. I casually asked in one store after another if “this SWEATER doesn’t pill.” Turns out that’s a way to cook MINCED MEAT. Embarrassing.
Viscose
Viscose is initially made from small pieces of wood, but that wood is then treated extensively with chemicals and even sulfuric acid. Anyone who is very into bio and eco should therefore be cautious with viscose. Just Google the production process, it's quite insane. The final fabric resembles cotton a lot. It is soft, comfortable, and lightweight. A favorite among many brands because it is low in price and not dependent on natural influences like cotton.
Polyester
Cotton is the most used material worldwide, but polyester is a good second. Polyester Gaastra jacket? Good idea. Polyester evening dress? Not so much. Polyester is light, smooth, shape-retaining, and durable. Quite the words you wouldn't directly associate with beautiful, fashionably responsible clothing. The advantage is that it dries very quickly and you don't have to iron it. But if such practical considerations were really important, we wouldn't wear 16-centimeter heels either.
In summary, preferably choose natural materials, although even with the most expensive sweaters made of the purest cashmere, you are not guaranteed a pilling-free life. If it does start to pill (or rullen), it seems to help to tackle the sweater with a razor. Smooth it out and shave it, as if it were a sheep. After scouring the internet for about half an afternoon looking for the ins and outs of all fabrics, I mainly learned that A) chemical processes are really quite difficult to understand and B), I will just keep saving for a real cashmere sweater. And that was the end of my presentation.
