The Best Fabrics In The World For Tailored Men’s Dress Shirt
The fabric of choice in dress shirts is cotton. The natural breathability, comfortable feel, and overlay of cotton is what makes it so popular for shirt making. Polyester/cotton mixes can be found on occasion for dress shirts that need specific characteristics such as extra strength or wrinkle resistance. Though the polyester is usually the smaller ratio in the blend, otherwise the fabric will lack in breathability. Some dress shirts have silk blended in with the cotton, and this gives the shirt a strong sheen, though it loses some breathability.
Originally the dress shirt was always white, though in time this naturally changed and now you will find shirts with many vibrant colours and patterns. In country areas the checked patterns gained popularity quickly, and in the city, metropolitan areas the stripped shirts took over. The next section goes over the variations of fabrics used in the making of fine shirts.
Egyptian Cotton, as well as other luxury cottons, is characterized by its extra long staples (cotton fibers). Grown in the rich soil and humid conditions of the Nile River Valley, Egyptian cotton is incredibly strong, yet maintains a soft feel and lustrous appearance. The characteristic that gives Egyptian cotton its appeal as a luxury fabric for dress shirts is its ability to maintain crispness while remaining soft. Moreover, its staples are remarkably absorbent. For this reason it is often used for bath products, such as towels or bathrobes. Also, this absorbent quality allows it to absorb dyes better than many other fabrics — making it ideal for dress shirts with bold, strong colors. If cared for properly, this cotton can last for decades.
In the 19th century the modern founder of Egypt, Mohammad Ali Pasha, brought Gossypium barbadense, a species of cotton, to Egypt to be cultivated. This turned out to be a huge success as the fertile moist lands just around the Nile were perfect for the cotton. During the Civil War in the United States there was a lack of cotton growth, so Egypt filled the demand and made it’s cotton famous around the world.
The other famous cotton in men’s luxury dress shirts is Sea Island cotton. Just off the coast of Georgia, in the United States, are the Sea Islands. This cotton comes from the same species as it’s rival Egyptian Cotton, and in fact is very similar. It is also a extra long staple, though it is ever so slightly softer than Egyptian. Both cottons are on a level playing ground, and most consider it a matter of personal preference which fabric they prefer.
Sea Island cotton is from the Gossypium barbadense species. During the American Civil War, cotton growers attempted to relocate and introduce this cotton to Bermuda, but were unsuccessful because Bermuda does not have the specific climate conditions that this cotton plant requires. These very rare climate conditions are found in the Sea Islands, and that is what makes Sea Island cotton one of the world’s most sought after cottons for dress shirts.
One of the most widely used cottons is Pima. From America, cultivated in the southwest states, it is the most widely used cotton. Despite lacking the prestige of Egyptian or Sea Island cotton, it is still incredibly strong and commonly used amongst luxury shirt tailors.
Pima Native Americans were the first to cultivate this cotton, and that is why it is named Pima. In the 1900s the United States Department of Agriculture started a campaign to cultivate the Pima cotton across America. By the mid century a pima seed was developed that had an increase in strength and yield. From this Pima cotton took off and became the most popular cotton in the United States.
The most common cotton in this day in age is Upland cotton. Not often used in luxury shirt making, this fabric now accounts for the majority of production in America. It comes in long and short staples.
Upland cotton is from the Gossypium hirsutum species, and is often referred to as “Mexican Cotton,” as evidence shows it has been cultivated for nearly 5000 years in the Tehuacan Valley of Mexico.
Polyester is often used in small ratios blended with cotton due to its wrinkle resistance characteristics. This is because the synthetic polyester fiber is much stiffer than cotton, which also makes it feel stiffer. Unfortunately polyester does not have the breathability of cotton, thus it feels very warm when worn. Due to this fact it is used in smaller ratio blends- such as 80 percent cotton and 20 percent polyester. This ratio will provide wrinkle resistance while keeping the natural feel and breathability of the cotton. A hundred percent polyester is virtually wrinkle free, though this is not practical as the fabric is very uncomfortable- out of the question for luxury shirt makers. Another alternative to polyester is viscose. Unlike polyester it had breathability qualities, often better than cotton.
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