Fabric Names in Japanese

[Jared]

I was in a thrift store the other day and came across a Michael Kors jacket. Besides the label, the only other English was "Made in China" and "size L". The rest of the tags were written in what looks to me like katakana (not Chinese). The fabric felt like cotton but had a bit of a shine to it, so I'm guessing it was coarse polyester. To satisfy my curiosity, I was hoping one of our Japanese-literate members could translate the fabric tag, which was 100% of one of these:

• コツトソ
• コシトン
• コシトソ
• コツトン

(My 外人 eyes forgot to distinguish between shi and tsu, so and n when I was copying it down.)

 

[tundrafour]

コットン. Cotton.

 

[Jared]

Ah I didn't see that in a list of the transliterations for "cotton", but I suppose "kotsuton" is close enough that I should have guessed. Thanks!

 

[j]

Originally Posted by tundrafour

コットン. Cotton.

This would be useful info - can you type out how the other usual fabrics are written on tags in Japanese?

Wool, linen, cotton, hemp, acrylic, rayon, polyester, etc. Whichever ones you know.

Thanks.

 

[asobu]

Originally Posted by Jared

Ah I didn't see that in a list of the transliterations for "cotton", but I suppose "kotsuton" is close enough that I should have guessed. Thanks!

well, when the "tsu" is small it's pronounced "kotton". So, easy to guess.

cotton can also be tagged as 綿.

linen - 麻

polyester -　ポリエステル

 

[tundrafour]

Originally Posted by j

This would be useful info - can you type out how the other usual fabrics are written on tags in Japanese? Wool, linen, cotton, hemp, acrylic, rayon, polyester, etc. Whichever ones you know. Thanks.
- Wool: ウール (uru) or 羊毛 (yomo) - Cashmere: カシミヤ (kashimiya) - Linen: アサ／麻 (asa) or リネン (rinen) - Hemp: アサ／麻 (asa), sometimes ヘンプ (henpu) - Acrylic: アクリル (akuriru) - Rayon: レーヨン (reyon) The linen/hemp issue is a bit confusing to me as the same term can be used to mean either. Maybe asobu could help clarify a bit?

 

[asobu]

Originally Posted by tundrafour

The linen/hemp issue is a bit confusing to me as the same term can be used to mean either. Maybe asobu could help clarify a bit?

No, I'm confused too. I looked at some of my linen garments and they're tagged either リネン or 麻. It's only later I realized that it apparently means hemp too...

 

[j]

Interesting - I had a pair of Uniqlo jeans that had that symbol, and I had assumed they were linen/cotton blend, but someone told me it meant hemp... apparently the world will never know, since a crackhead took them. Actually though, someone else on the forum got a pair... maybe it was Tiger? I can't remember, it was a while ago. Anyway, I think I was probably right at first, most likely a linen/cotton blend since hemp blends are usually rumply-er and these were very smooth and shiny.