What do you feel about fabric blends????

[nighttrain7404]

I've been a stickler for 100% fabrics..but have been reconsidering as of late.

I've got some Ben Sherman shirts that hare 90% cotton 10% viscose or some sort of stretch nylon and they form fit quite well.

Even a John Varvatos pin striped suit I looked at recently that was 1200 dollars was 95% wool 5% cashmere.

Are other members concerned about Fabric blends or not really?

 

[skalogre]

For the last two custom shirts I got from Land's End I chose to go for cotton/synthetic blend. Those will be shirts I will use primarily when I would rather deal with less softness than with more wrinkling.

 

[Jovan]

The suit fabric is fine. The shirt, not really. Generally you should stick to natural fibre blends.

 

[Sator]

Blends of fabric are absolutely fine and is often desireable. Blending can result in a fabric that has the best of both of the fibres that go into it. A touch of cashmere will give wool a soft hand but keep the general advantages of wool. A bit of wool or silk will help linen keep it's shape and be less crinkly. Wool blended into mohair will mask the latter's tendency to become shiney.

 

[nighttrain7404]

Originally Posted by Sator

Blends of fabric are absolutely fine and is often desireable. Blending can result in a fabric that has the best of both of the fibres that go into it. A touch of cashmere will give wool a soft hand but keep the general advantages of wool. A bit of wool or silk will help linen keep it's shape and be less crinkly. Wool blended into mohair will mask the latter's tendency to become shiney.

HI. Thanks I understand that, but isn't there a problem when mixing natural and synthetic fibers?

There's actually a biblical reference to not wearing/using mixed fibers(well this is only for the bible conscious folks..not for everyone)

 

[Jovan]

I'd like to see this passage.

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by nighttrain7404

HI. Thanks I understand that, but isn't there a problem when mixing natural and synthetic fibers?


Yes there is a problem: the synthetic fibres in there are rubbish. Blends are fine provided their constituent parts are all high quality natural fibres. Quality cashmere-wool blends for example are just a totally different kettle of fish.

The bottom line is that all synthetic fibres should be avoided.

 

[whoopee]

Originally Posted by Jovan

I'd like to see this passage.

Leviticus 19:19 and Deuteronomy 22:11.

 

[riotshield]

Originally Posted by whoopee

Leviticus 19:19 and Deuteronomy 22:11.
Interesting...there's a Hebrew word for it - shatnez. Apparently the prohibition is against wool/linen blends only.

 

[VMan]

I was actually going to post this tonight. There was a thread ago criticizing blends for sweaters, specifically Zegna - which tends to do such a thing with rayons and viscose and such. I tend to disagree.

I realized yesterday that my favorite sweater is a cream crew-neck, and is made from 35% Viscose rayon, 29% lambswool, 20% nylon, 8% angora rabbit, 8% cashmere.

The sweater is lightweight and feels like a wool/cashmere blend. However, the viscose gives it a nice drape, the lambswool provides base and texture and also adds breathability, the nylon provides a bit of structure and durability, and the angora and cashmere add a lot of softness.

 

[nighttrain7404]

Originally Posted by riotshield

Interesting...there's a Hebrew word for it - shatnez. Apparently the prohibition is against wool/linen blends only.

Actually it says this(sorry..don't want to turn this into a christian thing..just getting the quote out...

"Deuteronomy 22: 11Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together."

Key word is AS OF...meaning FOR EXAMPLE.

LINEN/Wool. is just one example it's referring to. They keyword is to "not wear a garment of divers sorts"....

 

[epa]

I am concerned about this linen/wool prohibition, as linen/wool and other linen blends (such as linen/cotton) are among my favourites. Actually, pure linen tends to wrinkle too much, IMO.
Now, I think that in the Old Testament, there are also some other prohibitons and rules that I do not follow (such as the duty to throw stones on women that have commited adultery, the right to sell your daughter into slavery -Exodus 21:7-, the duty to burn a bull on a Sunday -Lev.1:9.-, not to tuch leather coming from pigs -Lev. 11:6-8-, no working on Sundays -well, I do try to comply with this one), so I guess I should not worry too much about the linen/wool issue.

 

[nighttrain7404]

Originally Posted by epa

I am concerned about this linen/wool prohibition, as linen/wool and other linen blends (such as linen/cotton) are among my favourites. Actually, pure linen tends to wrinkle too much, IMO.
Now, I think that in the Old Testament, there are also some other prohibitons and rules that I do not follow (such as the duty to throw stones on women that have commited adultery, the right to sell your daughter into slavery -Exodus 21:7-, the duty to burn a bull on a Sunday -Lev.1:9.-, not to tuch leather coming from pigs -Lev. 11:6-8-, no working on Sundays -well, I do try to comply with this one), so I guess I should not worry too much about the linen/wool issue.

Again...trying to steer this back to the actual fabric issue....

I tend to like 95% cotton 5% lycra....it's form fitting and nice...

 

[epa]

I tend to favour 100% natural fibres, but I think that it is more for "emotional" reasons than for "practical" reasons. Really, I agree, mixing some synthetic fibers into cloth can make the clothes fit better and increase durability. Now, I am no expert, of course.
In any case, I do not like any synthetic fibres in clothes that I wear in direct contact with the skin, such as socks, underwear -well, I sometimes have some lycra in it, that is true- and, especially, shirts. Shirts with polyester can be very durable but tend to smell. I just cannot stand them. Also, some of them just don't wrinkle at all, and makes me feel like I am dressed in plastic. However, I believe that the "purist" attitute in favour of 100% natural fibres in clothes in general is mostly based on "emotional" grounds. Still, I believe that my major reasons for being concerned about clothes are emotional anyway, so what.

 

[nighttrain7404]

Originally Posted by epa

I tend to favour 100% natural fibres, but I think that it is more for "emotional" reasons than for "practical" reasons. Really, I agree, mixing some synthetic fibers into cloth can make the clothes fit better and increase durability. Now, I am no expert, of course.
In any case, I do not like any synthetic fibres in clothes that I wear in direct contact with the skin, such as socks, underwear -well, I sometimes have some lycra in it, that is true- and, especially, shirts. Shirts with polyester can be very durable but tend to smell. I just cannot stand them. Also, some of them just don't wrinkle at all, and makes me feel like I am dressed in plastic. However, I believe that the "purist" attitute in favour of 100% natural fibres in clothes in general is mostly based on "emotional" grounds. Still, I believe that my major reasons for being concerned about clothes are emotional anyway, so what.

For suits/jackets I prefer natural fiber and 100%. For button shirts, I like to mix in between both 100% and a little viscose or lycra to form fit(if that's the look you're going for)

I guess the ones I'm referring too..are 60/40 blends....60cotton/40polyester..

I think those types of blends are not meant to serve a purpose of function but a purpose of finance. They 95/5 blends are to achieve a look. a sheen, a feel, that others are referering too...

A 60/40 blend is to save some money manufacturing it.