Jennifer DelaneyFashion JournalFabric Swatches

COTTON

The soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the plant is spun into thread to

make a soft, breathable textile, which is the most widely used natural-fiber cloth

in clothing today. Country of origin: Peru near Trujillo and Amazonas.

SILK

A natural protein fiber, silk gets its shiny appearance from the triangular prism-

like structure of the fibers which allows the silkcloth to refract light at different

angles. Indigenous silk fiber is sourced in South America. Country of Origin:

China

POLYESTER

It is the most commonly used synthetic fiber. It is melt-spun and can be

manufactured in different shapes and sizes for specific purposes. Polyester is a

tough fabric used in clothing. Polyester began as a group of polymers in W.H.

Carothers laboratory. Carothers was working for DuPont at the time when he

discovered that alcohols and carboxyl acids could be successfully combined to

form fibers. Polyester was put on the back burner, however, once Carothers

discovered nylon.