COTTON SHIRTS OVER POLYESTER SHIRTS

Polyester shirts or cotton shirts? Does the fabric really make a difference? Yes, it does. There are many who prefer just cotton, but cheaper polyester is also tempting, isn’t it? But is it worth it?

It is worthwhile to make a comparison to know the nature of the fibres in question. Cotton is a natural fibre and then processed into yarn before it is woven. Polyester undergoes lots of chemical processes in order to convert it into fibre. In simple language, cotton is a natural fibre whereas polyester is a man-made or artificial fibre.

Now, we come to the point of which is the more preferred fabric. It definitely is cotton because of its many advantages. Cotton is considered as one of the softest fabric and friendly to the skin as it is very breathable and keeps our body cool and comfortable. On the other hand, polyester is abrasive to the skin. It isn't that skin friendly as we know. Even though, it dries faster and requires minimal ironing, it can cause adverse reactions to the skin. Especially, during summers, when men tend to sweat a lot, polyester shirts become unwearable as they don't soak water much as compared to cotton. Cotton has a fantastic property of soaking water up to three times of its weight, making it the best choice of fabric always, especially in summers.

COMFORT IN WEARING COTTON SHIRTS

The world uses cotton more than any other natural fibre and it is primarily grown and used to make cloth. Because cotton is a natural product and because of the way it is designed and manufactured into clothing, it has many advantages, such as its ability to control moisture, insulate, provide comfort and it is also hypoallergenic, weatherproof and a durable fabric. In this article we will introduce the five biggest benefits of a shirt made out of 100% cotton.

1. Cooling Property
Cotton has great cooling properties. Cotton is a breathable fabric, which allows your body to stay dry, while your skin is still able to ´breathe´. This ensures staying cool, even on warmer days in summer. Or any other situation where you might sweat.

Last but not least, the cotton fibres keep the fabric away from your skin. This creates a thin layer of air that not only helps you stay cool in summer, but also helps to keep you warm during colder days.

These properties also make the shirt to stay ´fresh´ all day. Most synthetic blends feel roughly the same as cotton in the morning but will get sweaty during the day. They might even start to give out a foul odour. But with a 100% cotton dress shirt you can be quite sure about having a crisp and fresh shirt throughout the entire day.

2. Cotton is super soft
Cotton is soft, it feels nice on your skin and leaves you with a luxury feeling. Cotton also stays soft over time. This makes it an excellent fabric for dress shirts, but also for other clothing, like the t-shirts to wear under a dress shirt. The softness of cotton causes it to feel very comfortable, day after day and washing after washing.

The luxury soft characteristics of a 100% cotton shirt makes it easy to combine a cotton dress shirt, with almost anything. A high quality shirt can be worn for a business meeting, combined with a suit. But also casual with jeans or a jumper over your 100% cotton shirt. Remember that a 100% cotton shirt keeps you cool on warm days! So you could even use it on a tropical vacation, combined with shorts.

3. Cotton is very strong
Cotton is a very strong fibre. And it gets stronger when it is wet. This makes it an ideal fabric for shirts that need washing frequently, for example shirts you wear to work on a daily basis. The strong fibres ensure that the shirt remains in the same fit as when you bought it.

Cotton is also resistant to heat and keeps well with ironing. Last but not least the strong cotton fibre enables you to use ´strong´ washing detergents, if you wish, to keep your clothes very clean.

4. Cotton is hypoallergenic
It is very rare for cotton to give an allergic reaction and it is not known to irritate the skin. Therefore, even people with very sensitive skin can wear 100% cotton shirts on a daily basis. Some people with skin conditions opt for only and exclusively wearing 100% cotton shirts, because it is the only fabric that their skin handles well.

But also if you have ´normal´ skin a 100% cotton shirt feels nice and soft and because it absorbs moisture leaving your skin dry, which is always a good idea.

5. Cotton is easy care
The biggest (and only) disadvantage used to be that cotton is not so easy to wash and wear. It wrinkled and always needed extensive ironing. But technology has developed. By using new weaving techniques and using two threads (2 ply) the fabric gets stronger and easier to handle. This makes the shirt easy care. If you hang them to dry directly after washing, you might be able to skip ironing at all.

Different treatments after the weave cause some 100% cotton shirts to be completely iron free. Wash, dry and wear.

Whether the 100% cotton shirt is easy care or iron free, the shirt will stay nice and pretty during the day and will have minimal wrinkling. So you can look your best!