One of the most pervasive debates of this era is the natural vs synthetic debate. You'll find it everywhere, from the food and beverage industry to health, cosmetics, packaging, and, relevant to our brand, textiles and apparel.
Anyone looking to make or buy clothing should ask themselves this question, i.e., between natural and synthetic fabrics, which is better? And as you're about to find out, the answer boils down to what you want out of your garment.
What are Natural Fabrics?
Fabric is a flexible material made by weaving, knitting, or felting fibers together. In this case, natural fabrics are made from natural fibers, i.e., fibers derived entirely from plants or animals. Examples include wool, silk, cotton, and linen.
The History of Natural Fabrics
Humankind has been extracting fibers from nature and weaving them into fabric for a long time. Evidence found in the Dzudzuana Cave in Georgia- a prehistoric settlement site- suggests that we were spinning and dyeing linen as far back as 34,000 years ago.
Egyptians were also producing linen on a large scale by 6000 BC. This fabric would become so crucial to their daily lives (it was used everywhere, from regular clothing, bedding, and burial to sails, sacks, and bags) that it became sacred to their civilization.
Further East in China, legend states that a cocoon once fell into the cup of an empress sipping tea under a mulberry. It would unravel in the hot liquid to reveal a shimmering thread that, when woven into cloth, would become one of the most valuable items in the ancient world. I'm talking about silk!
Cotton was also cultivated pretty early. In Egypt and the Indus River Valley (present-day Pakistan), people were growing, harvesting, spinning, and weaving cotton fibers into cloth in 3000 BC. Cotton balls and pieces of cloth dating back 7000 years have also been found in the Americas.
Wool is no recent addition either. The world's oldest trousers are a wool garment discovered in a tomb in Western China in 2014. Designed for horse riding, the pair was made between 1,000 and 1300 BC, by which point, humans had been shearing sheep for 5000 years.
Overall, the discovery of fibers in nature, and later on, the deliberate cultivation and rearing of plants and animals for these fibers, is one of the most significant developments in human history. It sits up there with the invention of art and writing in terms of cultural impact.
What are Synthetic Fabrics?
By the 20th century, industrialization and globalisation greatly increased the demand for textiles. The world's supply of flax, silkworms, cotton, and sheep could not keep up, so scientists began looking for alternatives. This led them to the lab.
Here, it only took a few decades of research and experimentation to synthesize a new class of fiber: artificial fibers, which were then used to make synthetic fabric. Examples include nylon, polyester, spandex, Acrylic, and Rayon. Annually, they account for more than 60% of global textile production.
How Synthetic Fabrics Are Made
Most synthetics are derived from fossil fuels. First, petrochemicals are processed into polymers. These are long chains of molecules made up of smaller, repeating subunits called monomers.
Polymers, in theory, can be of limitless length. This allows them to be processed into plastic fibers by:
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Melting the polymer into a thick liquid
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Pushing the liquid through a device with very small holes (spinnaret) to form long continuous filaments.
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Cooling and strengthening the filaments into fibers. The fibers are spun into yarn, which can then be woven into fabric.
Natural vs Synthetic Fibers Comparison
Off the bat, there are clear differences between natural and synthetic fibers, i.e., one is extracted from plants and animals while the other is processed in a lab. This doesn't automatically make the former better than the latter, though being natural does come with some big advantages.
Advantage of Synthetics Over Natural
Synthetic fabrics constitute the majority of today's textile production. And there are reasons for that:
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They're significantly cheaper thanks to faster production and lower labor and material costs due to automation. Natural fibers rely on agriculture, which requires time and skill, pushing costs upwards. This is why a yard of cotton can cost as much as 8x a yard of polyester.
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They're versatile, i.e., during production, technicians can mold the fibers to assume any characteristic, depending on the intended application. This is why synthetic fibers are diverse: from rough, tough materials to soft, stretchy ones and everything in between.
Advantages of Natural Fibers Over Synthetics
Despite the clear industrial and financial benefits of synthetic fibers, natural fibers have the edge when it comes to comfort, quality, and environmental impact. Here's a breakdown of the advantages:
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Compared to synthetics, natural fibers like cotton and linen offer more comfort because they are breathable and gentle on the skin. Synthetics can be designed to be breathable, but this is generally limited to sportswear.
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Garments made from natural fabric tend to last longer than those from synthetic fibers, especially in a world obsessed with fast production cycles. A wool sweater, for instance, can last up to 10 times as long as a polyester one.
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Being natural, their fibers are biodegradable and do not release pollutants, making them much better for the environment.
On the other hand, synthetic fibers are essentially plastic. This means they release microplastics with every wash, take a long time to decompose, and release pollutants to the environment.
What is Better for Fashion?
Natural fabric was the fashion staple for thousands of years. Nonetheless, rapid modernization came with a new set of demands that necessitated the synthesis of artificial fibers. Cheap and versatile, these fabrics now account for more than 60% of the world's textile production.
But outside of a few specialized use cases like safety, sports, and activewear, natural fabric remains the best option for fashion. Garments woven from natural fibers tend to be more comfortable, stylish, and sustainable and of a higher quality than those woven from synthetic ones.
This is why we make all our items from 100% natural cotton. Spun from the finest threads, Wild Rose shirts and dresses embody the highest form of craftsmanship, bringing you quality and stylish garments that you'll love for a lifetime.
