Fabrics that don't crease?
The fact that a fabric is more or less wrinkled depends on the nature of its fibers, and the way the fabric is made.
A quick reminder on the different types of fibers:
- Natural fibers: from plants or hair (linen, hemp, cotton, ramie, wool …)
- Artificial fibers: from plants (wood, algae, bamboo …)
- Synthetic fibers: from petroleum
Generally speaking, knitted fabrics (such as jersey) wrinkle less than woven fabrics such as hessian or twill. Similarly, synthetic materials wrinkle less than materials of natural origin.
Adding synthetic fibers to a natural material will make your garment less wrinkled (but it will be impossible to recycle because it is a mixture of natural and synthetic).
Synthetic fibers are less wrinkled because they are inert. While fibers of natural origin (artificial and natural) live on our body. Linen, for example, evolves with washing, wearing and our body temperature. These materials wrinkle, crumple and soften with our movements: they embrace our lifestyle and live with us. Moreover, in terms of comfort, synthetic fibers allow the skin to breathe less.
Unfortunately, that’s not all… The textile industry is full of chemical treatments, including those related to “non-iron” clothes. A natural fabric such as cotton (which is originally very crumpled) can undergo a chemical treatment that makes it wrinkle resistant.
A shirt made of supposedly natural material that wrinkles a little is practical of course, but it’s not natural at all. It’s the result of a cocktail of chemicals that are harmful to health. The same goes for polyester: a polyester item that doesn’t wrinkle is an item that has been treated with these products.
A few tips on how to take care of your clothes that wrinkle:
- Quickly take your laundry out of the washing machine to hang it
- When ironing your clothes, use the steam from the iron to remove wrinkles
- If you take a hot shower, lay your shirts on hangers so that the steam can smooth them out