Cotton vs. Polyester: Fabric Comparison for Apparel Industry

Polyester is lighter, smoother, and quicker to dry than cotton, making it more comfortable for sportswear in extreme temperatures.

### Cotton vs. Polyester: A Detailed Comparison
* 🏋 The leisure sportswear market, including popular muscle-like short-sleeved t-shirts, is rapidly growing, leading to the need for **basic fabric knowledge**.
* 👚 Under the same thickness, polyester is much lighter than cotton due to containing a **higher proportion of air**.
* 👕 The touch of polyester is **smoother than that of cotton**, as polyester can **endlessly lengthen the staple fiber**.
* 😅 Cotton is more comfortable in moderate temperatures due to its **breathability and moisture absorption**, while polyester is better in very hot or cold areas because of its **moisture-wicking ability**.
* 🪡 Polyester is more durable than cotton, being weak against sunlight but strong against oil stains and having **less pilling**.
* 💰 Polyester is generally more affordable than cotton due to being **man-made**.
* 🩺 Fabrics blended with polyester are available to complement the **advantages and disadvantages** of both materials.

I would like to talk about whether cotton or polyester would be better for the fabric. Hello, this is Scott from Stitch. Today, I will talk about fabrics. Specifically, I will discuss cotton and polyester. Recently, the leisure sportswear market has been growing rapidly. Leggings, muscle-like products for men, are very popular and selling well. It will continue to grow, and we will start a leisure brand. Therefore, it would be good to consider basic knowledge about fabrics. When making popular muscle-like short-sleeved t-shirts, what kind of fabric should be used? What is a good fabric? What is the right fabric?

When you watch this video, you probably won't be able to know the answer, so let's move on to the main topic. Today, I will talk about whether fabric made of cotton is better or fabric made of polyester is better. First, let me talk about the weight. Basically, in the components that make up the fabric, there are yarns. When we talk about which fabric can be made lighter under the same conditions of the same thickness, polyester can be much lighter than cotton. Firstly, cotton contains a much higher proportion of air than polyester, so under the same thickness, polyester is easier to make lighter clothes than cotton. Secondly, the aspect of the fabric

I'm going to talk about stiffness and touch. Usually, when we talk about polyester, it's a synthetic fiber that people artificially create. On the other hand, in the case of cotton, it's a natural fiber. Cotton is actually made from cultivating cotton and is made into natural materials, which is cotton. When people usually ask which one has a better feel, many people may mistakenly think that natural fibers like cotton are better. However, what actually determines this is the length of the staple fiber and the length of the fiber bundle, which determines the touch. In the case of fabrics made from natural fibers like cotton, they are made from cultivating cotton seeds naturally to make fabric, so there is a limitation on the length of the fiber bundle. However, polyester is synthetic, artificially created by humans, so it can endlessly lengthen the staple fiber, which is why the touch can be very

What can make it smoother is definitely polyester rather than cotton. Polyester can make the texture much smoother. Also, polyester is a fabric that does not wrinkle easily. It is one of the fabrics with excellent resilience, so the fabric does not wrinkle easily, and even if it does, it quickly recovers. On the other hand, cotton is a fabric that wrinkles a lot. However, because of the high temperature now, even if the fabric wrinkles, ironing it will straighten it out. It is okay to iron it because of the nature of cotton. I hope you understand that. Thirdly, I will talk about the comfort of wearing. Especially in the sports market, comfort is very important. The most important factors that determine comfort are absorbency and the function of drying. Cotton, for example, has absorbency.

Simply put, the ability to absorb moisture is excellent. So, when we wear cotton clothes and go into the water, the fabric absorbs water very well. Cotton has this good absorbency, but it dries very slowly. In simple terms, it absorbs water quickly but cannot expel it quickly. From this perspective, cotton has these characteristics. On the other hand, polyester is somewhat the opposite. While it may not absorb water as well, it dries very quickly. When considering which one is more comfortable, it can vary depending on the temperature. In areas where the temperature is not too hot or too cold, cotton, which is breathable and absorbs moisture, feels much more comfortable.

Because it's not extremely hot, so you don't sweat a lot, and because of that, the moisture that naturally comes out of your body or the steam that's emitted is absorbed. These things are good now because when the temperature is moderate, cotton feels comfortable in the middle. On the contrary, in very hot or very cold temperatures, polyester can actually feel more comfortable. This is because when we sweat, it needs to be quickly expelled. So, when sweat is dripping, it is crucial to expedite the expulsion. This function is much superior in polyester than in cotton. Therefore, in very hot areas, polyester, with its excellent ability to expel moisture, can feel much more comfortable. And in very cold areas, conversely, polyester's property of not absorbing moisture.

It would be helpful to understand that due to this, moisture is not released inside the body, and the temperature is maintained, it becomes that form. In summary, when it is slightly warm and at a suitable temperature, cotton is very comfortable and has good breathability, so statistically, it is good. On the contrary, when it goes to the extremes, polyester is actually better. Next, I will talk about durability. When it comes to durability, there are various factors like friction and so on, but basically, in the case of the same circumstances, in terms of light resistance, to put it simply, cotton is very weak against sunlight compared to polyester. Therefore, when exposed to strong sunlight, mold can grow, or discoloration is more likely to occur, so it would be good to understand that it is one of the fabrics that are prone to these issues. On the contrary, polyester has a certain property of resilience.

In simple terms, because it has the property of absorbing oil by pulling it, it can be understood that it is very weak against oil stains. Also, from a general perspective of wearing clothes for a long time, if we assume that the elasticity and recovery of the fabric are weaker in cotton compared to polyester, then it would be good to understand that polyester has a stronger durability than cotton. Furthermore, going a bit further, let's talk about pilling. Cotton tends to pill more than polyester. In the case where pilling and friction occur, the pills fall off during the process, which may not be very noticeable to people. After a certain period of time, the pills fall off, and when people feel it, they may not feel it significantly. On the contrary, in the case of long fiber polyester, pilling can continue to occur.

So, in terms of how people intuitively perceive it, polyester tends to produce a lot more lint than cotton, making it a bit more susceptible to pilling. It would be helpful to understand it to the extent that it is a bit weaker in terms of pilling. Lastly, the most important thing is the price, right? Speaking of the price, there is a quite complex structure, but basically, polyester can be purchased more affordably than cotton. This is because in the case of cotton, it is a natural fiber, so there is a much more labor-intensive process of cultivating and processing the fiber. On the other hand, artificial fibers like polyester are simply man-made, making it easier to produce products than natural fibers. Therefore, in an objective and equal situation, polyester is generally a bit more affordable to purchase than cotton.

It would be helpful if you could understand. Well, I've briefly talked about it up to this point. Let's summarize it once more. The advantages of cotton are good absorbency and breathability, so it can provide a comfortable wearing experience. On the other hand, the disadvantages of cotton are that it wrinkles easily and is somewhat weak against things like mold. In contrast, the advantages of polyester are that it does not wrinkle, has good fabric stability, which makes it very durable, and has excellent moisture-wicking ability. Also, the fibers are long, so it can create a very soft texture. It's good, right? Additionally, products can be produced light and relatively inexpensively. Lastly, there is a property called 15 deniers, which means that when heat is applied to the fabric, it maintains its shape. In simple terms, it's a product that needs to hold certain wrinkles or follows the trend nowadays.

It would be helpful if you could understand it as being convenient for skirts with pleats like skirts. On the contrary to polyester, due to the property of elasticity, there are some weak areas in terms of greasiness, and it is not good in terms of urgency. It would be nice to understand that compared to cotton, it is a bit unsatisfactory to feel comfortable. I think you can summarize it like this. Of course, in addition to what I mentioned today, depending on how fabrics are processed, manufactured, and woven, different results can be obtained. What I mentioned today is just a standard comparison without any different processing, so it would be good if you could understand it to that extent. In fact, to complement the advantages and disadvantages of cotton and polyester.

To do this, fabrics blended with poly are available, and by maximizing the moisture absorption function on polyester, you can enhance the absorption even though it's poly. There are various methods like this, but it would be good to have a general idea. If you want to know more about other topics, we will continue to discuss them on YouTube. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or visit our cafe. We will address them in our YouTube videos. Well, that's all for today. Thank you for your hard work.

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Cotton is heavier than polyester, as it contains more air, while polyester can be much lighter.

Polyester has a smoother and softer feel than cotton, due to its ability to endlessly lengthen the staple fiber, providing a better touch.

The video discusses the weight and feel of the two fabrics, highlighting the potential benefits of polyester for making muscle-like short-sleeved t-shirts.

The Benefits of Polyester vs Cotton Fabric

Polyester creates a smoother texture compared to the easily wrinkled cotton, which requires ironing.

Polyester also offers quick-drying properties, while cotton has high absorbency but dries slowly.

Cotton is more comfortable in moderate temperatures, providing breathability and moisture absorption, while polyester is better for hot or cold temperatures, due to its moisture-wicking abilities.

The Characteristics of Cotton and Polyester Fabrics

Cotton is comfortable and breathable, while polyester is better at extreme temperatures.

Cotton is less durable than polyester, especially in terms of light resistance and oil stains.

Polyester has better resilience and durability, and is less prone to pilling compared to cotton.

Polyester produces more lint and is more susceptible to pilling than cotton.

Polyester is generally more affordable than cotton due to its easier production process.

Cotton has good absorbency and breathability, but wrinkles easily, while polyester is durable, wrinkle-resistant, and has good moisture-wicking ability, making it a more cost-effective option.

Cotton is more comfortable to wear than polyester, but polyester is more elastic.

Polyester is not as good at absorbing moisture as cotton.

Fabrics blended with polyester can enhance moisture absorption and comfort, offering a combination of the two materials.