Textile is more than Fashion

Whenever we hear the word 'Textile', the first thing that pops up in our mind is Fashion. If you think so, you are no different. I also used to think a few years ago until I get to know my to-be-husband. He is a textile engineer and whenever we will go out shopping I would expect him to help me decide the latest fashion trend and material for my dresses. He knew many things but that information had nothing to do what he had learned in textile engineering in the university or what he does as a professional Material Scientist in a world-class research laboratory. The clothes that we wear, which we select or reject just on the basis of the looks, go through many long tedious processes before they land up in our hands. Every single piece of textile has a story associated with it.

I do not know whether it was predestined or what, but I would always ask about the textile fabric material before buying it. We see everything as a piece of cloth whether it is a bed sheet, tablecloth, towel, or shirting and suiting. I was surprised to learn that each of these cloth pieces has different fabric characteristics and mechanisms to prepare them. It is like a whole new world and involves so many different operations and research. 

I always used to question my husband what does his work as textile research involve...due to my little exposure I could not comprehend what or why is so much fuss about it. To me, clothes meant fashion, comfort, and style. All they involved was cotton, chiffon, georgette, silk or nylon or polyester, embroidery or cutwork, bandhej or rubber printing...Banarasi  or kanjivaram saree...My dear friends, each of these terms signifies a different phase of a cloth manufacturing.  Cotton, chiffon, georgette, silk or nylon or polyester are the basic fabrics with different characteristics like cotton, silk, wool are examples of natural fibers while nylon and polyester are examples of synthetic fibers. Cotton is good at absorbing water while polyester is not. Nylon is easily flammable than cotton.  This is why cotton shirts are always classic than a polyester one. 

Banarasi and Kanjivaram sarees are made up of pure silk and are weaved on hand looms. These all-time classic sarees involve not only the intricate designs and creativity of the craftsmen but the real passion and love. This is why these sarees are very expensive.

So, the research behind textiles involves how to make the table clothes or kitchen apron fire-resistant and maybe water-resistant...how to make microfiber kitchen towels good at absorbing water etc. I always felt irritated my favorite dupatta or scarf would lose color in its very first wash..now I understand the reason and science behind it.

Every cloth is not only woven or knitted, but there are also a few textiles which are non-woven. I never could understand the idea of non-wovens...they are generally used in hospitals as disposable clothes. And, females deal with non-woven every month as a sanitary pad is a classic example of non-woven. Or young mothers use the diaper for their kids or even adult diapers or napkins used for senior adults are all example of non-woven textile fabrics. 

Our textile journey does not end here only. Industrial revolution has changed the picture of the world. Special clothing are used in industry known as Personal Protective clothing (PPE) e.g. overalls used by firefighters or workers in oil refineries. What is that which allows firefighters to enter the fire to rescue the lives or stop the fire from spreading...are firefighters born with some special trait of being fire-resistant like Prahlad as we see in Indian mythological story of Holika dahan. No, it is not a magic, it is their special clothing made up of technical textiles which help the fire fighters in their heroic work while fighting fires. Have you ever wondered how mountaineers can withstand so much cold...it is because of their clothing. And, these examples signifies the importance of textile scientists who experiment and test the fabrics to make them suitable for special purposes. Following links are just a glimpse what goes behind the thermal protective clothing of a firefighter:

1 Characterization of textile fabrics under various thermal exposures

2. Thermal sensors for performance evaluation of protective clothing against heat and fire: a review 

3. Thermal Protective Clothing for Firefighters

Please leave your comments below if you would like to explore further about this topic, I would be glad to assist you.