| If pure cotton shirts have such exceptional comfort | | | | helps to lengthen the life of the fabric due to its |
| and quality associated with them, why are there | | | | resistant properties. It also decreases creasing of the |
| cotton blend shirts? Is making cheaper shirts the only | | | | shirt, a problem that regularly comes up with pure |
| reason to reduce the amount of cotton? In fact, | | | | cotton shirts. Thus so-called non-iron shirts all contain |
| there are many advantages of blending cotton with a | | | | a good proportion of polyester fibres in order to |
| synthetic fibre. | | | | make the shirt resistant to creasing and reduce the |
| First of all, what are the synthetic fibres used? Lycra | | | | need for thorough ironing. Not only that but the shirt |
| is commonly known as spandex and adding a small | | | | stays crisp and sharp on the wearer for longer during |
| proportion of this fibre to cotton makes the resulting | | | | the day. |
| mixed fibre more elastic. Such fabric are routinely | | | | Cotton fibres may be highly absorbent and withstand |
| used in close-fitting shirts to improve comfort for the | | | | many cycles of washing but unfortunately suffer |
| wearer. | | | | from shrinkage in hot water. In fact, all cotton |
| Another fibre very commonly used is polyester. | | | | clothes including cotton shirts shrink upon their first |
| Mixing polyester with cotton fibres results in a fabric | | | | wash. This is where a cotton blend shirt is superior to |
| commonly called polycotton. Polyester is a very | | | | pure cotton shirt. Cotton blend shirts are not only |
| cheap synthetic fibre and most dirt-cheap shirts are | | | | resistant to shrinkage at any temperature but also |
| made up of polyester exclusively. Unfortunately this | | | | absorb less water and therefore can dry quickly. |
| artificial material is not as comfortable on the skin as | | | | Resistance to shrinkage means that the shirt keeps |
| pure cotton. Thus the price of a shirt does reflect its | | | | its original measurements and will fit the wearer no |
| quality and material, unless you are lucky enough to | | | | matter how many times it is washed or at what |
| lay your hands on a good discount. Polycotton shirts | | | | temperature. |
| with a generous ratio of cotton, often 55%, is much | | | | In the end, although pure cotton shirts are associated |
| more comfortable and often feels like pure cotton. | | | | with quality, there are some advantages in mixing in |
| Such blended fabrics impart the softness and | | | | some synthetic fibres to give additional characteristics |
| comfort of pure cotton to shirts whilst retaining the | | | | to the shirt that are not attainable using cotton fibres |
| advantages of synthetic fibres. In particular, polyester | | | | exclusively. |