I am buying some shirts and I realized that I know very little about the properties of fabrics. Is there a web site where the information is laid out in a form that is easy to understand?
Specifically I would like to know the following properties (and others I probably have not thought of) Stain resistance, shrink potential, wrinkle resistance, bleachability, absorption, breathability, etc.
Today I am wearing a rayon shirt for the first time ever, and I notice I feel sweaty. I don't usually feel sweaty at work, and I don't feel too warm at all, I just have that damp feeling under the arms that I normally only feel when I *am* too warm. Can Rayon cause this?
rayon doesn't "breathe" - none of the synthetic fabrics really do. However, the synthetic fabrics tend to be more stain resistant than cotton.....Kate will probably chime in as she is, at least to me, one of the resident sewing/fabric gurus in the group
Every source I found on the net, plus Textile science textbooks that I own confirm that Rayon is classified as "breathable" fabric.
rayon is processed cellulose it's not a true synthetic but it's not "natural" fiber either. It is typcially made from wood chips or other source of cellulose fibers. Rayon takes dye with the properties of a "natural" fiber like cotton, and usually comfortable to wear, like cotton, in a warm climate. It's quite possible that whatever final finish that was put on the garment affected it's level of comfort to the wearer.
from Ohio State U extensions' web site
"Rayon's cellulosic base contributes many properties similar to those of cotton or other natural cellulosic fibers. Rayon is moisture absorbent (more so than cotton), breathable, comfortable to wear, and easily dyed in vivid colors. It does not build up static electricity, nor will it pill unless the fabric is made from short, low-twist yarns. Rayon is comfortable, soft to the skin, and has moderate dry strength and abrasion resistance. Like other cellulosic fibers, it is not resilient, which means that it will wrinkle. Rayon withstands ironing temperatures slightly less than those of cotton. It may be attacked by silverfish and termites, but generally resists insect damage. It will mildew, but that generally is not a problem. "
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on the manufacture and characteristics of rayon:
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source I found on the net, plus Textile science textbooks here confirm that Rayon is classified as "breathable" fabric.
Rayon is a VERY breathable fabric; perhaps they have turned up the heat in your office, or perhaps your rayon is blended with polyester, which is NOT breathable.
Generally speaking, any natural fiber should be comfortable to wear - cotton, linen, hemp, flax, bamboo, rayon, tencel, wool, and silk are some examples, although in my experience with silk, some types are more breathable than others. Of course, in any fabric, the weave is going to have a lot to do with the ventilation properties.
Polyester, acrylic, lycra/spandex and nylon are your more common non-natural fibers and I personally avoid them as much as possible BECAUSE they're so hot and non-breathable. (I especially hate stretch denim b/c it has too MUCH give - once I've had a pair of stretch jeans on 20 minutes, they're all baggy. HATE that.)
I'll just add my two cents. Rayon is indeed a natural or semi-natural fiber made from viscose as someone else already said. It is processed quite differently than cotton and wool which are both spun. Rayon is forced thru spinnerets. Silk is another natural fiber produced a bit differently than wool or cotton.
"Rayon" is also a type of a weave that is frequently used on polyester or other NON-natural fiber clothing. Depending how the term is used, it can be very misleading.
So I can think of several possible reasons that your shirt made you sweaty: (1) It was tightly woven; (2) It was a rayon weave made of a synthetic fiber; or (3) The label was dishonest and failed to reveal that it was partly or wholly synthetic.
With regard to #3, I am sorry to report that we can no longer trust fabric content labels of (especially) imported garments. When it comes to imported garments, it appears that no one is minding the store. I can almost always tell by the feel of bolt fabric what it is but when I'm not sure, I do a burn (or other) test. Anything with synthetic content will form a hard little plastic bead when burned and will give off an acrid odor. Rayon burns away leaving a very fine ash and no bead. It smells like plant material.... not like plastic. My DH bought some shirts labeled 100% cotton but I knew as soon as I washed and ironed them that they had synthetic content. I was able to get a tiny snip from the hem of one of them and, holding it in a pair of tweezers, I did a burn test. And I got a bead as expected. I've also seen bolt fabrics mislabeled too. Here in the US, consumer protection is definitely not what it used to be. Caveat emptor.
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