What Is Cotton Fabric? 16 Different Types of Cotton Fabric

11/12/2021

What Is Cotton Fabric?

Cotton fabric is one of the most commonly used types of fabrics in the world. This textile is chemically organic, which means that it does not contain any synthetic compounds. Cotton fabric is derived from the fibers surrounding the seeds of cotton plants, which emerge in a round, fluffy formation once the seeds are mature.

The earliest evidence for the use of cotton fibers in textiles is from the Mehrgarh and Rakhigarhi sites in India, which date to approximately 5000 BC. The Indus Valley Civilization, which spanned the Indian Subcontinent from 3300 to 1300 BC, was able to flourish due to cotton cultivation, which provided the people of this culture with readily available sources of clothing and other textiles.

It’s possible that people in the Americas used cotton for textiles as long ago as 5500 BC, but it’s clear that cotton cultivation was widespread throughout Mesoamerica since at least 4200 BC. While the Ancient Chinese relied more on silk than cotton for the production of textiles, cotton cultivation was popular in China during the Han dynasty, which lasted from 206 BC to 220 AD.

While cotton cultivation was widespread in both Arabia and Iran, this textile plant didn’t make its way to Europe in full force until the late Middle Ages. Before this point, Europeans believed that cotton grew on mysterious trees in India, and some scholars during this period even suggested that this textile was a type of wool that was produced by sheep that grew on trees.

Cotton fabric was produced by sheep that grew on trees.

The Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, however, introduced Europeans to cotton production, and the European countries quickly became major producers and exporters of cotton along with Egypt and India.

Since the earliest days of cotton cultivation, this fabric has been prized for its exceptional breathability and lightness. Cotton fabric is also incredibly soft, but it has heat retention attributes that make it something like a mixture of silk and wool.

While cotton is more durable than silk, it is less durable than wool, and this fabric is relatively prone to pilling, rips, and tears. Nonetheless, cotton remains one of the most popular and highly produced fabrics in the world. This textile has relatively high tensile strength, and its natural coloring is white or slightly yellowish.

Cotton is very water absorbent, but it also dries quickly, which makes it highly moisture wicking. You can wash cotton in high heat, and this fabric drapes well on your body. However, cotton fabric is relatively prone to wrinkling, and it will shrink when washed unless it is exposed to a pre-treatment.

16 Different Types of Cotton Fabric

By the 1500s, cotton was being grown and sold throughout the entire world and in today’s world, is used to make many different types of cotton fabrics.

Quilting Cotton

Quilting cottons are also referred to as craft cottons, patchwork cotton, or printed cotton and are plain weave cottons that are light to medium weight cotton. They are a pretty closely woven fabric and there are an array of quilted cotton fabrics available that are utilized for making tops, tunics, aprons, blankets, quilts, dresses, and skirts.

Quilting Cotton making tops, tunics, aprons, blankets, quilts, dresses, and skirts

2. Brushed Cotton

Brushed cotton is sometimes referred to as flannel or flannelette. it is a medium-weight cotton fabric that has surface fibers that are brushed on one side of the material which gives it hey very soft and warm look and feel. you can purchase it in a plain material, or checked printed or stripe material and it is most often used for casual shirts, children’s clothing, and linings for bedding comic coats, and jackets. When it comes to a lightweight flannelette, it is used many times to make nightgowns and pajamas.

Brushed Cotton make nightgowns and pajamas

3. Pima Cotton

Considered a higher-end type of cotton fabric, pima cotton boasts longer fibers than regular cotton. Smooth fabric that is very soft to the touch is created with pima cotton. It tends to be resistant to wrinkles and very durable. Several products are created from this type of fabric, including bed sheets and underwear.

Pima cotton make bed sheets and underwear

4. Egyptian Cotton

Known as the highest quality cotton fabric, Egyptian cotton is used to make a number of products, including higher thread count bed sheets that many people prefer over other types of sheets to sleep upon. You can expect to pay a little more at the cash register for anything made from this type of fabric.

Egyptian cotton is used to make bed sheets

5. Cotton Twill

There are many fabrics that are created from a cotton twill weave fabric, including some linen fabrics, denim, chino, and gabardine. It is used in making pants, jackets, skirts, and much more. It is distinguished by its weave pattern that places diagonal lines in the fabric and it is very sturdy and durable. Cotton twill is also used in creating some types of upholstery fabric since it is so durable.

Cotton twill is used in creating some types of upholstery fabric since it is so durable.

6. Cotton Lawn

Cotton lawn is a lightweight, plain-weave cotton fabric that has a crisp, smooth feel. It can be quite sheer but is reasonably strong due to the fine weave. Often used for blouses, children’s clothes, tablecloths, and blankets.

Cotton Lawn fabric is often used for blouses, children’s clothes, tablecloths, and blankets

7. Organic Cotton

Organic cotton fabric is created without any synthetic fiber being added into it and is usually free of chemicals, including fertilizers and pesticides, when the cotton is being grown by cotton producers.

8. Knitted Fabric

Knitted fabric is made with one single yarn that is looped continuously to create a braided look and multiple yarns are used to make a woven fabric, crossing over each other at right angles, to create the grain of the fabric. Stretching is a process that can be used to determine if a fabric is woven or a knit fabric. Some of the products made from knitted fabric created with multiple yarns are men’s and women’s button-up shirts, jeans and trousers, and even denim jackets.

Examples include button-up shirts, trousers, jeans, denim jackets. Knit fabric that has been created with one single yarn includes women’s leggings, T-shirts, sweaters, and some underwear.

9. Levant Cotton

Levant cotton comes from the Levant seeds of the Gossypium herbaceum cotton plant, which are also used for feed, oil extraction, and food. It is considered Old World cotton and is used by many commercial cotton producers in creating clothing and other products.

10. Wool fabric

With cotton wool fabric you end up with the best of both types of fibers: cotton fiber and wool fiber. This means you get the comfort of cotton with the resilience and strength from the wool fiber. This type of cotton blend can be worn all year round no matter what season it is outside. Cotton and wool blends are normally used in higher-end clothing, including tweed, chenille, brocade, and velvet.

Wool blends are used in higher-end clothing

11. Poplin

Poplin, also known as cotton broadcloth, is a medium-weight, plain-weave cotton fabric that is tightly woven and easy to work with when sewing. It is extremely versatile and is used often to produce blouses, dresses, and shirts. It can be a pure cotton blend or one that includes polyester fabric.

12. Linen Fabric

Linen cotton mix fabric is very soft and of light to medium-weight. It often contains a blend of 50 percent linen and 50 percent cotton. It retains the look and feel of linen but is more robust and will not crease as much. Some clothing made from linen and cotton is a little itchy to your skin. Some products created with linen cotton fabric include skirts, sheets, jackets, and dresses.

13. Silk Fabric

A mix of silk and cotton weave produces a lightweight fabric that is very soft to the touch and offers the drape and luster that silk provides. It is used most often to make blouses and dresses.

14. Sea Island Cotton

Sea Island cotton is the rarest type of cotton fabric type in the world as well as one of the finest versions of cotton fabric. It boasts a very fine, uniform texture that offers a silky lustre and feels great next to your skin. A variety of products are made from Sea Island cotton, including high-end men’s boxer shorts.

15. Voile

Voile is a soft and very sheer fabric type that is typically made of 100 percent cotton or of cotton blended with linen or polyester. It is a very lightweight cotton fabric that gets its name from the French term for veil. This fabric is used often in hot, tropical climates and for mosquito netting and sheer curtains for windows.

16. Poly Cotton

Poly cotton is usually a blend of 50 percent polyester and 50 percent cotton can sometimes be made of 65 percent cotton and polyester. It is a very lightweight plain-weave fabric that is very strong, durable, resistant to creasing, however, it is less breathable than other cotton fabrics so it can be hot and make you sweat if you wear it during the warmer months. It is often used to create children’s clothing, skirts, and aprons.