The production of denim originated in the United States, Levi Strauss is the founder of denim clothing. Cowboy clothing to the style of rugged, comfortable to wear, tough and wear-resistant to obtain the majority of consumers welcome, so far has been popular for more than 150 years. Cowboy clothing is a major consumer goods, its demand is considerable. According to the U.S. cotton company statistics, the global consumer per capita has 7 jeans, Chinese consumers per capita for 4, while 90% of consumers around the world have at least one pair of jeans, 64% of consumers like to wear jeans. With the development of the economy and the improvement of the consumption level, denim has long broken through the cotton indigo coarse number twill fabrics of the traditional style, in the rough, casual basis, gradually to light, soft type, colorful color strips, jacquard knitting and other technical content of the direction of the development of the denim product innovation is the first manifestation of the innovation of the denim product, the first manifestation of the innovation of the denim product. The innovation of denim products is firstly shown in the application of new raw materials and the diversification of raw materials as well as the differentiation and functionalization of fibers. In the choice of raw materials has broken through the pattern of mainly cotton, from a single cotton products to blended, elastic, non-cotton development door. With the continuous emergence of a variety of new fibers, a variety of new denim fabrics emerge in an endless stream, the market competition is becoming increasingly fierce.
Table of Contents
Traditional Cotton Fiber
Traditional denim or classic denim, refers to the use of cotton yarn indigo dyed for the warp, the color yarn for the weft, the use of three on one right twill organization interwoven into the coarse twill, its yarn count is generally 16 counts of coarse yarn, the cloth surface is heavy, cotton denim as the most important denim products, is because of the cotton fiber absorbent, breathable, non-irritating to the human skin, the performance of more than any kinds of man-made fiber products.
In the late 1980s, the international development can replace the stone grinding washing “biochemical washing” new technology, began to use biological enzyme washing denim. In addition, the continuous changes in the weaving process, for the development of denim opened up a broader space. With the textile technology is becoming more mature, knitted denim and jacquard denim is more and more people’s attention. Knitted denim development, in the thin denim market has a place.
Colored cotton is one of the most promising products in the international textile and apparel market in recent years, which can be used in the design of denim clothing. Color cotton in the textile application process without chemical bleaching and dyeing, boiling and refining process, there is no pollution to the environment, skin care and health. Clothing made of colored cotton has a soft, breathable, soft colors, rustic and other characteristics. However, colored cotton fiber in the color spectrum is not perfect, and which contains heavy heavy metal substances, the human body is not absolutely safe. Japan developed a natural brown cotton fibers as raw materials made of colored high-grade denim fabrics, known as “flesh-colored denim fabrics”, the product has a natural tone, glossy and soft natural sense of denim to add a new luster.
Non-cotton Natural Fiber
Non-cotton natural fibers, including various types of hemp fiber, silk fiber, wool fiber, cotton fiber, as well as bamboo fiber, pineapple fiber and other new green fiber.
hemp fiber
- Hemp fiber Hemp fiber is a natural plant fiber, fine and soft, with anti-static, insulation, heat, mildew and bacteria, absorb ultraviolet rays, moisture absorption and release fast, good drape, no prickly feeling and other characteristics. The use of hemp yarn for the warp, bamboo hemp yarn and elastic covering yarn for the weft, woven into hemp elastic bamboo denim, giving hemp denim a new appearance of the form, is a very popular new health care, environmentally friendly textile fabrics.
- flax fiber Linen fiber high strength, good moisture absorption, non-staining, anti-bacterial, anti-fouling, anti-static, anti-ultraviolet, and flame retardant effect is excellent; but the rigidity of the large, deflectable small, difficult to dye the finished product of the technical requirements of the processing is very high. The use of pure flax fibers woven into thin denim, in line with market demand, the fabric set back to the natural beauty and health care of the modern consumer fashion into one, becoming the first choice of people’s summer consumption; at the same time, the use of cellulase finishing and soft finishing, can further improve the itchy feeling of linen and rough feel.
- Boehmeria fiber Boehmeria in a variety of hemp fibers in the longest and thinnest, breathable, absorb more water disperses moisture quickly, strong and small extension, not susceptible to mildew corrosion and insect moths, and lightweight.
Silk Fiber
Silk denim not only has the rough style of cowboy, but also retains the appearance of fine, moisture absorption, good breathability, strong and durable silk characteristics. The use of silk or cotton composite reeling silk weaving silk, the development of cotton composite silk denim, the fabric has a certain tightness and thickness, unique style. Many scholars have also studied the denim containing silk dyeing and finishing process, including protease washing and wrinkle finishing process.
Wool Fiber
Wool fiber moisture absorption is good, good elasticity, good insulation. The use of silk 30%, 70% of the raw material ratio of wool production of wool fiber. Silk light denim fabrics, fabrics slippery body bone, focusing on the excellent performance of silk and wool.
Bamboo Fiber
Bamboo fiber is a new type of green ecological environmental protection fiber, known as “cool fiber”. Its fabrics are not easy to break, has a unique softness and smoothness, no itch, drape and stiffness is good, antibacterial, anti-odor and sterilization function, the human skin has a health role. Bamboo fiber is divided into two categories: natural bamboo fiber that is bamboo fiber, chemical bamboo fiber that is bamboo pulp fiber, bamboo fiber. Bamboo fiber can be pure spinning, but also with a variety of natural fibers and synthetic fibers blended or interwoven, the fabric is light and soft.
Other Natural Fibers
Cotton fiber smooth, non-absorbent, not easy to tangle, and has a certain effect of insect control, but the length is shorter, low strength, poor holding power, lack of elasticity, so it is difficult to spin alone, but can be blended with cotton fiber. Pineapple fiber white appearance, soft and smooth, feel like silk. Can be blended with natural fibers or synthetic fibers, the fabric is easy to print and dye, sweat-absorbent and breathable, straight and wrinkle-free, comfortable to wear. Pineapple fiber and cotton blending can produce denim, drape | similar to cotton denim.
Regenerated Fibers
Regenerated Cellulose Fiber
Viscose fiber, Tencel fiber, Modal fiber, Richcel fiber, Velauft fiber, etc. are regenerated cellulose fiber.
Viscose fiber moisture content most in line with the physiological requirements of human skin, with smooth and cool, breathable, anti-static, coloring and other characteristics. Viscose cotton denim play viscose fiber soft characteristics, through the viscose and cotton blending or interweaving, so that the fabric feels soft and not lose the firm, wearing a flowing, comfortable.
Tencel fiber (Lyocell fiber) is a new generation of regenerative cellulose fibers, not only with the natural comfort of cotton fibers, but also with the excellent drape of viscose fibers and polyester fibers, high strength, but also with the soft feel of silk and elegant luster. In addition, it also has such features as non-iron, waterproof, easy to remove stains, etc., so that more comfortable to wear, more convenient to wash. In the production of senior denim fabrics are increasingly being concerned by clothing designers.
Modal fiber fabrics moisture absorption, breathability is better than cotton fabrics, is a natural mercerized fabrics, is very suitable for blending with cotton to produce denim, fabric feel soft, comfortable to wear.
Richcel fiber is a high moisture modulus regeneration cellulose fiber, can be naturally degraded, no pollution in the production process, is an environmentally friendly fiber. Its physical properties are relatively excellent, the fabric produced by the good dimensional stability; fiber wet expansion is small, and thus the degree of activity is good, soft and smooth feel.
Villaft fiber has a unique flat cross-section, soft and comfortable products; fabrics have a large number of space airbags, so that the product has a certain degree of warmth; the fiber also has an excellent core suction, moisture regulation and good moisture absorption and breathability, and the production process is pollution-free.
Regenerated Protein Fiber
Soy protein fiber is a new type of environmentally friendly regeneration of plant protein fibers, both natural fibers and chemical fibers have many advantages, with a cashmere-like feel, silk-like luster, cotton fiber moisture absorption and breathable and chemical fibers moisture conduction and fast drying, can be blended with a variety of fibers or interweaving.
Synthetic Fibers
General Synthetic Fibers
Polyester fiber high brightness, good luster, colorful. Cotton polyester denim breaks through the conventional denim single color, cloth dull style, to the denim injected new vitality. Polylactic acid fiber is an environmentally friendly green fiber, because polylactic acid ester can be obtained from corn, so also known as polylactic acid fiber for corn fiber. Polylactic acid fiber fabric has good drape, comfort and resilience; high strength and good stability.
Differentiated fibers
New modified chemical fiber denim also has a place in the composition of denim fabrics. Shaped cross-section of the chemical fiber to create a light chemical fiber, resulting in a fluorescent denim series. The use of cotton air spinning yarn and four-color fluorescent acrylic yarn for the warp, weft yarn using cotton air spinning, woven into a series of fluorescent denim. The fabric is comfortable and breathable, but also make the cloth with fluorescent color effect.
Functional Fiber
A new type of shaped cross-section polyester, each single fiber around the existence of four microtubular channels, so that larger gaps between the fibers and has a good capillary effect, with good moisture absorption, moisture and moisture conductivity effect, known as moisture-conducting cool fiber. In addition to cotton / spandex denim, should also develop and use new elastic fibers to enrich the design of elastic denim.PTT is a new type of fiber. It has good softness and high elastic recovery rate, and its fabrics have the characteristics of high resilience, soft hand, wrinkle resistance and size stability. The application of functional fibers injects personalized elements into denim. The United States DuPont development of Teflon denim, so that the product has the function of waterproof and moisture permeability.
Future Development Trend Of Fiber For Denim Clothing
Denim not only in the traditional cotton, polyester-cotton fabrics continue to develop, but also in hemp, wool fabrics have a wide range of applications, its blended with cotton, interweaving or pure spinning to give denim fabrics a new look and more functional. Also available viscose, Tencel, polypropylene, polyester and natural fibers in the hemp, wool and other yarn design denim. In addition, nylon, polypropylene and other synthetic fibers and cotton blended denim with a variety of protective functions, and these denim in the market generally higher prices, very popular. The future development trend of denim fiber is mainly reflected in the following points:
- as far as denim clothing is concerned, leisure, comfort is the unchanging theme, denim clothing to soft, light, fine fashion type development. Fiber for denim should further strengthen the use of cotton, hemp, silk, wool and other natural fibers, or accelerate the development and utilization of new modified chemical fibers with the function of natural fibers, prompting the continuous development of new fibers in recent years.
- With the increasing development of science and technology, people are wearing environmental protection, green, health consciousness continues to improve, Tencel, natural color cotton, soybean fiber, milk fiber, chitin fiber, pineapple leaf fiber and other fibers with a green logo is increasingly favored by consumers.
- in the denim composition to add spandex and other elastic fibers, can make denim clothing tight features and movable organic combination, but also improve the denim wrinkle shrinkage performance. In addition, in the new function of clothing textiles, the focus of the popularity of the aspect has shifted to the waterproof, anti-oil, anti-fouling three functions and anti-static, flame retardant, anti-ultraviolet function, warmth, moisture conduction and breathable, thermostatic adjustment function and antibacterial function. These new functional fibers and high-tech fibers can be used in the design of denim, so that denim clothing in the comfortable and casual at the same time, full of personality and technology fashion.
