What Are Moleskin Pants?

Moleskin pants are made for men, women or children from a sturdy cotton fabric with a distinctive smooth pile surface. It feels velvety but wears well, making it useful for work and outdoor clothing. Although durable, moleskin pants are comfortable from the time they are new.

• History

·         Moleskin fabric was created in 17th century England by weaving cotton wefts, or nap, onto a linen warp, or underlying vertical-and-horizontal grid. Its fabric relatives include corduroy and velveteen. Popular with hunters, moleskin trousers quickly were named for the fabric: “moleskins.” British mills, among others, still produce all-cotton moleskin fabric for fabrication into pants, tops and hats.

• Other Names

·         A fabric woven as moleskin, but from synthetic materials, also is called moleskin. The term “suedecloth” sometimes replaces or augments “moleskin” as a fabric or clothing descriptor. Generally, suedecloth refers to moleskin of synthetic composition.

• Selecting

·         Moleskin pants drape beautifully and move attractively. They present an unstructured, as opposed to a crisply pressed look. If the fabric is called cotton moleskin or English moleskin, it will last a long time. Choose pants constructed with heavy-duty seams and closures.

• Coordinating

·         Because of the pile, moleskin pants combine with smooth or silky fabrics, including patterns. Moleskins also look well with sweaters and blazers. As they wear, moleskin trousers acquire an attractive weathered look.

• Care

·         Cotton moleskin is machine washable in cool water and may be pressed with a cool iron from the wrong side. Pants also may be dry cleaned. To avoid shrinkage, it is best to line-dry cotton moleskin pants. Synthetic moleskin trousers must be laundered appropriately for their fabric content.

Natural Vs. Synthetic Clothing

Today's fabrics come from a variety of sources--different animals, plants, minerals or artificial processes--sources which can be grouped into two basic categories: natural and synthetic. Most of the time, we wear one, the other or a combination of both types of fabric without noticing the difference, but in certain situations, it's good to know your fabrics.

• Natural Clothes

·         Natural clothes are clothes made of fabrics from material that occurs in nature: wools, hair, fur or silk from animals, or threads made from plants like cotton and hemp. Leather is also considered a natural fabric.

• Synthetic Clothes

·         Synthetic clothes are clothes made from fabric that is the result of a chemical process. Synthetic polymers are woven into fibers which are then used to weave the synthetic cloth. Clothing made from these fabrics include nylon stockings and spandex shorts, as well as the iconic polyester leisure suit.

• Biodegradeability

·         One of the major differences between the two types of clothing is how long the fabric lasts. Unless the natural clothing is treated with some kind of preservative, it will disintegrate and decompose over several years. On the other hand synthetic clothes tend to last longer. As an example, it takes nylon up to 40 years to decompose in a landfill.

• Flammability

·         Unless treated with flame retardant, synthetic clothes are relatively more flammable than natural clothes. Both types of clothes burn, and the rate of burn largely depends on the density of the material, but a synthetic material like acrylic, for instance, will burn faster than wool. Additionally, synthetic clothing may melt and meld to the wearer, causing more damage than the flames alone.

• Performance

·         When considering factors like extreme weather or temperatures or athletic exertion, synthetic clothes have the advantage of materials that can be engineered specific to their purpose. Thus, popular waterproof, weatherproof clothing that is light, durable and dries fast tends to be made of some kind of synthetic fiber.

Natural fibers on the other hand, can vary in their effectiveness outdoors, although some of the higher end clothing can be just as, or even more effective than its synthetic counterparts.

• Style

·         It's a largely subjective notion, but natural fibers are often associated with better quality clothing and a more sophisticated style. The wool suit, for instance, is seen as a classic while the polyester suit is often seen as tacky. As style and fabrics evolve, with synthetics and synthetic blends coming closer to the look and feel of natural fabrics, the gap will likely narrow.

cotton clothing

Cotton is a versatile, comfortable fabric. It is made of all-natural fibers and is a popular mainstay of the "green" organic clothing movement. Cotton was worn throughout early civilizations worldwide, and it has played an important role in the economic development of the Western world.

History of Cotton

·         Cotton was harvested for cloth over 7,000 years ago, as evidenced by bits of fabric found in Mexican caves. Historians believe that cotton farming originated in India. Ancient Egyptians cultivated cotton, and other civilizations harvested native crops of wild cotton. Cotton spread in popularity across the world and into modern history. Cotton plants were brought to the United States by early settlers. Southern climates are favorable for growing large cotton crops.

Mass Production of Cotton

·         In order to use the fluff-balls of the cotton plant, seeds had to be removed from the lint fibers by hand. Removing the seeds from cotton was difficult and labor-intensive. Eli Whitney, an American, invented the cotton gin in 1792. The cotton gin (short for engine) automated the tedious process of seed plucking. Whitney's invention was a major breakthrough in technology for the time period.

In Colonial America, cotton was "carded" like wool into soft fibers that were spun into yarn or thread. The yarn was knitted or woven into fabric for use in clothing and household textiles. Mass production of the fabric was made possible by Samuel Slater, a young English mill worker, who built the first cotton mill on American soil in 1790. Invention of the cotton gin and the construction of the first fabric mill marked the beginning of the American textile and garment industries.

The Evolution of Cotton Blends

·         Many have tried, with little success, to improve upon cotton. Some of cotton's best features are also its biggest downfalls. Cotton is very absorbent. Absorbency is an advantage in clothing, as it takes perspiration away from the body. On the other hand, absorbency also causes 100 percent cotton clothing to wrinkle and shrink as it dries. In modern times, textile makers have tried to work out the kinks of cotton by inventing man-made fibers like polyester and rayon. These manufactured fibers may not have some of the problems cotton does, but they have problems of their own. Polyester "pills" when added to cotton. It is not as soft and supple as cotton when woven alone. It does not "breathe" like cotton does, so it feels uncomfortable in warm weather. Rayon does not withstand washing very well, and usually requires dry cleaning.

Permanent Press

·         Permanent press cotton was invented in the 1950s by chemist Ruth Benerito, to eliminate the need for ironing. The permanent press finish is applied to the cloth before it is cut and sewn into clothing. Perma-press is vulnerable to the hotter settings on clothes dryers. Washing machines offer low-heat, perma-press cycles, and dryer makers offer an option that protects the finish on permanent press fabrics.

Caring for Cotton Clothing

·         Cotton is very durable and withstands a lot of punishment. However, cotton clothing will last longer and look better with gentle care. Although stains can be bleached out of white cotton with chlorine bleach, there are newer and better alternatives. Pre-treating clothing with stain-remover sticks or concentrated detergent, or adding oxygen bleach produces good results with minimal damage to cotton fibers.
If you have ever emptied the lint filter after drying cotton clothing, you've probably been amazed at the amount of lint accumulated from one washed load. Washing clothes inside out in cold water with a mild detergent, and hanging the pieces up to dry, reduces the loss of cotton fibers in the laundry process and lengthens the lifespan of cotton clothing.