The fashion industry has come a long way in recent years with the advancement of fabrics used to manufacture garments and textiles. Gone are the days of the standard 100% Polyester suit, and 100% Cotton undies. Nowadays, if its not made of a ‘Triblend’ (Polyester + Cotton + Rayon), then the fabric listed on the label may well be completely foreign to you.

At Creative Muse, our apparel typically falls into one of a few key fabric categories: Bamboo, Modal, or Poly/Rayon Blend. This is very much intentional, because of the great qualities associated with these modern materials.

Read on to learn more about some of the benefits of these fabrics!

Bamboo

Shocking, Bamboo fabric comes from the bamboo plant! This extremely fast-growing plant is a member of the grass family and mainly cultivated in China, although bamboo forests also exist in Korea, Australia, and even New Jersey, USA!

What are the advantages of Bamboo Fabric?

• Bamboo fabric is ultra-soft and gets softer still with each wash!

• Bamboo fiber is breathable, moisture-wicking, thermoregulating, and cooling – perfect for folks who spend time working out and enjoy being physically active!

• Bamboo is antibacterial, containing a natural bio-agent which prevents over 70% of bacteria from growing. No need to worry about unpleasant odours caused by your sweat!

• Bamboo clothing offers natural protection from the sun’s harmful rays, filtering up to 97.5% of the sun’s UV rays! 

• Bamboo fabric is not prone to wrinkling or creasing,

• Bamboo fabric stands the test of time and can be washed frequently without showing signs of wear and tear. It’s a very long-lasting fabric. This helps to explain why Bamboo garments usually cost a little more.

Modal

Modal is a fairly new material in the fashion scene. Made from beech tree pulp, Modal is a type of rayon fabric, but it is generally more durable than regular rayon and feels softer, like cotton. It’s one of the most sustainable fabrics out there, using far fewer chemicals and 20 times less water in the production process than typical rayons and polys. It’s often blended with other fabrics like cotton and Spandex® to give it added strength.

Modal is considered a luxury textile and is often used to blend with other fabrics to give a high-end feel with its lightness and softness. It has become very popular among eco-conscious fashion designers.

Modal has a tight weave with great stretch that really pulls everything in. Think of it like it’s got its own built-in shapewear! This makes it a great fabric for both active, and office wear! It doesn’t shrink, pill, or crease!

• Modal’s flexibility and stretch makes it ideal for items like t-shirts and athletic wear.
• Modal fabric has an incredible soft touch.
• Modal is great for sportswear and everyday clothes because its weave is very breathable.
• Like rayon, Modal has a beautiful drape.
• The fabric resists pilling and has a smooth finish that makes it ideal for everyday wear and use.
• Unlike most forms of rayon, modal fabric is much less likely to shrink in the wash.
• Modal is completely biodegradable.
• Modal garments resists wrinkles and will stay smooth with minimal ironing.
  
  

Polyester Blends

Manufacturers have come a long way with the use of various fabrics in women’s fashion. The polyester from the 50s and 60s is nothing like the polys today. What used to be an uncomfortable, stiff feeling material is now often very comfortable – even soft – and still has the easy care, no muss no fuss qualities it has always been famous for.

Many clothing manufacturers today use a poly blend as the core composition of their clothing material. You will often find labels that indicate upwards of 90% poly content, blended with small amounts of more luxe fabrics like rayons and Spandex®. The addition of those materials lends favourable qualities like silkiness, drape, and stretch to clothing products.

It’s important to us at Creative Muse to offer a range of different price points that enable our customers to find beautiful clothing options that fit within their individual budgets. Many of the newer fabrics like Bamboo and Modal come with a higher cost that may be a challenge for some folks, and we get that. Times are tough.

By offering clothing constructed from a precisely formulated poly/rayon blend, we’re able to offer all of our customers many of the beneficial features that are found in the pricier fabrics, such as beautiful drape, softness, and crease resistance.