Fabric - Content
There are two major types of fabric content - natural fiber and man-made.
Natural Fibers
Like the name implies, natural fibers come from materials found in nature.
- Wool - the fur from sheep, goats, rabbits, camels, etc.
- Cotton - the seed pods of the cotton plant
- Linen - the flax plant
- Silk - the cocoon of certain moths
The fibers are combed (aligned) and spun (twisted) together. The resulting yarn can then be turned into fabric.
The yarn may be dyed before it is turned into fabric. This is called yarn-dying. This is the most common.
Alternatively, the fabric may be turned into a garment and the entire garment dyed. This is called garment-dying. You typically see this on specialty T-shirts.
One of the big advantages of natural fibers are their breathability (air and/or moisture can easily flow through them.)
Man-Made Fibers
Man-made fibers are typically made of petroleum products. These fabrics include nylon, polyester, lycra, Dacron, etc.
The material starts as a molten liquid and the color is added before the fiber is extruded. The resulting fibers may or may not be spun.
Since the color is integral to the fiber, you tend not to be able to dye man-made fabrics successfully. There are some specialty dyes for man-made fibers, but the color will only sit on the surface of the fiber and may not wear well.
Man-made fibers tend to wear well (not wear out quickly) and they tend not to wrinkle as much, however they do not breathe well.
Blends
You can find blends of different natural fibers (like a silk/wool blend) or natural fibers mixed with man-made fibers (like a poly blend). The end of the fabric bolt should indicate the contents of the fabric. If you buy a ready made garment, the garment tag should contain the fabric content.
Blends of all natural fibers can usually be dyed. You may not get the results you expect if you try to dye a natural/man-made blend. The natural part of the fabric will accept the dye while the man-made part will not. Typically you will end up with a pastel color.