Materials for big and tall clothing

Knowledge about clothing materials helps by finding appropriate big and tall clothing.

Its a big list I felt its needed as reference. I would just scan it.

Natural materials

Cotton

Cotton is a fantastic material, hypo allergenic and dust mite resistant (bed sheets) when it is treated organic or without chemicals. Cotton is the preferred material for Big and tall clothing ( except waterproof jackets.)

Cotton wrinkles easy and often needs ironing after packing or dry tumbling. Cotton is often combined with other materials.

Cotton knit sweaters, thinly knit are one of the best, if not the best sweaters for big and tall people.

Linen

The flax plant has provided mankind with the single most used fabrick in history, Linen.

Linen is a fairly difficult plant to grow and harvest. The quality of the plant and underground largely determine the quality of the end product. Processing the plant to linen is tedious aswell as the weaving. Linen is still an expensive material to make/process but is incredibly popular in warmer area's.

Linen clothing means some hard work ironing Plenty of wrinkles.

Wool

Wool is "a fleece" from sheep hair. Wool has antibacterial properties, flame resistant, pulls moisture away from the skin. The fineness of the wool threads determines the ultimate quality of the clothing.

Fine wool clothing, the finer the better is super stuff for big and tall clothing. In combination with a long 100% cotton shirt, v neck or crew neck as underwear, the fine wool sweater draws away moisture from the cotton shirt and ventilates really well. The cotton under shirt prevents any itching and clears away sweat without it becoming visible to the outside.
Also super thin wool vest, in darker colours are part of the "good" stuff, if you ask me.

Kashmir
Kashmir is wool from the Kashmir goat very fine wool.

Mohair
Mohair is fine silky wool made from the hair of the angora goat.

Silk

Silk is a fibre harvested from the Chinese silk worm. The worm is cooked and unwound, than the threads are combed and put on a spindle.


Advanced materials

Rayon

Rayon is meant as a replacement of silk its a , although is not completely artificial, it was based on natural occurring cellulose polymers its fibres are strong and allow thinner weaving. Rayon is a art silky , bright sheen materials.

It does not age well, forming yellow patches that "harden out". It is found in alls sorts of apparel. A lot of cheap clothing and holly day costumes ( shiny kid costumes like batsman capes, and fairie princess costumes) contain rayon.

Nylon

Nylon was one of the first polymers used in the textile industry.It revolutionized the textile industry. Watertight coats like parka's could be made lighter than any material before. Nylon was/is often used in the Nautical or pole-environments users don't have to rely on multiple layers of wool/leather to stay dry/warm.

This is not the stuff you want to wear near to fire's. When subjected to fire, the nylon melts and causes horrifying burns. This is also the reason you should not wear nylon in air-plains concert halls, disco's bars, or any public place. When you brush a candle or hot cigarette you can be burned quickly.

Nylon is not the big and tall clothing man's friend. Sweat is poorly absorbed and locked up on the skin, giving a wet feeling.

Nylon is not biodegradable, you will find landfills full of it.
Cordura

Cordura is a much longer polymer than nylon, its fire resistant, and used in demanding environments, Motorcycles, ski or snowboard clothing. boating/yachting. Usually watertight.

Also military wear, camo clothing , travel bags, parachute harnesses. Anything that needs durable fabric uses these fibres.

Cordura is awesome stuff it can stand a lot of punishment. Very little maintenance needed. Good big and tall clothing materialYou can find it on walking shoes too !

Lycra

Lycra is sold under the trademark "spandex" well known for the tight fitting ladies sport apparel. Its a great material used in a lot of big and tall clothing.

Lycra fibres can be combined with cotton, linen, wool fibres to form elastic strings. When those strings are woven into the fabric on strategic places like tights and or back the clothing becomes more elastic.

Most of the bigger clothing has a somewhere Lycra woven in on expanding places.

Micro fleece

Polar fleece or micro fleece is a polyester synthetically made to wear like wool. A lot of companies make it, as its not patented its cheap to make it.
It can be made from recycled materials like cola bottles etc.

Microfleece repels water and is warm and comfortable. Sports sweaters are often made from microfleece.

Flannel

Flannel is made out of wool and synthetic fibres. Although you might see wool and cotton sometimes too.

Its known for the "lumberjack" style shirts. But you know.
Im a lumberjack and I'm OK...
Good solid fabric to wear when in the garage or hobbying outdoors.
It has a workman "scene" to it.

Gore tex®
Gore tex® is a syntetic material that has thousands of very small semi permeable membranes on its surface. Water can not pass true it, water vapour( sweat) can!. clothing made out of this is usualy branded with the name Gore tex®.

measurements

Denier
Denier measures the thickness or mass of a fibre, its measured in one gram per 9km fibre. 50 denier is finer than 100 denier. One denier or less fibre is called a microfibre

Tex or decitexIs the European variation to Denier. A different mass or thickness scale, measures pretty much the same as denier in different numbers.

S number forShe S number indicates the fineness of wool fibres. Its used for an array of fibres besides wool. You will find the numbers on clothing labels.