Cotton grows naturally as a soft, white material in curly bales on the seeds of a tall plant. From it comes a fabric that is soft on the skin and comfortable to wear. But when it comes to business and dress wear, where a smooth and pressed look is expected, this has presented a textile challenge: how to create a dress shirt that keeps the desired polished look and yet still feels soft against the skin?
Blended or Pure?
A common solution is to mix cotton fiber with another fiber such as rayon, wool or polyester. The resulting fabric therefore combines the properties of the various fibers. For example, polyester, a synthetic fiber with inherent wrinkle-resistant properties, is often combined with cotton to create a fabric consisting of 60% polyester and 40% cotton. The result is a wrinkle-resistant fabric that still retains some of the softness of cotton.
But nothing beats the feel of pure cotton on our skin. So the textile industry sought to find a way to keep a cotton fabric 100% natural, but more refined. Over the years various methods have been tried to achieve this goal including a variety of chemical treatments. Some have worked better than others, but the result is that today, you can find 100% cotton fabrics that carry a ‘non-iron’ label. A combination of topical treatments at both the yarn and finished fabric state, and using finer yarns, such as 80-singles two-ply yarns, result in a polished, wrinkle-free cotton fabric.
Reality Check
Does this mean if you purchase a non-iron, cotton dress shirt you will never, ever have to iron it? Not necessarily. Why do we say that? Since it’s a topical chemical treatment aiding in the non-iron properties of the fabric, it will most likely diminish over time. Especially if subjected to multiple launderings with harsh laundry detergents.
That being said, there are several non-iron, cotton dress shirts that perform wonderfully and stay wrinkle-free throughout your busy day, and for several washes and wears. If that’s what you’re in the market for, let us to direct you to some of our tried-and-true favorites.