Clothes today are made from a wide range of different materials. Traditional materials such as cotton, linen and leather are still sourced from plants and animals. But most clothes are more likely to be made of materials and chemicals derived from fossil fuel-based crude oil.
There are nine major types of raw materials commonly used in clothing today.
Synthetic materials
The source of synthetic fibres and Fabrics is the fossil fuel crude oil. It is estimated that 65% of all fibres used in the fashion industry are made from a synthetic material – mainly polyester, but also nylon, acrylic, polypropylene and elastane. Around 98% of all future fibre growth is expected to be in synthetic fibres, 95% of which is expected to be polyester.
Cotton
One of the oldest used fibres and the most important non-food crop in the world is cotton. Currently, cotton makes up around 21% of all fibre use globally – about 21 million tonnes – but its share of the market is declining due to competition from synthetic alternatives. Cotton production is particularly important for farmers in lower-income countries, where approximately 350 million people are involved in its cultivation and processing.
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating Home Textiles or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. In this way, it has been practiced for decades.
The origin of embroidery can be dated back to Cro-Magnon days or 30,000 BC. During a recent archaeological find, fossilized remains of heavily hand-stitched and decorated clothing, boots and a hat were found.
In Siberia, around 5000 and 6000 B.C. elaborately drilled shells stitched with decorative designs onto animal hides were discovered. Chinese thread embroidery dates back to 3500 B.C. where pictures depict embroidery of clothing with silk thread, precious stones and pearls. Examples of surviving Chinese chain stitch embroidery worked in silk thread have also been found and dated to the Warring States period (5th-3rd century BC).
Embroidered Fabric and most other fiber and needlework arts are believed to originate in the Orient and Middle East. Primitive humankind quickly found that the stitches used to join animal skins together could also be used for embellishment. Recorded history, sculptures, paintings and vases depicting inhabitants of various ancient civilizations show people wearing thread-embroidered clothing.
