Natural fibres vs. synthetics.

Choosing the right fabric can make all the difference in how comfortable and satisfied you feel in your lingerie. Do you prefer natural materials like cotton, bamboo, or silk? Or do you prefer synthetic materials like polyester, nylon, or spandex? Whether you prioritize sustainability, breathability, or durability, it’s important to consider the benefits and drawbacks of both options before making a decision. So, natural fabrics vs. synthetics. The choice is yours.

Pros and cons

There are always pros and cons with any decision made in life. We just have to do our best to weigh up the options and feel comfortable and confident with our choices.

Let’s start with a classic lingerie fabric and one of my favourites.

Silks:

natural fabrics vs. synthetics

Silk is luxurious, elegant, breathable, strong, long-lasting, and nearly wrinkle-free, to name a few of its wonderful traits. It is so lightweight and lustrous, and yet unbelievably strong. Therefore, garments made in silk will last much longer than garments made in other fabrics making silk a perfect choice for lingerie.

Silks breathe, making this the perfect choice for lingerie, as it is closest to our skin. Also, it dyes easily, and using non-toxic dyes that saturate the fabric, hand-dyed silk will retain lasting colour.

I love using silk for any internal casings, for example, the casing for boning, as it is reliably strong, yet still soft against the skin.

With the correct product, such as Eucalan, silk is amazingly easy to hand wash, and generally quick drying. Again, this is using my silk as an example.

Silk and lace undies.

Silk is renewable and biodegradable. It uses less water, chemicals and energy to produce than synthetic fabrics.

Silk is one of my favourite natural fibres. I love creating timeless elegance in silk garments that are sure to be worn over and over and over again.

And now, nylon!

natural fabrics vs. synthetics

Or is it synthetics vs. natural fibres?

Read why nylon is another one of my favourite fabrics. Did I hear a gasp!? Yes, I do love nylon. But only the good ones.

I have two favourite nylon fabrics.

One I use for support in my bras. It is lightweight with 100% non-stretch, not even mechanical stretch, which most fabrics will naturally have. With this, I can turn any fabric into a bra with full support and comfort, without adding bulk. Or make a simple and sexy sheer bra, maintaining full support.

The other nylon fabric that I just love is my Zephyr fabric. It is amazing! 100% nylon. Breathable. Feels cool to the touch and is just so lovely to wear.

It is super supportive. So smooth, strong, and fast drying, it also dyes (using non-toxic dye) so easily to just about any colour you can imagine, or that I can mix. It is so much more difficult to work with than silk. And just as luxurious as silk.

Synthetics, like nylon, are generally not rated as very environmentally friendly, but there are points to be considered, and once you have, you’ll see the possible advantages they hold and their place in lingerie design and production.

The durability of good quality nylon fabrics has an upside for the environment as the wearer will get a greater lifespan from their garment. So, rather than a garment that doesn’t last and is thrown into the rubbish after a short period, nylon will last and hold its shape giving much longer wear than other fabrics. I have to admit, I have underwear that I made in nylon which would have to be over 5 years old and still going strong.

Nylon is not renewable or biodegradable, and unfortunately, it uses loads of chemicals in the creation process, and energy, but, if you use the best quality and treat it well, garments made in nylon will give you years of wear as I have living proof of this in my lingerie drawer.

Organic fabrics

natural fabrics vs. synthetics

ALL SUNBIRD LINGERIE UNDIES HAVE GUSSETS MADE FROM ORGANIC BAMBOO.

Organic bamboo is as soft as butter against the skin and naturally antibacterial. So, as odour is caused by bacteria.💡 It’s not rocket science to figure out why organic bamboo makes the best gusset! A lot of lingerie makers use organic cotton for their gussets. I have found organic cotton is not as soft as organic bamboo and will “wear” through in high friction areas of the gusset.

Read the blog about organic bamboo underwear.

The perfect undies for our Australian Summer: Organic bamboo with Seashells organic cotton front panel to match the Seashells organic cotton bra.

Organic cotton is not only better for our planet as it uses much less water and chemicals than traditional cotton, but it is also lovely and soft, giving it a luxurious yet natural and very comforting feeling when you wear it.

It is difficult to find organic cotton in lighter-weight fabrics which are more suitable for lingerie use.

It’s a great pity, but other options exist, such as mercerised cotton and cotton lawn.

Mercerised cotton is formed by a caustic soda treatment, which also improves absorption for dyes, improves strength and gives a lustre and smoothness to the cotton. This is a chemically treated fabric with great benefits from this treatment. Mercerised cotton is so strong and lovely to wear, being cotton, with the bonus of behaving like silk, with its lustre and great strength. Garments made in mercerised cotton look new for years and maintain their shape. So, do you think the use of chemicals is worth the longevity of the garment? I do, if the garment is well made and correctly fitting, ensuring longevity for the wearer.

Mercerised cotton undies

Cotton lawn is another fabric that is lightweight, smooth and silk-like in its look and feel, yet it’s cotton!

Cotton lawn is smooth, silk-like, and colour-rich once dyed, with all the benefits of high-quality cotton.

Natural vs. synthetics…this natural fabric is a winner.

Originating in the French city of Laon, and being introduced to the UK in the 16th century, cotton lawn is created by using a high thread count with finer threads. It is a delicate fine fabric with a delightful crisp feel and, like all cottons, is breathable.

Cotton lawn is an all-time favourite of mine. It comes in every colour you can imagine and endless options in prints available. It is a fine and luxurious cotton that is perfect for lingerie. If I had to choose just one fabric type, it would be cotton lawn💖

So the debate on natural fabrics vs. synthetics, they both have pros and cons, you have to choose the one you will get the most joy from wearing and owning, and then take good care of them ❤.

Choosing the right fabric can make all the difference in how comfortable and satisfied you feel in your clothing. Do you prefer natural materials like cotton, wool, or silk? Or do you prefer synthetic materials like polyester, nylon, or spandex? Whether you prioritize sustainability, breathability, or durability, it’s important to consider the benefits and drawbacks of both options before making a decision. So, natural fabrics vs. synthetics, the choice is yours.