Are 100% cotton clothes really comfortable?
100% cotton clothes are really comfortable which is attributed to the natural material they are made from. Cotton is a material that fibrous. These fibers are soft by nature and are what comes in contact with your skin not the fabric itself.
The nature of cotton is what makes it feel so soft to the touch. Small amount of the cotton fiber extend from the surface of the fabric. This along with air creates a barrier between the wearer and the fabric. This small amount of contact is what creates the cushion and feathery touch of the cloths a person wearing cotton experiences. This trapped air serves more of a purpose than just increasing the comfort of the wearer. In the hot summer months it acts as a barrier against the heat of the sun that accumulates on the surface of the fabric. In the winter months this same barrier allows the wearer to be warmer by keeping more of the body’s heat from escaping.
The creation of this barrier is not the only way 100% cotton fabrics provides comfort to the people that wear it. Since cotton is a natural cellulose fiber, it also absorbs moisture. This absorption by cotton helps to keep the wearers skin dry. Most of this moisture is produced by the skin in the way of perspiration. By the cotton fabric absorbing this moisture and retaining it in the fabric that is separated from the skin, the possibility of a person developing a heat rash is significantly reduced. With the moisture in the cotton, it will also aids in the cooling of the body making the wearer more comfortable in the hot summer months.
Many people have been aware of layering clothing in the winter months to help keep them warm. This layering of cloths on a person is most effective when the fabric used in the cloths is made from 100% cotton. With the adding of each layer of cotton cloths to a person, there increases the warmth they will feel along with protection from the cold. This is possible because of the barriers 100% cotton cloths provide. Each item of clothing creates its own barrier. This is because the cotton forms a barrier between the skin and the first layer. With each additional layer another barrier is formed. It is the nature of this fabric. Just like a double pane window insulate better than a single pane window does, so it is with clothing made of cotton. With each additional layer there is another barrier to protect the person. It is also the reason this process does not work with artificial fabrics, there is no barrier to create that insulating effect.
Cotton has been known for its high level of comfort by those that have worn it for over 7,000 years. To this day and into the foreseeable future, nothing made in a laboratory will ever be as durable and comfortable. Nature really got this one right.