Natural Materials

There are two main types of natural materials; plant and animal fibres.

Cotton is a plant fibre. It is the worlds most frequently used fibre. All parts of the cotton plant can be used but the most used part is the fibre or lint- this is used to make clothes and fabrics. It is very strong and easily absorbs water. However it shrinks and wrinkles easily and takes a long time to dry.

Cotton

Wool

Wool is an animal fibre- it comes from the soft coat of a sheep and is sheared using clippers. Wool is very useful as it is comfortable and warm so is good for winter clothes. It is also hard wearing and doesn't absorb water easily so is very durable. However it is very expensive and is very heavy when wet.

Silk

Silk is an animal fibre- it comes from silk worms. It is useful as it is very strong so keeps its shape easily. It is very light and comfortable, it is also very good at insulating and has a nice shiny finish. However it is hard to look after because it needs lots of care and is very expensive.

Linen is a plant fibre that comes from flax. It is a good material as it is very durable and comfortable. Many people like it as you can purchase it in any weight, it is cheap and is very absorbent and quick drying. However it wrinkles very easily and can be damaged by hard water.

Linen

By Georgia Weeks