Materials that clothe our world
Textiles are flexible materials made of natural or artificial fibres that are interlaced to create fabrics. These materials are present in our daily lives: in the clothes we wear, the sheets on our beds, the curtains in our homes, school bags and many other objects.
They come from plants or animals:
Created by humans in laboratories:
Textiles have accompanied humanity since prehistoric times. The first civilisations discovered how to use fibres to protect themselves from the cold and create garments. Cotton was grown in India more than 5,000 years ago, while the Chinese discovered the secret of silk 4,000 years ago.
During the Industrial Revolution (18th century), the invention of textile machines such as the mechanical loom transformed fabric production, shifting from craft work to mass manufacturing. This changed the world economy and the way of life of millions of people.
Today, the textile industry is one of the most important in the world:
Textiles have different properties that determine their uses and applications. These properties are classified into three main categories:
These are characteristics that we can observe and measure without changing the nature of the material.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Texture | Sensation when touching the fabric: soft, rough, coarse... |
| Shine | Ability to reflect light (matte, satin, glossy) |
| Weight | Mass of the fabric per unit area (light or heavy) |
| Permeability | Allows the passage of air and moisture (breathable or not) |
They describe how the material reacts to chemical substances or environmental conditions.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Water resistance | Ability to repel or absorb water (hydrophobic or hydrophilic) |
| Acid resistance | How the fabric behaves when exposed to acidic substances |
| Heat resistance | Maximum temperature it can withstand without deteriorating |
| Flammability | Ease with which the material burns when in contact with fire |
They determine how the fabric responds to physical forces and its behaviour during use.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Strength | Force it can withstand before tearing when stretched |
| Elasticity | Ability to stretch and return to its original shape |
| Flexibility | Ease of folding without breaking (rigid or flexible) |
| Abrasion | Resistance to wear from continuous rubbing or friction |
| Wrinkle resistance | Tendency to form wrinkles after use or washing |
Textiles are materials made of fibres that are interlaced to create fabrics. Their production follows a process that goes from obtaining the raw material to the finished product.
Fibres are the basis of every fabric. According to their origin, they are classified into three main groups:
They come from nature: animals (sheep's wool, silkworm silk) or plants (cotton from the plant, linen from the flax stem).
Obtained from natural materials such as wood cellulose, which is dissolved and chemically transformed. Example: rayon or viscose.
Completely manufactured in a laboratory from petroleum through chemical reactions. Examples: polyester, nylon, acrylic.
The fibres are cleaned, sorted and stretched to form continuous threads. In the past this was done with spinning wheels; today industrial machines are used.
The threads are interlaced on a loom (by hand or industrially) using two systems:
Some fabrics are not woven but made by pressure and heat (felt) or by adhesion (non-woven fabrics, such as TNT used in face masks).
Once the raw fabric is made, different treatments are applied to improve its appearance and properties:
When we think of textiles, the first thing that comes to mind is the clothing we wear every day. However, textile materials are present in many more areas of our daily lives: from hospitals to outer space, including sport, construction and high technology.
In fact, today more than 60% of the textiles produced in the world are not used to make clothing, but for technical and industrial purposes. Below, we will look at the most important sectors with concrete examples.
This is the best-known sector and the one with the highest production volume. Textiles are used to make all kinds of garments: everyday clothing, workwear, school uniforms, underwear, party wear and accessories such as bags, belts and hats.
In recent years, sustainable fashion has become very important, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of the industry. For this purpose, recycled materials—such as polyester made from plastic bottles—or naturally grown natural fibres, such as organic cotton or linen, are used.
There is also what is known as fast fashion, which produces large quantities of cheap clothing at high speed, although it generates a lot of waste and pollution.
Examples: Denim jeans, merino wool jackets, bamboo socks, recycled polyester t-shirts, polar fleece coats.
Sports clothing has evolved enormously thanks to the development of special technical fabrics. These materials allow the body to move with complete freedom, expel sweat outward (breathability), regulate body temperature and, in some cases, protect against impacts or abrasions.
Some high-tech fabrics compress certain muscle groups to improve blood circulation and reduce the risk of injury. Others incorporate integrated rigid protections, such as the fabrics used in cycling, skiing or martial arts clothing.
Even the materials of the playing field, such as artificial turf or nets, are technical textiles designed to last many years and withstand extreme conditions.
Examples: Compression spandex leggings, breathable microfibre t-shirts, neoprene suits for surfing, sports footwear with knit mesh, football kits with DRYCELL fabric.
In healthcare, textiles are absolutely indispensable. Materials are needed that can be sterilised, that do not promote bacterial infections, that are gentle on sensitive skin and that, in many cases, can be introduced inside the human body itself.
Medical textiles are divided into two main groups: those for external use (gauze, bandages, masks, gowns, hospital sheets) and implantable ones, i.e. those that are surgically inserted inside the body. The latter are made from biocompatible materials, meaning the body does not reject them.
A very promising field is that of textiles with pharmacological properties: fabrics that release medicines slowly and in a controlled manner onto the patient's skin, useful for treating burns, ulcers or eczema.
Examples: Sterile gauze and bandages, biodegradable suture threads, dacron vascular prostheses, hernia meshes, silver-coated dressings for burns.
In civil engineering and construction, so-called geotextiles are used—technical fabrics placed under the ground, on slopes, roads or dams. Their function is to reinforce the terrain, prevent soil erosion, filter water correctly or separate layers of different materials.
In addition to geotextiles, textile membranes are used in architecture to cover large spaces without the need for intermediate columns, such as stadiums, airports or markets. These structures are lightweight, strong and allow natural light through.
Carbon and glass fibres, also considered textile materials, are used to reinforce concrete structures or to manufacture strong yet very lightweight elements for bridges, buildings or vehicles.
Examples: Geotextiles in roads to prevent cracking, tensioned awnings in Olympic stadiums, waterproof membranes on flat roofs, carbon fibre in bridges and buildings.
Smart textiles, also called e-textiles or smart textiles, are one of the fields with the greatest future potential. They combine traditional fibres with electronic sensors, electricity-conducting fibres or microcircuits integrated directly into the fabric.
Thanks to these advances, clothing no longer serves only to keep us warm or protected: it can measure vital signs such as heart rate or body temperature, detect movements, connect to mobile devices or even actively heat or cool the user.
In the aerospace and military sectors, high-performance textiles are key: astronauts' suits regulate pressure and temperature in space, while modern bulletproof vests combine Kevlar and other high-resistance polymers.
Examples: T-shirts with heart rate sensors, USB-heated jackets, gloves for controlling drones, astronaut suits with environmental control, Kevlar bulletproof vests.
The textile industry is one of the most polluting in the world. From when a garment is made to when we throw it away, it leaves an enormous footprint on the planet.
From industrial dyes and chemicals
Worldwide come from fashion
Ends up in landfill or is incinerated
Of cotton needed during production
The main problems are the excessive use of water, the pollution of rivers with chemical dyes, and the huge amount of clothing that is thrown away. In addition, synthetic fabrics like polyester release microplastics when washed, which end up in the oceans.
Recycling clothing means giving it a second life instead of throwing it away. There are two main ways:
Donating clothes to second-hand shops, swapping with friends or selling at markets. The garment continues to be used, but by someone else. It is the simplest and most eco-friendly option.
When it can no longer be used, clothing is shredded to create new fibres or filling materials. Some brands already make new garments from recycled plastic bottles.
You can take your used clothing to textile recycling bins or to collection points at shops like Zara, H&M or Humana.
The circular economy proposes that instead of making, using and throwing away (linear economy), products should last longer, be repaired and recycled, forming a continuous cycle.
Applied to clothing, the cycle has 5 steps:
If brands collected used clothing for recycling, or if we bought fewer but higher-quality garments, far less waste would be generated and a large amount of water and energy would be saved.
4-5 minute conversation about textiles with simple vocabulary
LUCAS: (Approaching Daniela) Hey Daniela, you did the project on textiles, right?
DANIELA: Yes, I just finished it. Why?
LUCAS: I don't really understand what's so special about them. They're just fabrics, aren't they?
DANIELA: (Laughing) Not at all! Textiles are much more than fabrics. They're everywhere.
LUCAS: Everywhere? Give me examples.
DANIELA: Well, in your clothes, of course. But also in your bed sheets, curtains, your backpack, medical bandages, tents, and even astronauts' space suits.
LUCAS: Space suits? Wow!
TEACHER: (Approaching) I see you're talking about the research project. Daniela is right, textiles are in so many places.
DANIELA: Hi teacher! I was telling Lucas about textiles.
TEACHER: Perfect. Have you explained what they actually are?
DANIELA: I was about to. Look Lucas, textiles are flexible materials made of fibres that are interlaced to create fabrics.
LUCAS: And where do those fibres come from?
DANIELA: There are three main types. First, natural fibres, which come from plants or animals: cotton, linen, wool, silk...
LUCAS: Ah, I know those.
DANIELA: Then there are artificial fibres, which are made from natural materials but chemically transformed, like viscose.
TEACHER: And synthetic ones, right Daniela?
DANIELA: Exactly. Synthetic fibres are completely manufactured in laboratories from petroleum. For example, polyester, nylon or lycra.
LUCAS: My sports t-shirt is polyester.
DANIELA: Of course, because polyester is very good for sportswear. It absorbs sweat and dries quickly.
TEACHER: Daniela, tell Lucas about the properties of textiles.
DANIELA: Okay. Textiles have different properties that determine what they're used for. There are physical properties, like texture, shine or whether they're light or heavy.
LUCAS: That makes sense.
DANIELA: They also have chemical properties, like water resistance. For example, a raincoat has to repel water, but a towel has to absorb it.
LUCAS: I'd never thought about it that way.
DANIELA: And mechanical properties, like strength and elasticity. Lycra stretches a lot, but normal cotton fabric doesn't.
TEACHER: Very well explained. And how are textiles made?
DANIELA: First the fibres are extracted or manufactured. Then comes spinning, where the fibres are turned into continuous threads.
LUCAS: Like with a spinning wheel?
DANIELA: Yes, spinning wheels used to be used. Now it's done with giant industrial machines. Then comes weaving, where the threads are interlaced on looms to form the fabric.
TEACHER: And what happens after weaving?
DANIELA: The finishes come: dyeing the fabric to give it colour, printing designs, and applying special treatments.
LUCAS: What kind of treatments?
DANIELA: For example, so it doesn't shrink when washed, to make it waterproof, so it doesn't burn easily, or to make it softer.
LUCAS: Okay, I understand the process now. But you said textiles are in many places. Where else apart from clothing?
DANIELA: In so many places! In medicine they're used for bandages, masks, hospital gowns, and even for implants inside the body.
LUCAS: Implants inside the body?
TEACHER: Yes, there are biocompatible textiles used in surgeries. For example, to repair hernias or blood vessels.
DANIELA: They're also used in construction. Geotextiles are placed under roads to reinforce the terrain.
LUCAS: And in technology?
DANIELA: Yes, there are smart textiles with sensors. They can measure your heart rate while you exercise, or connect to your phone.
TEACHER: And there are even jackets that heat themselves with a USB battery.
LUCAS: That's incredible! What about the environment? Do textiles pollute?
DANIELA: (Getting serious) Yes, unfortunately the textile industry pollutes a lot. It's one of the most polluting in the world.
LUCAS: Why?
DANIELA: Because a huge amount of water is used to make clothes. A single cotton t-shirt needs about 2,700 litres of water.
LUCAS: That's outrageous!
DANIELA: And tons of clothing are thrown away every year too. 85% of discarded clothing ends up in landfills or is burned.
TEACHER: That's why textile recycling and the circular economy are important.
LUCAS: What's circular economy?
DANIELA: It's when instead of making, using and throwing away, things are designed to last longer, repaired if they break, and recycled at the end.
TEACHER: Exactly. Instead of a straight line—make, use, throw away—it's a circle where everything is utilized.
DANIELA: You can recycle your clothes in two ways: reusing them, donating them to second-hand shops, or taking them to special containers to be transformed into new fibres.
LUCAS: I didn't know there were containers for clothes.
DANIELA: Yes, and some shops like Zara or H&M also have collection points.
TEACHER: If we all bought less clothing but of better quality, and took better care of it, we'd pollute much less.
LUCAS: You're right. I have a wardrobe full of clothes I hardly use.
DANIELA: You could donate them or swap them with friends.
LUCAS: That's true. Hey Daniela, you've convinced me. Textiles are much more interesting than I thought.
DANIELA: (Smiling) I'm glad. They're technology, history and science, all in one.
TEACHER: Excellent work, Daniela. You've explained the importance of textiles and their environmental impact very well.
LUCAS: Now I'm going to start my project with much more enthusiasm. Thanks, Daniela.
DANIELA: You're welcome. If you need help, just ask me.
TEACHER: Well kids, it's time to go. But this conversation has been very educational.
END OF DIALOGUE
Estimated reading time: 4-5 minutes
Textiles are materials made of interlaced fibres that are present in absolutely everything around us: the clothes we wear, hospital bandages, artificial turf on a football pitch or even astronauts' suits.
There are three types of fibres: natural (like cotton or wool), artificial (like viscose, made from wood) and synthetic (like polyester, made from petroleum). Each has different properties—like strength, elasticity or breathability—that determine what each fabric is used for.
More than 60% of the textiles manufactured in the world are not for making clothing, but for technical and industrial uses in medicine, construction, sport and technology.
The biggest challenge is the environment. The textile industry pollutes enormously: it needs huge amounts of water, uses chemicals and generates tons of clothing that ends up in the bin. That's why the circular economy—repairing, reusing and recycling clothing instead of throwing it away—is the path we must follow.
Textiles are not just fabric: they are technology, science and also a responsibility towards the planet 🌍