Question

Rana wants to buy shirts for summer. Should he buy cotton shirts or shirts made from synthetic material? Advise Rana, giving your reason.

Answer 1

Hint: We should know that cotton is “breathable.” Cotton allows dissipation making it a wonderful fibre to maintain a comfortable temperature. Cotton has good absorbency and it is hydrophilic. It has a natural affinity for water as it attracts moisture away from your body.

Complete step by step solution:
We should know that research suggests that humans have been using cotton as clothing for around 7000 years, if not more. Accessible and easily turned into clothing, ancient civilizations had good reason to use cotton in summer.
We should suggest Rana buy cotton shirts for summer. Cotton garments give better air circulation prompting more assimilation of sweat and in this way give a cooling impact to us. We should tell Rana about the advantages of wearing cotton in summer. These advantages are as follows:
- It is comfortable to wear.
- It allows air circulation in the body.
- It minimizes fungal breeding.
- It gives cooling effects to the body.
- It is perfect for sensitive skins.
- It provides relief from allergies.
- It is easily manageable.
Well Cotton is basically the fibre to use in the summer. In textiles we have a term called the microclimate which basically is the one between your skin and your clothing. Cotton is good at wicking away the sweat from your body and dries fast and the microclimate is maintained at a level that is comfortable. Some examples of natural fabric that we should to Rana to wear in summer are:

Cotton: Cotton fabric is made from plant fibres from the cotton plant. Cotton is primarily composed of cellulose, an insoluble organic compound crucial to plant structure, and is a soft and fluffy material. Cotton fabric is soft and durable and often used to make t-shirts and undergarments. Some examples of different types of cotton fabric are organic cotton, denim, and canvas. Let us now know about cellulose and its properties.

The above is the structure of cellulose and some of its properties that we should know that it has that it has no taste and it is odourless. We should know that cellulose is the main substance found in plant cell walls and helps the plant to remain stiff and strong. Humans cannot digest cellulose, but it is important in the diet as a source of fibre. Cellulose is used to make clothes and paper.
Linen: Linen fabric is a strong, lightweight fabric made from the flax plant. Linen is naturally hypoallergenic and is very breathable, making it a great textile for warm weather clothes.
Now, we should know about synthetic material also. We know that in summer, we perspire a lot. We know that Synthetic clothes cannot absorb sweat from our body at a quicker rate, so the rate of evaporation will be less. Finally we can say, we shouldn’t wear synthetic clothes during summer because they could not absorb sweat from our body and the evaporation process does not occur or occur slowly, and we will feel heat inside synthetic clothes.
Polyester is an example of synthetic fibre. Polyester is a synthetic fibre created from coal and petroleum. Polyester is characterized by its durable nature; however the material is not breathable and doesn’t absorb liquids well so is not recommended for the summer months.
So, from the above discussion we should suggest Rana to buy shirts made up of cotton and linen.

Note:We should know more about synthetic fibre. Some more examples of synthetic fibre as follows:
Rayon: We should know that rayon is a semi-synthetic fibre made from reconstituted wood pulp. Even though rayon is made from plant fibres, it is considered semi-synthetic because of the chemicals, like sodium hydroxide and carbon disulphide, used in the production process. Rayon can be an imitation form of silk, wool, and other fabrics.
Spandex: We also know it by the name of Lycra or elastane, Spandex is a synthetic fibre characterized by its extreme elasticity. Spandex is blended with several types of fibres to add stretch and used for jeans.
Acrylic fibres: Acrylic fibres are synthetic fibres made from polymers formed by acrylonitrile or vinyl cyanide. Acrylic is often considered imitation wool.