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Woven Versus Knit Garment – When choosing a Woven Fabric over a Knit Fabric

The Origin of Woven Fabrics

Fabrics are defined by the yarns and threads that produce them.

Historically speaking, Weaving itself is one of the oldest surviving practices in the world, with a history embedded in the Neolithic period (c. 9000-4000 BCE). The foremost cases of cotton, silk, and linen being used, date to 5000B.C. Two different manufacturing processes of fabrics surfaced as the main types … woven and knitted.

Woven Versus Knit Garment

When you need to choose fabric, first question is arise in our mind is should we buy woven fabric or knitted fabric. The best answer to tickle this question is to understand the difference between woven fabric and knitted fabric. In this blog, I ’d like to discuss the difference between woven and knitted fabrics and some exemplifications of each to help you understand what’s are the options for your design.

What is Knit Fabric?

Knit fabrics use interlocking loops made out of one long yarn to form a smooth, slightly stretchy kind of material. Knit fabric factories use giant knitting machines that employ the same process as hand-held knitting needles, just on a larger scale.

If you look closely at any knit fabric, you will see tiny links of thread that look like many small braids. Under a microscope, these tiny links would look just like the knitted loops of yarn in your favorite sweater!

What is Woven Fabric?

Fabrics use interconnected closed loops made of long yarn to create a smooth, somewhat elastic type of material. Knit factories use giant knitting machines, which use the same process as hand knitting needles, on a much larger scale.

When you look at each knit, you will see small strands of yarn that look like many small strands. Under the microscope, these little flocks look like woven loops of yarn on your favorite sweater!

What’s the Difference Between Woven and Knitted Fabrics?

The difference between woven and woven fabrics is that the woven fabric uses a barbed wire construction and the woven fabric is made of two sets of yarns that cross each other.

The fabric can contain any type of fiber, from synthetic fabrics such as polyester to older fabrics such as silk and linen. But whatever type of material enters a substance, each substance passes through one or the other of these two types of fabric construction.

In addition to the unique structure of the yarn, you can use many other quick tests to determine the difference between a woven or woven piece of fabric. First, weaving fabric is much more than weaving fabric. Second, the fabric will also not easily fold when you pinch it between your fingers, and the fabric will curl.

Of course, each fabric construction method has different properties.

Stretch

Knitted fabric is more stretchable than woven fabric. Thanks to the loops of yarn in the knit fabric, it is flexible and ideal for close-fitting garments. It can be horizontal and upright, although it can also be stretched and curved if not cared for properly.

The woven fabric does not have much flexibility. It does not stretch too vertically or horizontally, although it may be somewhat diagonal. For this reason, fashion designers sometimes cut the woven material “tilted” rather than obliquely to give this type of fabric more shape.

The woven material usually has a larger structure than the woven material. Woven clothing often requires fastening, such as zippers or buttons, because otherwise they won’t just stretch over your head or legs!

Strength

The strength of each fabric greatly depends on the type of fiber it contains, but the woven fabric has greater durability than a fabric made from the same type of material.

The woven fabric has tensile strength like all intersecting yarns, so it can be shaped and reinforced. The woven fabric is easy to unroll.

On the other hand, the fabric does not damage as easily as the fabric.

Durability

Woven Fabrics usually have greater strength than knit fabrics. It may surprise you; After all, t-shirts and many of your most durable clothes are made of knitted material! However, the woven fabric can retain its shape and resist peeling after heavy use and extensive washing, while the woven material eventually stretches, peels and loses its beautiful appearance. In general, it is easier to damage the knit fabric than to damage the woven fabric. Of course, it depends a bit on the type of material used – woven silk fabric, for example, requires special dry cleaning, while your typical cotton knit can go straight to the washing machine! But in general, woven material ceases over time as a knit fabric.

Breathability

The knitted fabric provides greater breathability than the woven fabric. The loop thread design provides multiple airflow ducts. The woven material has some microscopic gaps between the crossed strands, but this is probably a barrier between you and the air. Many other factors also determine respiration. Better yarns usually give woven and knitted materials more breathability. The density of the knit or weave will also affect the breathability of the material. In addition, the material itself affects breathing. For example, cotton is very breathable in a knitted or woven structure. Polyester, on the other hand, is less breathable because it lacks porous fibers.

Softness

The Knitted fabric is almost always soft by pulling and stretching. Woven materials usually have a firmer or even coarser texture. Well, that doesn’t mean woven material is never soft! Ringspun cotton woven in a tight satin weave has a soft, almost shiny surface. But Ringspun cotton worn with jersey knit on the T-shirt is soft and pleasant to the touch. Softness again depends on the type of material used. However, it can be said with certainty that the woven fabric is always soft and the woven fabric is not always soft!

Comfort

Knitted fabric often feels more comfortable than woven fabric. The knit fabric has an indulgent, close-fitting and flowing quality, which brings it many points for comfort! Woven fabric can also feel comfortable depending on the type of material used and the style of clothing. Thanks to the softness of the knitwear, they are also more comfortable. Most of your comfortable home clothes, such as T-shirts, loose hoodies and comfortable sweatshirts, are made of woven materials.

Wrinkle-Resistant

Knitwear won the match against creasing, hand on heart! The smooth structure and flexibility of this type of material prevents its easy rolling. On the other hand, the woven fabric can in many cases catch and firmly hold the fold on the head. It is interesting for you that the substance precipitates, because heat and moisture affect the hydrogen bonding in the material. This allows the fibers to change shape a little and create folds in the material.

Ease of Care

Easy care of woven and knit fabrics depends on what type of material it contains. As such, both types of fabric construction offer certain benefits and care efficiencies.

Knitwear is not easy to knit and does not require ironing. On the other hand, the woven material does not peel or stick with easy washing. However, it should always be ironed because it is easy to curl.

Common Uses

knit and woven materials have many popular uses in clothing.

Although knit fabric has only been around for a century, it is fast becoming a chapter of many modern wardrobes. T-shirts use knit material such as swimwear, socks, underwear and almost any flexible sportswear such as leggings or tank tops.

Of course, you can also get a variety of woven fabrics. Clothes, shirts, skirts, pants, suits, ads and much more with a fabric binding feature. People have been wearing textiles for thousands and thousands of years!

Garments made of woven material usually have a better structure and contain many different pieces of material sewn to fit the shape of the body. In addition, the production of woven material is usually more expensive than weaving material. The lower price of woven fabric today undoubtedly increases the popularity of free clothing!