For hundreds of years, this material has been invincible in the world.

When I was a student majoring in design more than ten years ago, I remember the professor told us, "Don't risk cotton for sportswear." The meaning of this sentence is clear: it is not a high-performance fabric. In the following decades, I worked as a designer. When I worked with brands, developers and consultants, I found that the opposite was true: cotton was originally and always was a high-performance material. It is not only commendable for its adaptability and performance advantages, but also has always adhered to high sustainability standards. It may be troublesome to clarify the context of textile history, but by studying the evolution and development of specific fibers, fabrics and finishes, it is clear that cotton has always been our hero for sustainable development.

Let's go back to the 16th century, when the super waterproof performance of cotton began to play a big role, or we should say that the legend of the sea began to play. At that time, British and Scottish sailors found that after smearing fish oil and grease on their cotton sails, the sails would sail more efficiently in wet conditions, and the canvas would be lighter in dry conditions. In contrast, the sailing effect of untreated sails was poor. From this, a series of design and development began, and the waxed cotton as we know it now - cotton impregnated with paraffin or natural beeswax appeared. Finally, the crew used treated sails to make cape. The Royal Navy even used waxed cotton on the sails of ships bound for Egypt to obtain more cotton.

Throughout the 18-19th century, the shipping industry dominated the commercial application of cotton, and then Barbour appeared. In the early 1930s, they chose waxed cotton as the motorcycle clothes of their team. In the race from 1936 to 1977, the British International Aircraft Team all wore such clothes and became famous because of the American actor Steve McQueen. During the Second World War, the British army also wore uniforms made of waxed cotton. This fabric has been developed into a wider application in clothing to provide warmth retention.

Next cotton superpower: protection. Grenfell Cloth (1923), Byrd Cloth (1934) and Ventile (1943) are some of the fabrics that can provide comfort under various conditions. Grenfell Cloth, named after the British medical missionary, is made of 600 lines of cotton per inch, which is strong enough to withstand the extreme climate of Newfoundland where Grenfell works. Like Grenfell Cloth, Byrd Cloth is designed to withstand harsh conditions. Richard Byrd is an Antarctic explorer. He needs windproof and breathable clothes so that sweat can evaporate from his body instead of freezing on his skin. Similar to waxed cotton, Byrd Cloth is the first choice for military uniforms because it can keep dry, improve air permeability, repel mosquitoes, and is lighter than twill cloth. Today, it is still used in cold proof clothing.

Finally, let's talk about Ventile, a weatherproof textile with unique twist. Ventile is a cotton fabric woven from extra long staple cotton (ELS) fiber. ELS fiber is only found in 2% of the world's cotton crops. It can be used to produce stronger yarns, tightly woven into high-density textiles, and the final product is 100% cotton fabric, which can effectively resist bad weather. Due to its drape and breathability, it naturally has all-weather comfort, and is both durable and mild. Ventile was originally developed by scientists from Shirley Institute in Manchester, England, and is now exclusively produced by Stotz&Co AG in Switzerland. They spin, weave, weave and dye the raw materials, and directly use their own etaProof cotton brand to sell them to global garment manufacturers and textile wholesale distributors.

For the last super ability of cotton, we have an innovation that combines performance and sustainability - Foxfibre. Foxfibre is one of my favorite stories in textile history. It was developed by Sally Fox in 1980. As an innovator of that era, Foxfibre was the first commercially available colored cotton. By creating plush colored cotton, Sally Fox has reduced the harmful bleaching, water waste and labor costs associated with hand spinning this fiber in the past. Her unique expertise in natural colored cotton has brought beautiful, soft and environmentally friendly solutions to the market. Levi's, Land's End and L.L.Bean are all her big customers – by giving priority to organic sources, these companies still lead the trend of sustainable development today.

You may still be wondering why you should review the history of textile? This is to prove that although language and marketing can change consumers' understanding of fabric selection, cotton has always been multi-purpose and functional. History tells us that before the emergence of sportswear, there were work clothes. Before we used the word "performance", we were talking about practicality and solving comfort problems. If it keeps you dry, it's comfortable. If it is sweaty and breathable, it is comfortable. If it is soft, it is comfortable. Due to the popularity of synthetic fiber, the natural capacity of cotton has declined over time, but today it is returning strongly, partly because consumers know the stakes.

Today, we are all considering the fact that such common synthetic fiber products in our wardrobe have actually caused a lot of micro plastic pollution. Consumers now want their clothes to protect the earth and have performance. They are unwilling to compromise. Due to the new development of fibers, fabrics and finishes, cotton can provide all the properties we discussed above - as well as benefits such as microclimate creation, muscle recovery, water management, durability, greater ductility and resilience, and odor/antibacterial effects. At present, companies focusing on cotton/material R&D are exploring these benefits. All of this is happening and focused on the entire product life cycle - ultimately creating sustainable cotton innovation.

Organizations such as Cotton Council International have even developed new measurement standards to quantify the impact and identify which innovations are most sustainable. From biodegradable fabrics and microfibers 1 to precision agriculture and carbon neutral agriculture practices, cotton innovators continue to fulfill their responsibility for sustainable development.

When you think about the future of your brand or the next product line, consider exploring the rich history of cotton. For more inspiration and inspiration, please learn about some new initiatives, such as WHAT'S NEW IN COTTONTM, which shows the fashion technology used in finishing, blending and yarn innovation2. We must return to a more natural way, and cotton should be our first choice in the future.

About the author:

Jessica Hemmer is the founder and creative director of HemmerDesign. She has more than ten years of experience in sportswear, fashion and advanced materials industries, and is well versed in design and manufacturing - both from the perspective of brands and suppliers. Her studio is dedicated to helping companies determine their future positioning and jointly create products that can help them achieve their goals.

Fabric hero: cotton has taken the lead with excellent performance through the ages