Chapter 76: Fabric Reference Chart

This chapter consolidates the fabric-specific guidance scattered throughout Parts III and XI into a single, quick-reference comparison chart.

Master Fabric Comparison

Fabric	Fiber Type	Breathability	Structure	Care	Best Use
Cotton (poplin/twill)	Natural	High	Structured	Machine wash, cool	Casual, everyday
Wool	Natural	Moderate	Structured, holds crease	Dry clean/gentle wash	Tailored, formal
Linen	Natural	Very High	Structured, textural	Machine wash tolerant	Summer, casual
Silk	Natural	Moderate	Fluid	Hand wash/dry clean	Formal, eveningwear
Denim	Natural (cotton twill)	Moderate	Sturdy, structured	Machine wash, cold, inside out	Casual, everyday
Polyester	Synthetic	Low–Moderate	Varies (often structured)	Machine wash, low heat dry	Durable casual, blends
Nylon	Synthetic	Low	Structured, strong	Machine wash	Technical, outdoor
Rayon/Viscose	Semi-synthetic	Moderate	Fluid, soft	Gentle wash	Soft drape at lower cost
Tencel/Lyocell	Semi-synthetic	Moderate–High	Fluid, soft	Machine wash, gentle	Lower-impact soft drape
Ponte knit	Blend (varies)	Moderate	Structured knit	Machine wash, gentle	Travel, transitional tailoring
Ponte/ Ponte-elastane	Blend	Moderate	Structured w/ stretch	Machine wash, gentle	Smart-casual, travel

Weight Category Reference (from Chapter 15)

Weight Category	Approx. GSM	Typical Use
Lightweight	Under ~150 GSM	Fluid drape, warm weather
Midweight	~150–300 GSM	Most versatile, year-round
Heavyweight	Over ~300 GSM	Structure, cold weather, durability

Stretch Category Reference (from Chapter 16)

Stretch Type	Direction	Typical Use
Two-way stretch	Widthwise only	Tailored trousers with some give
Four-way stretch	Width and length	Athletic, high-mobility trousers
Mechanical stretch	Weave/knit structure, no elastane	Structure-preferred tailoring
Fiber (elastane) stretch	Blended elastic fiber	Consistent long-term recovery