Fabric guide: cotton, linen, wool and polyester compared

Cotton

Cotton is a natural fibre from the cotton plant, and the most familiar fabric in most wardrobes: T-shirts, shirts, jeans, sweatshirts and summer dresses.

• Feel: soft, comfortable and breathable.
• Strengths: strong, easy to wash, takes dye well.
• Weaknesses: creases, can shrink in a hot wash or the tumble dryer, and dries slowly. It holds moisture, so it is not ideal next to the skin for exercise.
• Care: usually machine washable. Check the care label for the temperature, and avoid high heat in the dryer.
• Second-hand: good cotton ages well. Check for thinning at the collar and cuffs, faded patches and underarm marks.

Linen

Linen is made from the flax plant. It is used for summer shirts, trousers, dresses and suits.

• Feel: cool and crisp at first, then softer with every wash.
• Strengths: very strong, breathable and quick to dry, so it is comfortable in hot weather.
• Weaknesses: creases as soon as you look at it. That is part of its character, and most people who wear linen embrace it. It can also be stiff when new.
• Care: many linen pieces can be machine washed gently, but check the label. Iron or steam while slightly damp, or simply hang it and accept the soft creases.
• Second-hand: linen often gets better with age. Check the seams, which can wear at stress points, and look for marks along fold lines.

Wool

Wool comes from sheep, and the name also covers fibres from other animals, such as cashmere from goats and mohair. It is used for jumpers, coats, suits and socks.

• Feel: warm, springy and, depending on the type, anything from soft to scratchy. Merino and cashmere are among the softest.
• Strengths: insulating, even when slightly damp, and naturally slow to hold smells, so it needs washing less often.
• Weaknesses: can shrink and felt in hot water or the tumble dryer, can pill, and attracts moths if stored dirty.
• Care: wash cool and gently, by hand or on a wool cycle if the label allows, and dry flat. Our guide to washing and storing knitwear explains the method.
• Second-hand: good wool lasts for years. Check for moth holes, felting and thinning at the elbows. Our guide to telling if a wool coat is good quality has more detail.

Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic fibre made from oil. It is in everything from dresses and fleeces to activewear and coat linings, often blended with natural fibres.

• Feel: smooth, sometimes slippery, and less breathable than natural fibres.
• Strengths: strong, keeps its shape, resists creasing, dries quickly and is easy to wash. That makes it useful for activewear and outdoor clothing.
• Weaknesses: can hold on to sweat smells, can pill, can build up static, and can melt or go shiny under a hot iron. It sheds tiny fibres in the wash.
• Care: usually machine washable at a low temperature. Avoid high heat.
• Second-hand: polyester wears well, so pieces often look newer than they are. Check for pilling and smells, which our guide to getting smells out of second-hand clothes can help with.

Other fibres you will see

• Viscose (rayon): made from wood pulp. Drapes beautifully and feels cool, but can shrink and weakens when wet, so wash it gently.
• Nylon (polyamide): strong and stretchy, common in tights, swimwear and outdoor wear.
• Elastane: adds stretch in small amounts, often 1% to 5%, to jeans, leggings and tops.
• Acrylic: a synthetic often used to imitate wool. Cheaper and easy to wash, but it pills more and is less warm for its weight.
• Silk: a natural protein fibre. Smooth, light and delicate. Check the care label carefully.

What blends change

Most clothes are blends. A little elastane makes jeans comfortable. Some polyester in a cotton shirt reduces creasing. Nylon in wool socks makes them last longer. The percentages matter: a "wool blend" coat that is mostly polyester will behave more like polyester than wool.

Using this when you buy and sell

When you buy, ask for a photo of the composition label if it is not in the listing. On Rewear, tap Message the seller and ask. It tells you how a piece will feel, how to wash it and how it is likely to age. Our guide to reading a clothing care label covers the washing symbols that sit next to it.

When you sell, give the fibre content exactly as written on the label. Many buyers look for natural fibres such as wool, linen and silk, and a clear photo of the label builds trust.

The short version

Cotton is comfortable and easy, linen is cool and creases, wool is warm and needs gentle care, and polyester is tough but less breathable. Read the composition label, look at the percentages in a blend, and wash each one the way its care label says.