Blended. It’s a word that’s everywhere nowadays, but what exactly does it mean when it comes to your clothing? Take a look at the tag in your shirt. Chances are, you will see a list of multiple fabrics, not just a single one. Some of these fabrics will be synthetic, meaning they are man-made from a variety of chemicals, such as polyester, nylon or rayon. Others listed will be natural fabrics that originated from an animal or a plant, such as cotton, wool or silk. And some, such as viscose, will be semi-synthetic, meaning that it came from a natural source, but required hard processing to develop the fibers.
While it may sound great to have a garment made up of entirely natural fibers, it’s actually more practical and beneficial to blend natural and synthetic fabrics together. Each fabric holds its own unique properties that give it certain advantages and disadvantages, but by blending fabrics you can reap their benefits and omit their flaws. For example, polyester is durable, wrinkle resistant, anti-pilling and good at retaining its shape. Cotton is very breathable, comfortable and has high absorbency, but it creases easily and shrinks in the wash. However, a polyester blend with cotton provides the comfort and breathability of cotton, but with less shrinking and creasing due to the polyester. Blending also makes the garment stronger.
Another well-known beneficial blend is combining spandex with cotton. This blend provides breathability and stretch in the garment, along with a comfort factor that is off the charts. What is more important than comfort when wearing clothes? And it’s not just two fabrics that you can blend together; you can blend multiple fabrics, such as rayon, polyester and spandex, to create unique textures and looks.
(IN)LARKIN utilizes blended fabrics to create clothing collections that focus on both being chic and comfortable. By using these blended fabrics and weaving in the performance of athletic wear to the tailored cuts of high fashion, women no longer have to sacrifice comfort for glamour—women can have them both!
(IN)LARKIN's athglamour, the fashionable cousin of athleisure, is style you can live in.