is our clothing scientific?

[paragaster]

I feel comfortable in a cotton, flax, linen clothing. Not so we polyesters and polymers. Is our body comfortable only in natural fabric? There was a time when we used to wear even nylon, but it catches fire easily. I do not trust other fabrics to regulate heat in our body, only natural fabrics may be trusted.

What do you say? Should our clothing be scientific or natural?

[John Cuthber]

Why do people have this idea that some how "natural" is good?
Death is natural.

[Strange]

I feel comfortable in a cotton, flax, linen clothing. Not so we polyesters and polymers. Is our body comfortable only in natural fabric? There was a time when we used to wear even nylon, but it catches fire easily. I do not trust other fabrics to regulate heat in our body, only natural fabrics may be trusted.

What do you say? Should our clothing be scientific or natural?

 

 

How do you define "natural"?

 

How can clothing be "scientific"? That is a nonsensical concept.

[DrP]

Why is cotton more 'natural' than polymer anyway? The monomer for the polymer came from oil.... which is a natural resource, no? It is made from what was once alive. How is it any less natural?

 

Where do you draw the line? Is it un natural to cook your food? You are altering it chemically from what it was naturally formed into. It's new age woo.

 

Re body heat regulation... how would cotton 'regulate' temperature any different to an oil based polymer? They both insulate... the body temperature regulation is done inside our own body and is independent of the chemical structure of the clothes we wear.

[Strange]

Cotton has been bred over many generations to produce the crop we use now. Is that "natural"?

 

More recently, genetic modification has been used. Is that "natural"?

 

The fibres of the plant are processed and treated in various ways (using many chemicals) to produce the cotton used to make fabric. Is that "natural"?

 

The cotton fabric is produced by machines. Is that "natural"?

 

The fabric is often treated with various chemicals? Is that "natural"?

[StringJunky]

In the mountaineering community they say "Cotton kills" because of it's propensity to hold on to moisture, which is the last thing you want next to your skin in the freezing cold. Personally, I know from night fishing in the Winter that cotton socks are useless for heat retention and cold, damp feet; any of the synthetics are better than that. The best materials for cold weather, if you research about it, are usually synthetic with the exception of down as a filler. Cotton is good in warm to hot environments when its moisture-retention qualities might benefit. The idea of 'natural is best' in all conditions is wrong. If anyone brings up "Well, sheep have wool" you have to factor in that, in the natural state, it is greasy and, hence, water-repellent; most wool is crap in the processed state as well in cold, damp conditions. I'll wear what is appropriate and efficient for the conditions I'm going in to.

[Function]

Why do people have this idea that some how "natural" is good?

Death is natural.

 

I rest my case.

[paragaster]

Cotton does absorb sweat,dirt. It does caress our body. I sometimes feel I am wearing nothing. I feel very comfortable in cotton. Once upon a time cotton used to be woven on handlooms. It should take shape of your body. Were chemicals used in olden times? Not that I know of. Wool, on processing, can be used in winters. Silk is a cherished fabric.

[DrP]

Yes chemicals were used... workers using looms used to die of cancers of the mouth from 'licking the whittle'. It was banned a long time ago and is quoted as a reason why health and safety laws are very important and employers can't force people to do stuff that exposes them to hidden, harmful dangers.

[DrKrettin]

Perfectly natural products can also make you go as mad as a hatter....

[StringJunky]

It should take shape of your body.

Lycra? What doesn't take the shape of your body?

[DrKrettin]

Lycra? What doesn't take the shape of your body?

 

Lederhosen

[paragaster]

I mean caress your body(as if it cares).

[DrP]

Well of course it doesn't care... it is dead! Is English a second language for you?

[Phi for All]

Why do people have this idea that some how "natural" is good?

 

I've always hated this, mostly because it's come to exclude just about anything we do, even though we're animals living in this environment too. It's natural for a chimp to use a blade of grass to fish for insects, but if I make a hammer with a rock, a stick, and some vines, it's unnatural.

 

As someone who has lived through the early days of synthetic fabrics, I can tell you the science has come a long way. Modern synthetics breathe well, wick moisture away, hold colors longer, and don't shrink as much after cleaning. I have some pieces that are like wearing silk; very strong, comfortable, and lightweight.

 

And I'm not ashamed of what we can do with our intelligence. There is nothing unnatural about anything we do or create. We're part of nature. We should be quite a bit more responsible about it, and for that very reason I think it's wrong to consider ourselves unnatural. It makes it too easy to divorce ourselves from the things we inflict on our environment.

[DrKrettin]

Well of course it doesn't care... it is dead! Is English a second language for you?

 

I have to take issue with that! He said "as if it cares" - I understand that as a hypothetical negative. It should be a subjunctive mood "as if it cared" but I don't think American English has that refinement. If he were English, I would agree with you.

[DrP]

Conceded DrK - He does come out with some drivel though.

[StringJunky]

 

As someone who has lived through the early days of synthetic fabrics, I can tell you the science has come a long way. Modern synthetics breathe well, wick moisture away, hold colors longer, and don't shrink as much after cleaning. I have some pieces that are like wearing silk; very strong, comfortable, and lightweight.

I remember nylon bedsheets and trousers in the 70s... yeuch. Synthetics are amazing now compared to then.

[DrP]

The whole world is pretty f(*&(ng amazing compared to the 1970's...

Edited February 8, 2017 by DrP

[StringJunky]

 

Lederhosen

Yeah, it does look pretty stiff

 

The whole world is pretty f(*&(ng amazing compared to the 1970's...

Except when it comes to electric guitarists.

[DrP]

ha ha - yea - the music was pretty good.

[paragaster]

I mean the cotton crop is time tested. Evolution has made cotton a hardy fabric. I do agree it is chemically processed, but fundamental qualities remain. You cannot grow nylon et al in fields. GM cotton is a recent development, yet to stand against evolution.

[DrP]

And polymer? The oils it is made from are much, much older than cotton.

[StringJunky]

I mean the cotton crop is time tested. Evolution has made cotton a hardy fabric. I do agree it is chemically processed, but fundamental qualities remain. You cannot grow nylon et al in fields. GM cotton is a recent development, yet to stand against evolution.

But nylon comes from oil, which came from plants....

 

And polymer? The oils it is made from are much, much older than cotton.

And that came from plants.

[CharonY]

I mean the cotton crop is time tested. Evolution has made cotton a hardy fabric. I do agree it is chemically processed, but fundamental qualities remain. You cannot grow nylon et al in fields. GM cotton is a recent development, yet to stand against evolution.

Evolution has little do with it but domestication and cultivation, not to mention the invention of techniques to actually create fabrics out of them. The fact that these invention were made a long time ago does not mean that it is fundamentally different from any other material made in more recent times.

Edited February 8, 2017 by CharonY