Cotton is a natural fiber which comes from a plant. Many different fabrics are made from cotton fiber, including voile, batiste, organdy, calico, sateen, flannel, jean, and a wide variety of other fabrics.
“Cotton is a vegetable seed fiber. Botanically, the fibers are the protective covering of the seeds in the cotton plant, a shrub that grows from four to six feet high. Dry cotton fiber is from 88 percent to 96 percent cellulosic.” (Ingham and Covey, The Costume Technician’s Handbook, page 62)
“Under magnification, cotton (a staple fiber) appears like a twisted ribbon. This twist is what makes cotton easy to spin. Cotton is weaker than flax, but its ease of manufacture quickly overcame that deficiency. Cotton is absorbent and thus comfortable to wear in hot weather.” (Bassett, Textiles for Regency Clothing 1800-1850, page 14)
“Extremely versatile in weight, texture, and construction. Found in fabric such as organdy, broadcloth, poplin, terry, corduroy, seersucker, denim, tweed. Used widely for summer wear, work clothes, and in heavier weights, for warm transitional garments.” (Butterick, Vogue Sewing, page 50)
“Cotton is cool, washable, appropriate to nearly all [mid 19th century living history] impressions in some way, and comes in a wide variety of colors and well-researched prints. Cottons fade with laundering and sun exposure, and tend to wear out more quickly than other fibers. It’s an economical choice for everyday or ‘wash’ garments.” (Clark, The Dressmaker’s Guide, 2nd ed., page 54)
For more information about an individual fiber, fabric, or other material, select it on the right side menu for “Fibers, Fabrics, and Materials.” This will bring up all entries which have that tag, including (in most cases) a Glossary post which will offer a definition of that fiber, fabric, or material, and sometimes also offer useful links to outside sources on working with it. For more general information, visit the core entry for the Glossary: Fibers, Fabrics, and Materials. For a directory of all textile glossary posts, go to the Glossary Table of Contents.
Glossary Entries for Cotton Fabrics:
- Cotton Voile
- Cotton Batiste and Lawn
- (Cotton Organdy: coming soon)
- Cotton Broadcloth and other crisp, mid-weight cotton fabrics
- White Cotton Utility Muslin
- Cotton Calico
- Cotton Sateen
- Cotton Flannel
- Cotton Jean
- Specialty Cotton Fabrics
Online Resources:
- “Cotton” on Wikipedia (Remember to read critically!)
- “Fabric Series: Cotton” by Caitlin at The Coletterie
- “The Prewash” by Sarai at The Coletterie
- “Fabric Series: Cotton” by Caitlin at The Coletterie
- “A Field Guide to Various Lightweight Cottons” by Gertie at Gertie’s New Blog for Better Sewing – includes voile, batiste, dotted swiss, gingham, double gauze, and silk/cotton blends.
- “An Ode to Japanese Cottons” by Gertie at Gertie’s New Blog for Better Sewing
- “Sewing with Seersucker” by Sarai at The Coletterie
- Organdy, “The Costumer’s Dream Fabric” by Jennifer Rosbrugh at HistoricalSewing.com
Print Resources: See the article Glossary: Fibers, Fabrics, and Materials for a list of print resources.
Updated January 10, 2012
