Winter is the coldest season of all, hosting snow storms and turning lakes into great frozen landscapes. One might wonder during this time, what the appropriate garments and clothing may be to wear during this time. Well plenty of choices come to mind, ranging from wool, puffy cotton and fleece (the list can go on and on) but what about Cambric fabric? Is it good for a cold season like winter? This piece seeks to shed light upon that question, browsing through how it is made, to the different types of Cambric fabric (are they really different from each other?) that are the most effective and finally debunking some of the lies and myths you may have heard about Cambric fabric.
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What Is Cambric Fabric?
Originating from Cambria, France. Cambric fabric is a 100% cotton woven fabric that has a very light weight to it. It is woven with a twisted and very short yarn, and then tightened using heat rollers, this gives it its distinct appearance. The fabric appears tight, stiff and glossy because of the Cambric fabric’s unique weave formation, it also appears sleek and sophisticated from a distance. Although Cambric fabric is relatively light, it is also dense and compact (this is because of its weave) making it quite an exception for the winter season. This is because in winter (as opposed or compared to summer) one would need clothing made from a fabric that retains heat and redirects it back to the body, as opposed to letting it diffuse or drain out from cavities located on the surface of the fabric. Cambric fabric can also be composed of a mixture of cotton and linen fibers.
So Is It Any Good For Winter?
Because of its dense weaving, Cambric fabric appears to be thick and can be worn in mild winters. That’s to say you can wear jt in some types of winters and not others (overly icy or cold winters.) With a fabric like Cambric that has a versatile number of use cases and properties, it can seem impossible for it to lean (fully) into one of those properties without catering for the needs of another. Yes, Cambric fabric is good for winter (with the good being conditional) but Cambric fabric is also very great for summer and the rest of the four seasons. Cambric fabric will be particularly good during the first days of winter, but as the season progress into a much more colder climate, thicker and puffer fabrics will be needed to keep you comfy and warm. Although Cambric fabric can be warm, soon enough (as the winter gets colder) the cold will be strong enough to sip in through the microscopic cavities located on the surface of the Cambric weave.
Types Of Cambric Fabric Good For Winter
- Chambray – Made from linen, cotton and/or silk. This is the traditional type of Cambric fabric (meaning it is made using only your hands and weaving tools) , the weave is very similar to that of denim so it is quite strong and compact as opposed to other types of fabric made from soft fibers like the aforementioned. That makes this type of Cambric fabric good for winter because it retains heat and keeps the body warm.
- Baptiste – Although not a very different kind of Cambric fabric. Baptiste fabric is very identical to Chambray, the main differences really being the fibers used (usually only cotton.) And that with this kind of Cambric fabric, the yarn or fibers used in making it are twisted and then tightened with heat rollers. The heat is what then makes the fabric have a glossy look.
- It is worth remembering that both these types of Cambric fabrics are good for only mild (gentle/soft) winters. These are winters with chilly breezes, in contrast to very cold or icy winters.
More On Cambric Fabric (The Debunking)
- If only cotton is used in the production of Cambric fabric, it is far more cheaper and inexpensive than if silk or linen is used.
- Cambric fabric (when made of cotton fibers) is made from either Egyptian or American cotton which is what gives the fabric its shiny and glossy finish.
- There are fundamentally two types of Cambric fabric (excluding the ones listed above); low quality Cambric fabric and high quality Cambric fabric. Low quality Cambric fabric is what’s used to create or make lacework and embroidery. Whilst High quality Cambric fabric is used to make more important garments like clothing and other textiles.
- Cambric fabric is not for the winter look, it is for the mere function. Usually winter apparel will have neutral or greyscale colors. But Cambric fabric is usually more flashy looking with vivid and shiny looking colors.
- Cambric fabric is also good for lacework and embroidery purposes as well, such additions to clothing are great from other seasons but not winter.
- A lot of other things like shirts, women’s tips, dresses and many other garments can be made from Cambric fabric basically clothing you’d wear under the more puffer warm winter clothing.
- Authentic Cambric fabric can remain sleek and shiny for many winters. If your Cambric fabric doesn’t do this this then it is most probably counterfeited.
- Cambric fabric is not a soft feeling fabric, it is instead quite rough and stiff, making it quite uncomfortable on the skin of the wearer.
Conclusion
Cambric fabric is not very different to many other types of fabrics, the exception being its distinctive weave style that makes it stand out with a sheer and shiny look. Although good looking apparel can be made from Cambric fabric, it is also very likely to crease quite easily because the fabric is stiff (this is due to the dense nature of the Cambric weave), this isn’t inherently bad for a season like winter (where people are inclined to stay indoors for long periods of time than any other season.) It just means you would need to iron this fabric a little more than you normally would.