Natural materials are good. We often tell you that .
There is no debate about knitwear : you should favor natural fibers. Not really a debate about the t-shirt either (except for sports or hiking use, at a pinch).
However, you sometimes find synthetics, especially in your mid-season jackets, even from brands that are recommended to you. Why?
Where synthetics pose a problem
In your questions, you often wonder about the breathability of a mid-season jacket containing synthetics , that is to say the ability of a garment to wick away perspiration, and thus avoid a steam room effect.
Yes, such a garment will indeed be less breathable than if it were made of 100% natural material.
But also keep in mind that a mid-season garment is by definition worn at times of the year when it is neither very hot (a period when there is a real need for light and breathable clothing), nor very cold (a period during which thermal shocks between interiors and exteriors can be great, and where breathable clothing is appropriate).
The breathability issue goes down when the thermometer goes down.
The presence of synthetic is justified
Synthetics are used in rainwear for the simple reason that synthetic materials tend to repel water while natural materials tend to absorb water.
It is easier to make a synthetic material water-resistant if the fibers have these properties.
There is also a whole section of the textile industry dedicated to the development of these materials with advanced technologies. Benoît had the opportunity to share with you his visit to ISPO , a leading trade show for clothing, brands and technical materials.
So we are talking here about products that cost around €200 to €400.
In short, all these properties prove very useful for a garment that risks being exposed to bad weather.
So, there is no need to cry wolf as soon as you see polyester or polyamide in a mid-season coat or jacket.
Instead, take the time to see if the product sheet mentions a certain technical feature or a particular supplier.
When to be wary of synthetics?
However, you should be wary of using synthetic materials:
- In entry-level and fast-fashion. I'm talking about products here between 50 and 100€ (or even 150€). Here, synthetic is used almost systematically to lower costs, and not really to add any technicality.
- More generally, when nothing is indicated in the product sheet. A brand has every interest in letting you know when one of their products is windproof or water-repellent.
So if technical properties are not part of your purchasing criteria, you might as well choose a garment made from natural materials, right? : )
Natural technicality
There are 100% cotton technical materials like Ventile, the history and properties of which were detailed by Benoît in the presentation article of our Mac .
As you can imagine, these materials are very expensive, so their use is logically quite rare.
In summary
For a mid-season jacket:
- If you are not interested in technical properties, choose a garment made from 100% natural materials, which is more interesting in every way.
- If you want a garment to brave the elements, choose a garment containing synthetics, making sure beforehand that it has the properties that interest you. If you want more breathability, choose natural/synthetic fiber blends. or a material like Ventile, water-repellent and 100% cotton.
And if you're currently looking for a mid-season jacket, I had the opportunity to give you my brand recommendations in this episode of Readers' Letters .