How To Be A True "Material Girl"

When you’re shopping for clothes, you always look at the price tag. But what about the fabric tag, the one that tells you what the garment is made of? Or the care label? Knowing the fabric content can save you from buying something that will start to look tired after just a few wears or cost a bundle in dry cleaning bills. The January 2010 issue ofShopSmart magazine, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, investigates which fabrics wear well, which don’t and how to keep them all looking like new.

The ShopSmart clothing fabrics feature also shares advice on keeping clothing from pilling, smart maintenance tips, five clues to a well-made garment, results of the ShopSmart Little Black Dress test and more.

Best Timeless Fabrics

Cashmere is soft, luxurious and now more affordable. Be aware that it can pill or fuzz. And although it’s less expensive than ever, it can still be pricey and moths love it. CARE SECRETS: Sweaters can be machine-washed on the gentle cycle; then laid flat to dry. Washing can be better for sweaters than dry cleaning as it makes the fibers fluff up. But always dry clean coats and jackets. Never use wire hangers.
Cotton is soft and breathes, and it looks and feels great. Some clothes are made with organic cotton (grown without chemical pesticides) and others may come with wrinkle-resistant finishes. Though unless marked as “preshrunk,” cotton can shrink. To avoid wrinkles, cotton must be hung up right after drying. Colored dyes can run, especially reds. CARE SECRETS: Machine wash cool; dry and remove promptly. To maintain the shape of cotton clothing, it’s best to let it air dry.
Linen can be twice as strong as cotton but is really wrinkle-prone. CARE SECRETS: You can dry clean linen garments, though machine washing adds a nice softness. Just test an inconspicuous corner of fabric first. Wash in warm water with bleach-free detergent; hang or lay the garment flat to dry. Linen absorbs lots of water, so wash only a few pieces at a time. Iron twice with the steam off: first on the inside (when the fabric is still damp) and then on the outside with a dry iron.
Wool is warm, soft and super strong. It hardly wrinkles at all, though it can be expensive to buy and maintain and moths find it irresistible. CARE SECRETS: Dry cleaning is optimal but it’s also washable. In a conventional top-loading washer, soak sweaters in mild detergent for 15 minutes, rinse, spin, then lay flat to dry. Do not agitate. Hang wool in a steamy bathroom to go longer between cleanings.

Best Blends

Cotton and Polyester together is more durable than cotton alone and requires no ironing. Look for blends with 15 to 20 percent polyester, which provides increased durability and fit, but no more than 40 percent so as not to lose the benefits of cotton. Also be aware that mixing cotton, a short fiber, with polyester, a long fiber, can cause fabrics to pill. CARE SECRETS: Wash and dry on the permanent press setting. Turn garments inside out when washing to reduce pilling and fading.
Cotton & Spandex has all the advantages of cotton with a touch of slimming stretchiness. Spandex makes for a better fit, especially in spots that tend to sag, like the knees and rear end. Just a tiny bit of spandex, up to 6 percent or so, is all it takes but a garment that is part spandex can shrink over time or stretch out. CARE SECRETS: Machine wash and dry, just as if it were 100 percent cotton. But iron just a tad lower than the cotton setting. For blouses, sprinkle with water and iron while the fabric is a bit damp. Use color-safe bleach, even for whites; chlorine can damage spandex.
Wool & Polyester is even more wrinkle resistant than wool alone, and it holds a crease better. And it costs less than 100 percent wool. Look for a blend that’s at least 60 to 65 percent wool so it looks and feels more like wool. Though the blend is warmer than wool, the fabric doesn’t breathe so it can be uncomfortable and pills more than wool alone. CARE SECRETS: Follow the care label. Some blends have been chemically treated to make them washable. A wool-polyester blend can’t take as hot an iron as wool alone does. So use the lowest setting.

Best to Avoid (Usually)

Polyester is wrinkle-resistant, easy to care for and not likely to stretch or shrink, but it doesn’t breathe like natural fibers. The good news is that today’s polyesters aren’t as synthetic-feeling and -looking as the old double knits. Buying cute trendy tops made from wispy polyester is fine, but when it comes to staple pieces that you’ll wear regularly, stick to natural fabrics like wool. CARE SECRETS: Machine wash in warm water and tumble dry on low heat. Treat oily stains fast, before they bond with the fabric and set in. And use Fels Naptha laundry soap (less than $2 a bar, sold in supermarkets).
Rayon can be comfy and soft and also drapes well, but this “artificial silk” stains, shrinks, stretches, wrinkles and generally doesn’t react well to being wet. CARE SECRETS: Most garments are dry clean only. To iron, first turn the garment inside out and use moderate heat. Never wring or twist rayon. If hand washed, shake the water out and hang the item on a padded hanger to dry. Rayon also shows water spots so to try hand washing to even out the color and remove stains, care label instructions permitting.
Silk is gorgeous and luxurious, cool in summer and warm in winter, and a lot stronger than you might think but it also wrinkles and stains easily, and fades in direct sun. CARE SECRETS: Dry clean, but only as often as absolutely necessary. If it’s prewashed silk, hand washing is permissible. Never spot clean silk; as it may leave a mark. Instead, take the item to the dry cleaner. To avoid fading, store silk garments in the back of the closet away from light.