Top 20 Fabrics in Apparel: Pros, Cons & Use Cases

1. Cotton

• Pros: Natural fiber, soft and breathable, moisture-absorbing, skin-friendly, eco-friendly.
• Cons: Prone to wrinkles, no elasticity, shrinks easily, size instability.
• Use Cases: T-shirts, everyday casualwear, loungewear, underwear.
• Blending Tips: Often blended with polyester or elastane for added durability and stretch. Suggested ratio: Cotton 90% + Spandex 10% for activewear.

2. Linen

• Pros: Highly breathable, cool in hot weather, anti-static.
• Cons: Low elasticity, wrinkles easily.
• Use Cases: Summer dresses, shirts, resortwear.
• Blending Tips: Blend with cotton or rayon for added softness and reduced wrinkling.

3. Silk

• Pros: Luxurious luster, breathable, soft touch.
• Cons: Delicate, easily damaged.
• Use Cases: Evening wear, lingerie, high-end fashion
• Blending Tips: Combine with spandex for stretch or cotton for softness and strength.

4. Wool

• Pros: Excellent insulation, moisture-wicking.
• Cons: Shrinks, pills, moth-prone.
• Use Cases: Coats, knitwear, suits, thermal layers.
• Blending Tips: Wool + Polyester or Acrylic to enhance durability and affordability.

5. Cashmere

• Pros: Soft, warm, luxurious.
• Cons: Expensive, delicate.
• Use Cases: Sweaters, scarves, luxury base layers.
• Blending Tips: Often blended with wool or bylon to lower cost and increase durability.

6. Acetate

• Pros: Silky texture, breathable, eco-friendly.
• Cons: Not heat-resistant
• Use Cases: Linings, dresses, formalwear.
• Blending Tips: Can be blended with polyester to enhance stability.

7. Velvet (Gold velvet)

• Pros: Rich look, soft texture.
• Cons: Prone to lint.
• Use Cases: Partywear, blazers, performance costumes.
• Blending Tips: Velvet is often a blend of polyester and spandex or silk.

8. Velour

• Pros: Plush and comfortable.
• Cons: Static-prone.
• Use Cases: Tracksuits, loungewear, stage outfits.
• Blending Tips: Typically blended with cotton and polyester.

9. Thermal Fleece

• Pros: Warm, soft, close-fitting.
• Cons: Poor breathability.
• Use Cases: Base layers, winterwear, cold-weather sportswear.
• Blending Tips: Often used with spandex or polyester.

10. Corduroy

• Pros: Durable, warm, textyred.
• Cons: Can abrade with friction.
• Use Cases: Pants, jackets, skirts.
• Blending Tips: 100% cotton or cotton-poly blends.

11. Cupro

• Pros: Breathable, silky.
• Cons: Weak tensile strength.
• Use Cases: Blouses, linings, sustainable fashion.
• Blending Tips: Combine with viscose or polyester.

12. Organza

• Pros: Sheer, structured.
• Cons: Stiff texture.
• Use Cases: Bridal wear, evening gowns, overlays.
• Blending Tips: Polyester-based organza is most common.

13. Modal

• Pros: Soft, stretchy, breathable.
• Cons: Prone to pilling.
• Use Cases: Activewear, innerwear, sleepwear.
• Blending Tips: Modal + Spandex (90/10) for stretch and softness.

14. Bamboo Fiber

• Pros: Antibacterial, UV-resistant.
• Cons: Low tensile strength.
• Use Cases: Eco loungewear, underwear, T-shirts.
• Blending Tips: Bamboo + Cotton or Bamboo + Spandex.

15. Spandex (Elastane)

• Pros: Super stretchable.
• Cons: Needs to be blended.
• Use Cases: Leggings, sports bras, shapewear.
• Blending Tips: 5-20% spandex in blends provides ideal elasticity.

16. Denim

• Pros: Rugged, classic.
• Cons: Not breathable.
• Use Cases: Jeans, jackets, skirts.
• Blending Tips: Denim + Spandex for stretch jeans.

17. Tencel

• Pros: Soft, breathable, eco-friendly.
• Cons: Wrinkles in humidity.
• Use Cases: T-shirts, dresses, yoga wear.
• Blending Tips: Blends well with cotton, modal, or spandex.

18. Chiffon

• Pros: Airy, elegant.
• Cons: Weak durability.
• Use Cases: Blouses, dresses, scarves.
• Blending Tips: Polyester chiffon is common for better strength.

19. Polyester

• Pros: Strong, affordable.
• Cons: Poor breathability.
• Use Cases: Outerwear, fast fashion, linings.
• Blending Tips: Poly-cotton blends are very common.

20. Nylon

• Pros: High durability.
• Cons: Static, poor air flow.
• Use Cases: Activewear, swimwear, outerwear.
• Blending Tips: Nylon + Spandex is a classic performance blend.

Suggested Fabric Use by Category

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right fabric is as important as the design itself. Whether you’re optimizing for comfort, performance, or aesthetics, every fiber tells a story. Understanding each material’s strengths and limitations helps ensure that your product not only looks good — but wears well, feels great, and performs for the intended use.

At CozyActive, we specialize in custom activewear manufacturing using certified fabrics and advanced textile blends. Whether you’re building a new collection or refining an existing one, we help brands select the most suitable materials for functionality, aesthetics, and market positioning.

Contact us to request a free consultation or get our full material catalog.

Visit our website: www.cozyactive.com or message us directly here on LinkedIn.

Let fabric work for your brand.

The Difference Between Nylon and Polyester

For most activewear, polyester is generally better than nylon due to its superior moisture-wicking, quick-drying, and UV resistance properties. While nylon offers excellent strength and softness, polyester’s ability to handle moisture and dry quickly makes it more suitable for activewear, especially during intense workouts and in humid conditions.

Nylon and polyester each have distinct advantages when it comes to activewear.

Nylon is known for its soft, smooth hand feel and excellent elasticity, making it naturally stretchy and comfortable. However, it absorbs more moisture and dries slower than polyester. It also has weaker UV resistance and can age more quickly. While nylon offers a premium feel, it tends to cost slightly more, and its lower resistance to mildew may not be ideal in humid conditions.

Polyester, on the other hand, is more functional and cost-effective.

It has a stiffer, drier texture, but it excels in UV protection, durability, and moisture resistance, making it better suited for outdoor and high-performance wear. It also dries quickly, is naturally mildew-resistant, and is more eco-friendly thanks to recyclability options like rPET. Additionally, it’s cheaper and more widely available, making it a popular choice for large-scale production.

Practical Application of Nylon and Polyester

When it comes to designing performance apparel and functional textiles, choosing the right fabric is critical to product quality and user experience. Although both nylon and polyester are synthetic fibers, they serve different purposes depending on the use case-each offering distinct advantages.

Applications for Nylon

Thanks to its soft touch, skin-friendly feel, excellent elasticity, and high abrasion resistance, nylon is widely used in the following areas:

• High-Intensity Activewear: Perfect for yoga leggings and compression pants, nylon offers superior stretch and a form-fitting silhouette that enhances support and shape.
• Intimate and Next-to-Skin Garments: Its softness makes nylon ideal for sports bras and underwear, providing comfort during movement.
• Swimwear: Treated high-grade nylon resists chlorine and fading, maintaining stability and appearance even with prolonged exposure to water.
• Outdoor Gear: With its exceptional tear strength and durability, nylon is commonly used in backpacks, raincoats, and tents designed for rugged outdoor use.

Applications for Polyester

Known for its quick-drying performance, lightweight feel, UV resistance, and cost efficiency, polyester is the go-to choice for:

• Running and Gym T-Shirts: Offers excellent moisture-wicking and fast-drying features that enhance workout comfort.
• Team Sportswear: Popular in football and basketball apparel for its durability, easy care, and resilience after frequent washing.
• Outdoor Functional Wear: Its natural resistance to UV rays and mildew makes polyester (rPET) made from plastic bottles, balancing sustainability with affordability.

If you’re looking for a soft, high-stretch fabric with a luxurious feel, nylon is your best bet. For moisture control, breathability, and sustainability, polyester is the smarter option. In practice, many brands combine nylon or polyester with spandex to achieve a perfect balance of elasticity and performance.

Summary: How to Choose the Right Fabric?

Choosing between nylon and polyester ultimately depends on your brand’s priorities and product goals. Here’s a quick guide:

If you’re looking for a soft, second-skin feel with high elasticity or aiming for premium, next-to-skin product quality, nylon is the better fabric choice. On the other hand, if your priority is fast-drying, UV-resistant, and eco-friendly performance or you’re working with a lower production budget, polyester is a more suitable and cost-effective option.

Whether you’re creating high-end yoga leggings or launching an affordable activewear line, selecting the right fabric is key to performance and customer satisfaction.

Need help sourcing the best fabric for your activewear brand?

At CozyActive, we specialize in high-performance, custom-made activewear suing top-grade nylon and recycled polyester blends. Contact us today for expert advice, free fabric swatches, or a tailored manufacturing solution.