Nearly all fashion companies communicate how they support sustainability. They recognize that customers are looking for more environmentally-friendly options. Perhaps it is time to stop buying fashion brands’ marketing campaigns and learn about how clothes are actually made.
Certain countries are gifted in nature and produce tons of cotton annually, which is an essential ingredient for cloth manufacturing. Pakistan and Bangladesh are top exporters and producers. Many Pakistani clothing labels are exporting large quantities of stitched fabrics to the UK, USA and other countries.
1. The cultivation of the raw materials
The best climates for cotton are warm. Most of the world’s cotton is grown in India and Uzbekistan. Cotton is the most widely used natural material in fashion and textiles today. Although cotton can be grown naturally, it is difficult to sustain. The cultivation process requires large amounts of pesticides and water. Some studies have shown that non-organic cotton may consume as much as 25%. 27 grams of chemicals are needed to make 100g of cotton. It takes approximately 20,000 liters to produce 1kg of cotton.
2. Harvest
It grows very quickly and is ready for harvest within 160 days. The cotton can then be picked with a special machine. However, in many areas of the world, it is still harvested by hand.
3. Purification of seeds
The machine that separates the fibers from the seeds is called the cotton gin. The cotton is then packed to be sent to spinners, who create yarn. The spinning mills may be far away from the country where the cotton was grown. The cotton can be shipped by boat, plane or truck.
4. Spinning
The spinning mill uses a variety of machines to clean the cotton fibers. Next, the fibers are combed, then laid parallel. Once the yarn reaches the desired coarseness, they are twisted into various thicknesses. It is possible to combine several threads into one yarn. The entire process requires a lot energy.
The spinning mills are full of dust, which is why factory workers need to wear face masks. Not all factories comply with the protection laws.
5. Knitting
Now, the yarn is ready for knitting or weaving into fabric. T-shirts are made from jersey, which is a thin knitted fabric made in circular knitting machines. To allow the yarn to pass through the small knitting needles more easily, it must be waxed/oiled. Nowadays, it is uncommon to find natural wax. Instead, most people use chemicals oils. Different quality knitting machines use different types of wax. Factory that are less expensive often use cheaper wax. To keep machines running, knitting and weaving take a lot of energy. Pakistan exports fancy knitted Pakistani clothing brands online PK, USA and Canada.
6. Dyeing/Blauing
There are many ways to dye or bleach a fiber. Some ready-made clothes can be dyed or bleached. There are two ways to dye clothes: chemically (from plant pigments), or naturally (from plants). Today, all commercial garments can be dyed chemically.
In warm water, dyeing is done by adding toner to the water. This causes the dye to bond to the fabric. Certain chemicals used in dyeing have been proven to be carcinogenic, and they have been banned by EU. However, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly how garments were dyed since they are made thousands miles away.
Natural cotton has a light brown color. All-white T-shirts can only be achieved by bleaching the cotton. Then chemicals are applied that can cause serious health problems. Dioxin is one common chemical.
The process of bleaching and dying requires a lot water, energy, and chemicals. Safety equipment and waste management are essential, but they may not be provided by the factory.
7. Washing the fabric
The fabric is washed immediately after it has been woven or knit. This prevents shrinkage. Although fabric softeners can make garments feel soft in factories, there are also dangers. It is not yet known whether certain ingredients in fabric softener could be harmful when they come in contact with skin. Therefore, it is important to wash all new garments before you wear them.
8. Design and pattern building
A T-shirt is made from raw materials. But, the manufacturing process also begins with a fashion company who decides to sell the garment. They first design the T-shirt and decide on the size to achieve the desired fit. Next, a pattern designer creates a pattern using the design and specific dimensions. The women’s clothing stream is much wider than that of men. Especially in eastern culture, colorful cloths such as the Pakistani gown, kurta-shalwar and Indian sarhi are very well-known in the east.
9. Find the right material for you and your sewing machine
The fashion company is seeking a similar material to what they are looking for, usually from an agent or factory that works with fabrics. After they have chosen the fabric they want, they also need a factory that can produce T-shirts. There are many choices and the price is critical.
10. Make patterns from the cut pieces
The fabric is sent together with drawings, measurements and patterns to the sewing factory when the fashion company has chosen it. The fabric is cut according to the pattern. A T-shirt is a simple garment with a front and back piece as well as sleeves. The cutting process results in at least 15% fabric ending up in the trash. Although some companies recycle their fabric waste, the majority of it ends up in the trash. However, 100% cotton fabric can be recycled into paper. This is very rare.
11. Fabric printing
Many T-shirts come with some printed, including a logo or an over-all print. Printing on fabric, ready-made garments, or the cut-out parts of the pattern before sewing together is possible. The fabric printing industry is a large user of chemicals and creates a lot of pollution.
