Rayon - The New Trend!
Most people are very familiar with cotton, a plant grown across different Indian states and used for textiles. But what do you know about rayon?
First manufactured in the early 1900s, rayon or viscose was the first economically viable manmade fiber. Although it is manmade, rayon is NOT synthetic, rather it is made out of cellulose fibers, primarily wood pulp or sometimes bamboo. The word Rayon consists of two words, ray and on. While the former refers to the sun rays, the latter two letters are taken from the word cotton.
Rayon is today one the most absorbent fabrics thanks to its fibers which are more absorbent than those of cotton and linen. Though a man made fiber, unlike polyester and acrylic, rayon is more breathable thus making it more comfortable to wear even during hot or sunny days.
Rayon is also easily dyed and does not build up static electricity or pill (unless it is low quality made from short yarns). However, rayon processing involves more steps and is a bit more time consuming than cotton. Printed rayon fabric of good quality doesn't bleed color easily. In comparison to printed cotton fabric, rayon is more in demand nowadays due to all these features. Yet, there are some drawbacks of this softer fabric too.
