Textile & Material Reference

Also: Cellulose acetate, Triacetate (E400), Celanese

Plant-derived but chemically transformed — produced from wood pulp or cotton linters dissolved in acetic acid (acetic anhydride) to form cellulose acetate. A cellulosic fibre like viscose but chemically distinct.

Also: Polyacrylonitrile, Dralon, Acrilan

Synthetic — produced from acrylonitrile, a petrochemical derivative. Designed as a cheaper alternative to wool.

Also: Alpaca fibre, Alpaca wool, Huacaya alpaca

Animal — fibre from the alpaca (Vicugna pacos), a South American camelid closely related to the llama. Peru produces approximately 80% of global alpaca fibre.

Also: Angora wool, Angora rabbit fiber

Animal — fiber harvested from Angora rabbits by shearing, plucking, or combing. Major production in China (90% of global supply).

Also: Apple skin leather, LEAP leather

Plant-based — made from apple pomace (cores and peels), the solid waste from apple juice and cider production in South Tyrol, Italy.

Also: Bamboo rayon, Bamboo fabric, Viscose from bamboo

Plant-derived but heavily processed — bamboo cellulose is extracted and dissolved using the same caustic chemical process as conventional viscose (rayon). Despite marketing claims, bamboo fabric is not mechanically produced — it undergoes chemical transformation.

Also: Desserto, Nopal cactus leather, Cactus bio-material

Plant-derived — made from the mature leaves of the nopal cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica), harvested without harming the plant. Developed by Mexican entrepreneurs Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez.

Also: Camel wool, Camel fibre, Bactrian camel hair

Animal — harvested from the Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) during its natural moulting season. Mongolia and China are the primary producers.

Also: Kashmir wool, Cashmere wool

Animal — the undercoat fibers of cashmere goats (Capra hircus), combed out during the spring molting season. Primarily produced in Mongolia, China, Afghanistan, and Iran.

Also: Regular cotton, Standard cotton, Non-organic cotton

Plant-derived — from the Gossypium plant. Conventional cotton is the most widely grown non-food agricultural crop globally.

Also: Cork fabric, Amorim cork, Natural cork textile

Plant-derived — harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber), primarily in Portugal and Spain. The bark is stripped without felling the tree and regrows over approximately 9 years.

Also: Bemberg (brand name), Cuprammonium rayon, Cupro silk

Plant-derived — made from cotton linter (the very short fibres left on cotton seeds after the longer fibres are removed), dissolved in a copper-ammonia solution and regenerated into fibre.

Also: Duck down, Goose down, Feathers

Animal — the soft underlayer feathers of ducks and geese, collected either as a slaughter byproduct or by live-plucking (which causes significant distress).

Also: Regenerated nylon, Recycled nylon, Regenerated polyamide

Synthetic regenerated — Econyl is a brand of recycled nylon produced by Aquafil (Italy) from discarded fishing nets, carpet waste, industrial plastic, and other nylon waste.

Also: Wool felt, Industrial felt, Pressed felt

Animal — produced by matting, compressing, and pressing wool fibres together using heat, moisture, and mechanical pressure. The natural scale structure of wool fibres causes them to interlock permanently.

Also: PTFE membrane, Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, ePTFE

Synthetic — made from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), a fluoropolymer membrane developed by W.L. Gore & Associates.

Also: Hemp fabric, Hemp canvas, Industrial hemp

Plant-derived — from the bast fibers of the Cannabis sativa plant. No intoxicating compounds in industrial hemp fiber.

Also: Hessian, Burlap, Corchorus plant fibre

Plant-derived — from the bast fibres of Corchorus plants, primarily grown in Bangladesh, India, and China.

Also: Full-grain leather, Top-grain leather, Genuine leather

Animal — tanned skin of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, or exotic animals (crocodile, ostrich, snake). A byproduct of the meat and dairy industries.

Also: Flax linen, Flaxen, Pure linen

Plant-derived — from the bast fibres of the flax plant (Linum usitatissimum). One of the oldest cultivated textiles, with evidence of use 30,000 years ago.

Also: Lotus silk, Lotus fibre, Nelumbo fibre

Plant-derived — extracted from the stems of the sacred lotus plant (Nelumbo nucifera). The lotus stems contain silky fibres that can be hand-reeled into a continuous thread. Produced almost exclusively in Myanmar and Cambodia.

Also: MangaTex, Fruit leather (mango)

Plant-based — produced from mango waste (skins and seeds that are discarded during mango juice and pulp production). Typically combined with a PU binder for durability.

Also: Microfibre, Ultra-microfibre, Microsuede

Synthetic — produced from extremely fine polyester or nylon fibres (less than 1 denier — finer than silk). Can also refer to microfibre cleaning cloths made from polyester-polyamide blends.

Also: Lenzing Modal, Beechwood fibre, HWM rayon

Plant-derived but chemically processed — produced from cellulose extracted from beechwood (Fagus sylvatica), primarily from Austrian and Central European forests. Uses a modified viscose process.

Also: Angora goat fibre, Kid mohair

Animal — harvested from Angora goats (not to be confused with angora rabbit fibre). South Africa produces approximately 60% of global mohair.

Also: Mushroom suede, Phellinus ellipsoideus leather

Biological — produced from the caps of the Phellinus ellipsoideus mushroom (a large parasitic fungus). The outer skin of the mushroom cap is processed into a leather-like material without chemical treatment.

Also: Mushroom leather, Mycelium leather

Biological — grown from mycelium (the root network of fungi), specifically using Ganoderma tsugae mycelium fed on corn waste.

Also: Natural latex, Hevea rubber, Caoutchouc

Plant-derived — harvested as latex sap from the Hevea brasiliensis rubber tree, primarily grown in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia).

Also: Polychloroprene, CR (chloroprene rubber), Wetsuit rubber

Synthetic — polychloroprene, produced by polymerisation of chloroprene (a petroleum derivative). Developed by DuPont in 1930.

Also: Polyamide 6, Polyamide 6,6, PA6

Synthetic — produced from petrochemical feedstocks (adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine for PA66; caprolactam for PA6).

Also: Citrus cellulose fibre, Citrus silk

Plant-derived — produced from the pastazzo (citrus peel and pulp waste) left over from the Italian citrus juice industry, particularly in Sicily. Developed by Adriana Santanocito and Enrica Arena.

Also: GOTS cotton, Certified organic cotton

Plant-derived — from the Gossypium plant. Organic certification means no synthetic pesticides, fertilisers, or GMOs are used in cultivation.

Also: Pineapple leather, Ananas Anam

Plant-based — derived from the cellulose fibers found in pineapple leaves, a byproduct of pineapple harvesting in the Philippines.

Also: PET, Polyethylene terephthalate, Dacron

Synthetic — produced from petroleum-derived ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid through a polymerisation process.

Also: Polyurethane leather, Faux leather, Vegan leather

Synthetic — polyurethane polymer applied to a fabric backing (polyester or cotton).

Also: Vinyl leather, Patent leather (sometimes), PVC faux leather

Synthetic — polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic layered over a fabric backing. PVC is produced from chlorine and ethylene.

Also: China grass, Boehmeria nivea, Rhea

Plant-derived — from the bast fibres of the ramie plant (Boehmeria nivea), primarily grown in China, Brazil, and the Philippines.

Also: Post-consumer recycled cotton, Pre-consumer cotton waste, Shoddy (historical term)

Plant-derived but regenerated — produced by mechanically shredding post-industrial cutting waste or post-consumer cotton clothing back into fibre, which is then re-spun into yarn.

Also: rPET, Recycled PET, Recycled plastic fabric

Synthetic — produced by mechanically or chemically recycling post-consumer PET plastic (primarily plastic bottles and textiles) into polyester fibre.

Also: Seaweed fibre, Lyocell-seaweed blend

Plant/algae-derived — SeaCell is a Lyocell-based fibre (produced by the Tencel process) that incorporates sustainably harvested seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) into the fibre structure.

Also: Natural silk, Mulberry silk, Tussah silk

Animal — produced by the larvae of the silkworm moth (Bombyx mori). Silkworms spin cocoons that are boiled to unravel the continuous filament — a process that kills the silkworm inside.

Also: Soy protein fibre, SPF, Soy silk

Plant-derived — produced from the residual protein in soybean hulls left over from soy oil and tofu production. The protein is extracted, liquefied, and extruded into fibre.

Also: Elastane, Lycra (brand name), Spandex (US term)

Synthetic — a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer produced from petrochemicals. Lycra is the DuPont/Invista brand name.

Also: Polar fleece, Microfleece, Fleece fabric

Synthetic — typically made from polyester, sometimes recycled polyester (rPET). Developed in the late 1970s as a synthetic alternative to wool for outdoor insulation.

Also: Lyocell, Tencel Lyocell

Plant-derived — made from sustainably sourced wood pulp (primarily eucalyptus, beech, or spruce) using a closed-loop solvent process that recovers 99%+ of chemicals used.

Also: Alcantara (related product), Microsuede, Synthetic suede

Synthetic — a microfibre non-woven fabric made from polyester and polyurethane, developed by Dr Miyoshi Okamoto at Toray Industries (Japan) in 1970.

Also: Rayon, Viscose rayon, Regular viscose

Plant-derived but heavily processed — made from wood pulp (often beech, eucalyptus, or bamboo) dissolved in caustic chemicals (sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide) and extruded into fibers.

Also: Rayon (USA), Viscose (Europe), Art silk

Plant-derived but heavily chemically processed — cellulose from wood pulp (usually beechwood, eucalyptus, or bamboo) is dissolved in carbon disulphide and sodium hydroxide, extruded through spinnerets, and regenerated into fibre.

Also: Oilskin, Wax cloth, Barbour wax

Plant-derived base with plant-derived or synthetic wax coating. Cotton fabric is impregnated with paraffin or plant-based wax to create water resistance.

Also: Merino wool, Lambswool, Virgin wool

Animal — harvested from the coats of sheep, primarily Merino sheep. A global industry centred in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.