Decoded: The Must-Have Travel Fabrics

Travelling. How often do you do that? And why?

Are you more of a travel enthusiast, a frequent flyer commuting on-the-go, a street photographer framing visuals, a multi-tasker who believes in their stories and do it or a decision-maker in the crowd? What kind of layering makes you feel effortless on the go? Do you like to stash layering staples and gears while you commute or like to create a mixtape with your lived-in casuals? The lightweight knits or a structured tweed blazer, what is it that lifts your aesthetic buds?? Do you believe in the authenticity of an immaculately cut blazer mixed with a scarf and bold accessories? The bag that stows your essentials or the footwear you slip-in, what ticks the cord? Does being minimal with a touch of grace hits your power dressing ethos or a subtle channel of knitwear and jackets cram up a room of cool in your drawer? 

There is something about travelling that makes a person understand what the world looks like. Living in unknown places and meeting new individuals make a perfect cocktail of experiences and perspectives. How a person commutes explore a lot about the identity of that particular individual. Whatever be your wardrobe linguistics, fabrics apt for lounging at home or leisure pursuits need to have a particular dose of flexibility. Looking throughout, there’s a wide selection of fabrics all over the world that we wear in our everyday lives, be it ready-to-wear to fast-fashion capsules to couture signatures to eco-friendly and sustainable pieces of clothing. Everything revolves around.

Individuals who are always on the run and spend most of their time outdoors, tend to look out for pieces that are wrinkle-free, flexible, soft against the skin, lightweight, functional, durable, anti-bacterial, breathable, easy to care for, can be worn in multiple ways, and have moisture-wicking properties. Whatever be your pursuits, being a little aware of the fabrics stocked in your repertoire always come handy.

Scroll down through the list of fabrics that not just make a fine companion to your daily needs, but can instantly lift up the globetrotting bug in you as well.

One of the most failsafe fabrics to amp up your home wardrobes and travel backpacks alike is Merino Wool. Beating the chill when the mercury dips to its minimum is bearable when it comes to this premium, wrinkle defying and warm fabric in your drawer. The most important characteristic of Merino Wool is thermoregulation, an ability to keep you warm when cold and cool when hot. This uber fine wool variety is produced from Merino Sheep through selective breeding processes. Its construction ranges from 14.5 to 23.5 microns, making it an extremely soft and fine fabric when compared to other fibres. Its ability to balance humidity levels makes it a dependable fabric to withstand asthma, eczema and some dermatological issues. Being wrinkle and pilling resistant, it makes a perfect add-on to your daily chores. Thanks to its anti-microbial nature, it tends to stay odour-free for a longer duration.

The next fabric to hit the ladder is Linen or Hemp. A natural and sustainable fabric to start with, it’s made from flax fibre that’s available in almost all countries. To retrieve this fabric, the plants are usually plucked out with hands and are considered to create a superior quality of Linen. Post that, plant stock removal and seed extraction is done. After all these processes are done, yarn is spun and woven into the final fabric. Thanks to the permeable nature of linen, clothing woven out of linen are easy to dry up and naturally heat resistant to a great extent. Its ability to retain dye colours makes it easily available in almost any colour. Light-weight and breathable, it is anti-bacterial as well, which makes it a widely used fabric for hospital bandages for a very long time.

Considering the workout arena, Spandex, an elastomeric fibre, is considered to be one of the most flexible fabrics that can be stretched over 500% without any break and creating a higher retention level. Its immunity to body oils, mildews, pilling, sweating, detergents, and cosmetics make it an incredibly versatile fabric to be stocked in a wardrobe. Thanks to its elastic appeal, tenacity and abrasion resistance elements, its usage is diversified, from swimsuits, activewear, wrestling singlets and many more.

As per one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable labels Tentree, TENCEL™ Lyocell is one of the most advanced fibre available right now. The fast-growing eucalyptus trees help in the growth of this fabric, using the only 1/5th of the available land. Eucalyptus trees don’t need the use of pesticides or irrigation to grow. The extremely light-weight and breezy construction makes it an easy-to-go choice with almost anything. It absorbs moisture really fast, which makes it soft, breathable and less inclined to wrinkles. Its versatile nature makes it easy to be blended with multiple fibres to uplift their aesthetic value, breathability and practical appeal.

Another similar variation of this fibre can be seen in TENCEL™ Modal which bids infinite possibilities in terms of design, value, comfort level and aesthetic calls.

Shift happens when people believe in a change. So does the growth of organic fibres in the contemporary clothing space. Considering the vulnerabilities that our environment is facing continuously, an inclination towards a better future is making individuals aware of fabrics with less carbon footprint. One such fabric is Organic Cotton which consumes less water and energy to grow as compared to conventional cotton. The cultivation of organic cotton needs no toxic chemicals or pesticides, causing no damage to the earth and air. No GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) are used to produce organic cotton. This renewable fabric makes a great addition to any frequent flyers’ travel rotation, without impacting the ecosystem. 

From shutterbugs to urban city dwellers to travel enthusiasts to business travellers to nomads, travelling is always at the core of their hearts. It’s the journey and a sense of adventure that matters to them. Layering up to meet a diaspora of transitional weather problems, it’s always a good choice to cram the rucksack with good layering options. 

The last thing you need is an amplified music playlist on your phone that reverberates with your swaying moods, travel dynamics and the need for a breath of air.

In Picture: Sky Blue Cotton Poplin Classic Shirt and Powder Pink Textured Crepe Trousers