Linen has a new lookalike fiber.
Japan’s Teijin Frontier announced Tuesday that it has developed a new linen-like fiber that promises properties like freshness, a natural appearance and added comfort for outerwear, bottoms and blouses.
“Natural-like synthetic fibers are drawing attention due to their combination of functionality, easy care and cost performance at a time when natural fiber prices are rising due to an increasing demand for natural materials,” Teijin said in a statement. “Moreover, high-functional linen-like materials are gaining popularity with the reprisal of certain 80’s retro styles.”
And Teijin’s new fiber comes in response to that.
Using a “special” technique to capture linens unique uneven feel, the company developed the fiber, which it says offers the resilience, luster and natural look of linen, but also leans on some of polyester’s properties, like easier care and functionality. While natural linen is prone to wrinkling and bleaching, Teijin’s new linen-like polyester is wrinkle resistant, and its dimensional stability contributes to better color retention.
Further, Teijin said, “the new fiber does not stick to skin is stretchable, washable, can be tailored and is pleasingly comfortable due to its fine uneven surface.”
Because of its structure, the new fiber—a slab yarn in which thick and thin parts alternate and the difference between the thickest and thinnest parts of the thread is about 1.5 times in diameter—can maintain the linen look even with circular knitting, Teijin said.
