Besides offering traditional craftsmanship in Q MENSWEAR, we are also constantly on the lookout into the future of fashion and embraces new textile innovation or technological advancements in garment manufacturing.
In this article, we are introducing to you the CUPRO. A relatively new term in the textile industry as Cupro is another interesting innovation from Bemberg that has help to improve suiting quality, comfort and sustainability. When it comes to tailoring suit, many of us emphasis on the quality of the jacket’s shell fabrics, such as the type of wool, the fineness of the fibre or the country of origin. These are still the important criteria and hallmark of a good suiting material but how many of us actually know about the lining of the suit, the material that first touches your skin the moment you put on your bespoke suit?
Let us simply breakdown to you some of the most commonly used materials used in suiting.
1) Polyester: This is the cheapest synthetic used in linings and they usually feel warm as synthetic fibres do not breathe. Polyester also comes with an artificial shine. Usually only used for cheaper production of suit but they can be a very durable fabric used for inner pocketing in some good QUALITY SUITS.
2) Viscose: The most commonly used lining material used today. It is also known as rayon and viscose rayon is a fiber made from regenerated wood cellulose. Viscose rayon is structurally similar to cotton, which is almost pure cellulose. Viscose is not considered a synthetic as it is regenerated from natural material and it is cooler than polyester and feels smooth like silk.
3) Acetate: Acetate fabrics are derived from wood pulp, and throughout the creation process the pulp is combined with acetate anhydride. Acetate is commonly used as a cheaper alternatives to silk and its appearance is very similar to silk. It is a breathable fabric, water resistant and takes colour very well. It is more commonly used in dress lining than suit lining due to its satin texture and bright colours.
4) Silk: A natural protein fibre from silkworms, which is similar to wool that is generated from animals. Silk are one of the most expensive fabrics in the world due to the laborious process of cultivating silk worms. To produce 1kg of silk, 104kg of mulberry leaves must be consumed by 3000 silkworms. Silk lining has a natural lustre and beautiful drape which cannot be replicated by man-made fibers such as acetate or polyester. It is also the strongest fiber among cotton, linen and wool and they are highly durable. Silk naturally remains cool in warm weather and warm in cold conditions, thus it is a highly superior lining to use in lining.
What’s so special about Cupro?
Cupro is also somewhat similar to viscose rayon in that it is reprocessed cellulose. Like tencel and rayon, the base material for cupro is a regenerated cellulose fiber, thus it is also an environmentally friendly material as most Cupro are processed from recovered cotton waste. Cupro gets its name from cuprammonium, the process that is used to process the wood pulp or cotton linters that are its base material. In this process, the wood pulp or cotton liners are dissolved in an ammoniac copper oxide solution. Cupro fabric breathes like cotton, drapes beautifully, and feels like silk on your skin. Its slinky, curve-hugging drape makes it great for elegant dresses and blouses. And good news for the lazy men and wives, garments made from Cupro can be machine washable and dried.
Ask for Cupro linings for your suit the next time you’re ordering a suit from us. We stock a small selection of Cupro linings in basic colours and we are constantly sourcing for more varieties to satisfy your sartorial needs.