Two new cottons, pt. 2
Wednesday, 5th March 2014
Airweave. Exciting name for a cloth, airweave. And the thrills don’t end there. Airweave, the second pick from the new North Lancashire cotton mill, is a deceptively simple cloth — but, historically and structurally, to the cotton connoisseur at least, a quite interesting one.
Airweave is so-called because some of what is woven is air. Works to much the same principle as a Polo mint. Only, unlike a Polo, you have to squint up-close to see the holes.
Indeed, from a distance, airweave doesn’t seem to have very much about it. To look at, just at a glance, it is simple: dry, crisp, with a sheen that brings a slight air of formality.
What makes it a cloth favoured by military personnel in deserts is the air-circulation facilitated by its with-a-hole structure — the weave bringing superior breathability and optimised moisture-management to keep wearers dry and cool and comfortable. Ideal cloth, then, for times and climates where composure is critical — and where, so too, is protection: scores very well on the Martindale Abrasion & Pilling Test, does airweave.
Which, to some people, is quite interesting. To everyone else, meanwhile, it makes for a smart and comfortable cloth, and just the thing for some new SB1 jackets later this week.