The Fabric of Life

Duck, drill, sateen, flannel, organdy, muslin, Swiss, poplin, oxford and lawn are just a few names of “The Fabric of Life”. Its spectrum ranges from the lowly cheese cloth to the most sophisticated linen (Madapolam) and from the sturdy denim to the gossamer voile. Yes it is about the cotton fabric that I wish to write. The prominence of this fabric has gone a full circle and is now back in the top position. Until half a century ago the only fabrics in use were the natural ones. Of this the three major ones are King Cotton, Silk and Wool. There were no in-betweens and this made the choice very simple. The use of these fabrics was well demarcated. Cotton being all pervasive could never be ignored. Even the mightiest of kings did have to use cotton to meet some of his demands. As for silk, it was precious and the common man’s use for it was minimal. A couple of silk saris were the most an average Indian woman had. Wool the third prominent natural fibre was never a contender when it came to displacing cotton. Wool precedes cotton in the Time Map as it was in use right from the days of the cave man. Its usage was limited and confined to the colder climates. Its niche in the fabric market has never been disputed and remains at the same level. The semblance in appearance between cotton and wool earned cotton the name Baumwolle meaning Tree Wool. (It was assumed in the medieval times in Northern Europe that cotton was derived from plant borne sheep.) This name continues to be used in most European languages.
The sixties saw the introduction of new yarns and fabrics and some of the first to arrive in the market were the terrylene, nylon, nylex and a whole range of other polyester or laboratory made fabrics. These fabrics did have their usefulness; being washable and easy to handle. What caught the eye of the people were the beautiful prints and colours used in its manufacture. These qualities were endorsed by the Bollywood stars and thus these manmade fabrics became a statement of style and it was deemed prestigious to own them. Then came the blended fabrics and a good example of this is the terry cotton. What made the terry cotton popular was the fact that it was crease proof and it retained some the qualities of cotton. It continues to be popular for its wash and wear property and is the preferred fabric for school and other uniforms. However people have begun to revert to good old 100% cotton with the latest technologies making the fibre crease free.
The cotton fabric has been in use for nearly 8000 years. Excavations at the Indus Valley and Inca sites have shown that the cotton fabric was in use. This makes cotton an integral part of history. India, China and Egypt have all cultivated and used cotton from time immemorial. North America a large producer of cotton must have centuries ago been influenced by the ancient Inca civilization. The cotton yarn is made from the bolls obtained from the cotton tree. This yarn can either be hand woven or machine woven and thus mass produced. Cotton is grown in most parts of India but the home of the cotton mills are Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Mumbai and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The use of cotton in India is rather extensive. I cannot come across a single sphere where cotton is not in use. Right from clothing to bed linen, to table linen, to towels, to medical dressings, to bedding, to tents, to stove wicks etc are derived from cotton. In a hot Tropical country like India, there can absolutely be no replacement for cotton. The severe summers here become bearable only when one wears a pure cotton outfit. This fibre absorbs and releases perspiration quickly, thus allowing the fabric to "breathe".
Although cotton forms the core of my clothing, the recent purchase of some 2x2 blouse material (a form of cotton) is what got me to write this article. I got them tailored and the relief while wearing them was truly worth a mention. The trend being to use the fabric provided with the sari for making the blouse, I too land up doing thus. This entails using a lining material and thus makes the blouse thicker than what it should be. Rarely do saris come without the blouse material and I must say that I was lucky enough to get more than a couple in that category. Thus 2x2 was the definite answer for me and how happy I am with this decision. All of us grew up wearing these 2x2 blouses because those days the saris came without the blouse material. Thus even if the sari was not made of cotton, the blouse surely was.
India’s cotton industry has developed and evolved very well. We are the second leading producer and exporter of cotton in the world. Our very own Tirupur in Tamil Nadu produces hosiery which is marketed all over the world. Leading stores like Macy’s, J.C Penny, Harrods and Marks and Spencer’s get their requirements of cotton wear from India. The Levis jeans bought paying a handsome amount in New York could very well have had its origin in India. During my last trip to the US, I almost picked a bath towel only to realize that it was made in India. Thus cotton fabrics along with tea and spices form the bulk of Indian export to the world market. With this being the case, I am truly shocked at the number of suicidal deaths by the cotton farmers of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. I presume a poor monsoon and the loan sharks may be the reason for this happening. Being a vicious circle, it is very difficult to escape. More needs to be done for the cotton farmers for it is they who provide us the raw material to make “The Fabric of Life”.
Now that I know the history of the multifaceted cotton, I am sure that it will be around as long as there is life on earth thus would live up to its name of “The Fabric of Life”.