Is Nylon a Good Fabric for Clothes?

Nylon meets resistance until you check where it actually sits on the label. In a jacket it is an advantage, because it sheds water and does not crease in a bag, while directly against the skin it fails. The whole answer depends on the place where it works.

What exactly is nylon?

Nylon is a synthetic polyamide fibre made from oil, exceptionally resistant to stretching and abrasion. It was created as a replacement for silk, which is why in fine weaves it has a similar cool hand. That is also where its name on the labels of thin linings and hosiery comes from.

In daylight it looks smooth and cool, almost like the surface of waxed paper, and in movement it springs back into shape because the fibre does not remember creases. That single property decides its role in a wardrobe. A garment containing nylon taken out of a packed bag looks the same as it did before packing, which on a longer trip can settle the matter.

Three properties worth knowing before you buy:

• Durability. It takes abrasion better than cotton and polyester, so it holds up in the places under most stress.
• Absorbency. It takes in almost no water, so it dries quickly, but it also fails to move sweat away.
• Resilience. It returns to form after being crushed, which you see the moment you unpack a jacket.

Among the jackets nylon usually forms the entire outer layer, because it turns away drizzle and wind, and in quilted pieces it holds the filling in place.

Is nylon a good material for clothes?

It works everywhere resilience and lightness matter, and it fails wherever the cloth meets the skin for hours at a time. That boundary runs exactly between the outer layer and the layer underneath. The same composition that shields you from wind in a jacket traps moisture against the body in a blouse.

The table shows where it makes sense and where it does not:

The practical conclusion is simple: buy nylon knowingly as an outer layer or as a blend, not as the main content of a blouse. For wear against the skin choose shirts in cotton or viscose and leave the synthetic to the layer on top. Light outerwear in smooth synthetic cloth sits among the coats and the shorter shapes beside them.

Nylon or polyamide, how do they differ?

They are the same material under two names: polyamide describes the whole group of fibres, and nylon is its best known variant and trade name. On a label both spellings mean the same thing in practice, so there is no point looking for a difference in quality between them.

Differences appear only between polyamide and polyester, which are easy to confuse. Polyamide is more resilient and pleasanter to the touch, polyester takes high temperatures better and stretches less. In a sweater a share of polyamide raises the durability of the weave, while polyester turns up more often in cloths with a smooth surface.

How do you wash nylon so it keeps its shape?

Wash at thirty degrees, on a delicate programme and without softener, because a silicone residue clogs the weave and takes away its breathability. Always dry on a hanger, never in a tumble dryer or on a radiator. The material dries so quickly that one night in an airy place is enough even for a heavier jacket.

The fibre melts at high temperature, so ironing calls for the lowest setting and a cloth between the iron and the material. Treat stains locally and cold, because hot water fixes them into the smooth weave. Store garments containing nylon loosely, so the surface does not pick up marks from other fastenings, and keep accessories in this material in a separate bag.

What not to do with nylon

Four things shorten the life of this material fastest:

• Never dry it on a radiator, because the fibre softens and the surface puckers permanently.
• Avoid chlorine bleach, since it yellows and discolours pale shades irreversibly.
• Do not wear a blouse with a high nylon content in heat, because moisture stays between the skin and the cloth.
• Do not iron it directly, because even a medium temperature leaves a stiff shine.

When you want a material for the layer underneath, reach instead for trousers in natural cloths and leave nylon to the outerwear.

Frequently asked questions

Does nylon breathe?

It does not breathe well, because the fibre neither absorbs moisture nor carries it outward. In a jacket that hardly matters, since you have an absorbent layer underneath, but in a blouse worn on the skin it makes a clear difference.

Does nylon pill?

It pills less often than cotton and wool, because the fibre is smooth and strong. Bobbles appear mainly where friction is constant, under a bag strap for instance or on the inner side of a sleeve.

Is nylon the same as polyamide?

In practice yes, because nylon is a variant of polyamide and the most commonly used trade name for this group of fibres. Which word appears on the label depends on the maker, not on the quality of the material.

Is nylon warm on its own?

It is not, it blocks wind rather than producing warmth, so on its own it works only down to around twelve degrees. The warmth comes from what sits underneath, and nylon keeps the wind from taking it away.

Read the label by position, not by name. Nylon at the top of the composition belongs on the outside, nylon at the bottom of it quietly extends the life of everything else.