If you open your wardrobe, you will likely find dozens of different items inside. But do you have any clothing made of felt clothing?
Felt was once the primary clothing material for millions of people. Today, it is an integral part of the style of many people worldwide.
In this article, we will reveal more about felt clothing. You will get to know the specifics of the material, clothing pieces you can make from it, and why you should wear felt!
Chapter 1. What Is Felt?
Felt is a type of textile that you get from fibers that manufacturers need to matt, condense, and press together.
You have two primary sources of fibers for felt:
- Natural – these fibers come from a sheep’s wool or another animal. In some cases, the origin may also be animal fur.
- Synthetic – these are artificial fibers, such as wood pulp-based rayon or acrylic.
It is worth noting that felt can also feature a mixture of natural and artificial materials.
Do you know that you have used felt before the millennium? Its origin is probably Asia, and you can still find nomads in the central region of this continent wearing and designing felt items.
In the meantime, it felt spread as a material throughout the world. People use it in many industries, including automotive, music, and fashion.
We will focus on the last because we will be discussing the advantages of felt clothing. Keep reading to discover why you should start wearing felt items today!
Chapter 2. Warmth and Insulation
Do you know why the feeling was the favorite material of people who lived centuries ago? It was because it provided the necessary warmth during cold weather.
Felt is a weather-resistant textile, and it is capable of providing you warmth when you need it. If you are cold and put on a felt sweater, you will feel warmer in seconds.
You can also use felt to keep yourself warm but comfortable, thanks to admirable insulation. It is a breathable material, especially if you choose natural fibers. That means it doesn’t only keep you warm but it is also resistant to sweat.
Unlike synthetic materials that are prone to moisture, felt can remain sweat-free, making it perfect for situations when you need to stay in the same clothing for hours.
Chapter 3. Excellent for Everyday Wear
Are you at home for the weekend, and don’t you have any plans? A felt sweater can be a perfect choice to be warm and comfortable throughout the day, especially in the evening.
If you are heading out, there is no reason why you shouldn’t take that sweater with you. Does it match the rest of your combination? If it suits the style and colors, you selected at the moment. I felt it is a fantastic choice for casual wear.
And while we are on the topic, let’s go beyond felt clothing. How about wearing a felt bag? It is the perfect way to accommodate all your things and look stylish. If you go for a walk or to the store, you can put everything in the bag. That combines the two most essential elements of any object – aesthetics and functionality.
Other felt clothing pieces, such as a hat or cap, can be excellent for casual wear. You can also feel free to stitch various details to your felt clothing. For example, give a personalized touch to your bag by adding a butterfly, or a Capricorn, if that is your horoscope sign.
Chapter 4. Suitable for Formal Events
You now know that felt clothing can easily fit your everyday outfit, but what if you have a formal event tonight? The truth is that you need to be a bit more careful, but felt items can be a fantastic fit for formal occasions, too.
Did you know that people used to wear felt hats as a piece of luxury? If you had a hat made of felt, you were considered an upper-class member. Today, a felt hat can consider luxurious, too, but it will need to fit the rest of your outfit.
The math is simple if you wear a jacket or a tuxedo. You can add personalized touches if you feel courageous enough and it fits your style. And you only need to ensure that it matches when it comes to colors.
You can also wear felt jackets or sweaters, or at least patches on elbows made of felt. The choice is yours, but our point is that felt can work equally well in everyday clothing pieces and as a part of your formal wardrobe.
Chapter 5. Design Your Clothes
Do you know what the best part about felt clothing is? It is the fact that you can make it yourself! If you don’t have where to buy it, how about making it? Creative people can’t find the clothing piece they want anywhere. Will love that.
The felt-making craft is not that demanding. However, it will take a bit of skill to be able to handle complicated tasks, especially when it comes to clothing items. That is why you may want to consider starting with felt bag projects.
Imagine the opportunity to design a matching felt bag or hat with your child! You can easily make a bag even if you are a beginner. Furthermore, it is the perfect family-friendly activity you can enjoy with your children.
Once you get skilled enough, you should be able to make other felt clothing pieces, too. Instead of going from one store to another looking for a particular design, you can make it yourself in the afternoon! Not only will that allow you to express yourself as a designer, but you can also create any clothing item you imagine.
Chapter 6. Extremely Durable and Fray-Resistant
Every time you purchase (or make) a felt clothing piece, you will be making a long-term investment. That is because felt is highly durable and resistant to wear and tear. Even if you wear it daily, you won’t see any fraying.
Felt is also very durable and resilient. You can compress the material hundreds of times, and it won’t deform, which is quite impressive. That is why felt is so versatile and used throughout many industries.
You probably know that cut edges are the ones that often fray in clothing items. This is not the case for very durable felts. As long as you obtain unique felt, you can rest assured that fraying won’t be an issue. And the best part is that it is valid for the feelings of all classes or types.
Chapter 7. Affordable and Inexpensive
Here is another fantastic thing you should know about felt – it is an affordable material! If you buy felt clothing in designer stores, it may be a bit pricey. However, the general rule is that felt is more affordable than other materials.
And you should be aware that you can save money by purchasing the material and making the clothes yourself! You can buy felt of different quality, origins, and colors online. As we mentioned, you should always go with natural wool felt since it is most comfortable for wearing.
Since you can buy loads of materials, you can mix and match them as you see fit. That will allow you to design clothing of various colors and have a suitable option for every opportunity.
Chapter 8. An Eco-Friendly Solution
We already established that felt can be either human-made or obtained from a natural source. If you go with the latter option, you will ensure that you use an eco-friendly solution!
The manufacturers get the felt from the wool. Although there are other animals, we use sheep’s wool in most cases. Many farmers grow sheep for this particular reason.
Once the sheep grows its wool, the farmer removes it using a safe process for the animal. The sheep are not in danger at a single moment. You also shouldn’t worry that it will remain without its wool because it will grow back! Thread is to a sheep what hair is to humans. These animals constantly grow it, and removing the line is like they visited a hairdresser.
If you are among the people who care about our planet, you can’t go wrong with wool felt. It is a natural and sustainable material that has been the primary choice of millions through the ages.
Summary
Have we convinced you that you should wear felt clothing? If you don’t have a single felt item in your wardrobe, perhaps it is time to start building your collection!
You can start slowly – purchase a sweater and test its warmth, or express creativity and design a functional bag you can carry around. As soon as you see the felt’s versatility and attractiveness, it will become your favorite clothing material!