What is Terry?
Terry is a soft fabric with large, raised uncut loops of thread covering on both sides. Such a surface absorbs water easily and is thus used in making towels.
What is French terry?
The French terry resembles terry because the looping and piling bear the same features in both. However, French terry has piles only on the inside, which provides a soft and cosy feeling when worn. It can be 100% cotton or can be made by mixing two or more fibres, sometimes with spandex which is known as lycra. Most of the times, this fabric is warp knitted. As the French terry is pure cotton, it provides a super soft feel to the user.
Reasons why French Terry is perfect for casual wear
Strong and durable- French terry is a robust fabric that can withstand the rough wear and tear, twisting, pulling, and tugging, without being damaged. Even after repeated washing, French terry does not lose its original form. The strength of the fabric lies in the fact that the fabric has interlocked loops, which gives it durability.
Moisture absorbent-French terry fabric is an effective absorbent and tens to wick the moisture in no time. This makes it comfortable to wear in all seasons. The moisture-wicking properties of French terry absorb your body sweat keeping you cool and dry in the summers. The cotton threads in the french terry fabric can absorb huge quantities of water. In winter, the fabric keeps you warm. Its ability to absorb sweat makes it great for making workout clothes or gym wears. The versatility of the fabric makes it ideal for casual clothing like hoodies, sweatpants, shorts, joggers and pullovers.
Lasts longer-as compared to most other common fabrics, the French terry lasts very long due to its interlocked loops. It can resist abrasion as it is a knitted fabric and the loops are strongly knitted. The French terry is a slightly heavier fabric. As such, it retains its shape and forms even when pulled or twisted. The outfits formed out of French terry cotton get a good structure and shape due to the tight-knit of the fabric. Also, it is easily washable. There is no special drying or washing procedures to follow unless mentioned in the product label.
Flexible- French terry offers a great deal of flexibility as it is a stretchable fabric. Due to this, it is used in making sportswear and for all kinds of physical activity clothes.
No pilling- Pilling is the formation of small balls of yarn on the surface of the fabric. In some poor quality fabrics, pilling can occur after just 2-3 washes. In some cases, prolonged use of fabric can cause pilling. However, French terry is a robust fabric, which has tightly woven loops, and as such, the yarns are strongly binded. French terry, therefore, is not prone to pilling.
With all of the above reasons, we conclude that French terry is a perfect fabric to make joggers as well as for casual wear.