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Every winter we layer ourselves with layer after layer of woollen clothes to keep warm and cosy. Right from the woollen undergarments to the camisoles, sweaters, pullovers, cardigans, turtlenecks, socks, warmers are all woollen or tricots and protect us from the winter chill. Though many fabrics – synthetic, nylon etc are used today to make winter clothes that keep us warm; woolen and tricot clothes are classic, and ever popular even today. But what are the properties that make wool the preferred choice of fabric for most of our winter clothes? And not just woollen clothes, but even wool underwear and tricot undergarments? Here’s what makes wool the perfect choice of fabric for your clothes and undergarments.

·Wool has fibres that trap heat and warmth. Being a bad conductor of heat, wool keeps your body heat with you so you feel warm, and your body temperature does not go down with the cold.

·The more layers you wear of wool, the warmer you will feel. Since wool traps heat within the different layers, even if you wear light woollen clothes in many layers, you will keep very warm. Making woolen underwear your first layer of clothing in winters is the best thing you can do to keep yourself warm and protected.

·Wool is also highly durable, so your woolen clothes generally last you a long time and you don’t have to keep buying new woollens every winters. However, taking proper care of your woolens is important otherwise they will lose their shape or will fade away.

·Wool absorbs sweat and is a great conductor even when wet. So even after outdoor activity, and lots of sweating, your woollen clothes will keep you warm. The heat conductivity of the fibres in your woolen clothes, and the insulation of your body heat and layers of clothes remains unaffected by perspiration and sweat; thus making woolen clothes and undergarments ideal for outdoor wear.

·Though wool is primarily known as a heavy and bulky fabric, today wool is processed to make it lighter and more suitable not only for your clothes but also woolen and tricot undergarments that keep you extra warm.

·Also is wool is coarse in its natural form, and may not be comfortable for tricot undergarments. However, wool can be processed to make it so soft and fine that you can easily and very comfortably wear it in your woolen and tricot underwear even. Most of these undergarments are also seamless, for maximum comfort.

·Wool itches is something we all have heard at some point. However, the good news is that the problem is not there any more! Who would wear woollen or tricot underwear if it were itchy? Wool is treated with special chemicals to make it more wearable, and so the next time you buy woollen undergarments, don’t be surprised if you feel really comfortable, with no sign of itchiness.

·Body odour is a big turn off, whether in the winters or summers. However, if you wear woolen clothes and undergarments, this problem will no longer bother you. Because of the wicking properties that wool has, there is no body odour, and in fact just exposing the woolen garments to sunlight will make your woolens smell new and fresh again.

With all these properties, you don’t have to think twice before you buy woolen undergarments. Comfortable, light, soft and odour-free, woolen and tricot undergarments are must-haves in your winter wardrobe.

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Thermal woollen undergarments are lifesavers in the winters. Since they are the first layer of clothes that you wear on your body, they must be soft, light and snug. Also, you should be able to wear them all day long, without the slightest bit of discomfort. However, the usual underpants, vests, and camisoles may not suit everybody’s style and clothes. Thermal and tricot undergarments therefore come in a variety of styles and designs today, so they can be worn easily under almost anything. Tricot undergarments are generally made from weaving different fabrics like wool, cotton, etc together, so the resulting tricot fabrics may have its own unique qualities.

Woollen tricot undergarments have the advantage of not only keeping you warm, but also offer benefits in terms of varied styles and range – from comfortable to glam. The range of garments offers something for everybody – men, women and children. Here’s a look at some of the tricot undergarments you can consider -

Men’s Tricot undergarments

Tricot undergarments are ideal not only for your winter wear, but also for outdoor activities. Tricot tank tops, vests with crew cuts, V-necks are perfect for those who lead an active life. These can either be used for layering on the winters, or can serve as your regular gym or workout gear. Coming to underwear, nylon tricot fits extremely well, and offers you great stretch. Briefs, boxers, thongs or long johns, all are available depending on your needs and comfort. Whatever style you choose, rest assured that you will feel light and comfortable, and not pulled down by your underwear. With men also looking for different and more stylish underwear options, rather than the regular trunks and boxers, the tricot wool underwear offers a lot to please them.

Women’s Tricot undergarments

Tricot has traditionally been used in women’s underwear predominantly, because they require different shapes, cuts, designs and colours. Owing to the high flexibility and snug fit, when it comes to woollen undergarments you can’t do better than tricot. Not only does it keep you warm, but also offers you style and comfort. Nylon tricot is one of the most commonly used materials in women’s underwear. There is little chance of snagging, and there is the guarantee of a great fit. Bras, sports bras, panties, underpants, camisoles, vests, blouses with buttons (and in different kinds of sleeves and neck styles) are all available in nylon tricot.

Other garments

Apart from undergarments nylon and wool tricot is also used to make winter wear like socks, warmers, wraps, kneecaps etc. Both men and women can use these in the winters to keep extra warm. You can also use it with your sports gear.

Whichever garments you choose – woollen or nylon tricot, it is important to remember that with the extra support, snug fit, and warmth, you have to take a little special care of your undergarments. They need a mild detergent, warm water, and if you’re washing them in the machine, then ensure that you use the mode for ‘delicates’. Since they dry quickly, they should not be left for too long in the dry mode. While they don’t require ironing, if you absolutely need to iron them for some reason, then place a cloth on them, and then use an iron lightly. However, with all the features and benefits they provide, these small precautions will come naturally to you, after regular use.

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Tricot is one of the newer fabrics to be introduced in the garment industry. The fabric can only be produced by machine, in tricot factory, using wrap-knitting technique. Because of the unique way in which it is produced, the fabric is quite different from the common fabrics such as cotton and silk. In fact, tricot is usually a blend of two or three different fabrics. The fabric can be produced using different base fabrics for different purposes. Hence, tricot can be manufactured to suit almost all practical purposes served by fabrics.

Tricot is used commonly in making women’s lingerie and undergarments. Swimsuit is another apparel that is finding more and more use of tricot as the fabric of choice. But in order to really appreciate the kind of versatility offered by this fabric, listed below are some of the types of tricot fabrics that are produced for diverse purposes:

Jersey Knit — This knitting technique produces tricot, which is characterized by stretch, drape and hand. The lustre of the fabric depends on the yarn and can range from very bright to dull. This variety of tricot is used mostly in making women’s undergarments such as bras, panties, slips and lingerie; as is also used as lining material.

Stabilized Tricot – Any knit product has an inherent width and length stretch. The stabilized tricot fabric is made in a way to minimize this stretch. Being cheaper to produce as compared to woven fabrics, the stabilized tricot offers an effective cost saving solution. These are mostly used in the situations where the fabric needs to lay flat, the fabric is not supposed to “neck-in” and also where another fabric needs a limiting co-laminate.

Marquisette – This pattern resembles square-holed windowpane pattern. It appears to be an interlacing of yarn ends but is actually a knitted structure. One of the benefits of this fabric is that it does not unravel as easily as its woven counterparts. The marquisette knit fabric can range from dense to open.

Mesh Knit Pattern – This is a tricot pattern that includes the eyelet patterns seen in undergarments, sports-wear etc. It is also used in making flags and banners as the fabric is highly tear resistant and can withstand strong gusts of wind.

Satin Knit – This Tricot pattern is characterized by extraordinarily smooth surface. This fabric is lustrous if made using bright yarn. Its texture is quite like it’s woven counterparts but is not unravelled as easily.

Net Knit – As the name suggests, this pattern comprises rare fabric with holes of all sorts of shapes and sizes ranging from tiny to large; square to hexagonal. Tricot fabric can be used to produce almost any kind of net.

Brushed Fabric – This is a kind of tricot in which the surface of the fabric is brushed mechanically in order to raise individual filaments randomly in order to produce a unique texture.

Military Standard – Tricot is a fabric that can be used to produce military-spec clothing. The toughness of the material and the amount of customisation possible makes it an ideal cloth for military uniforms.

These are only some of the types of Tricot fabrics that can be produced. The immense potential of the tricot is yet to be fully exploited and it is only a matter of time before tricot becomes one of the more popular fabrics.

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Tricot is a special type of knit fabric that is very unique in its structure. You must have noticed a few special types of warm fabrics where one side is smooth and the other side is ribbed. This is tricot wool.

Tricot is basically a method of knitting a fibre. Tricot fabric is usually very lightweight and is produced from synthetic fibres like nylon. However, tricot fabric made from natural fibres like cotton, silk and wool is also available.

How is Tricot produced?

Tricot is made using something called a warp-knit machine. Many warp-knit machines can be found in a tricot factory. These machines consist of a patented technology and they create tricot fabric in a very typical manner. On a knitting machine, long threads are stretched, parallel to one another and then adjacent threads loop around each other. This gives tricot fabric its characteristic appearance of ribs running vertically in the front and horizontally at the back of the fabric.

The difference between Tricot fabric and Tricot Crochet:

In earlier times, when warp-knitting machines hadn’t been invented, tricot crochet was a method of knitting thick wool and creating crocheted fabric. The tricot crochet is today, popularly known as the Afghani stitch so as not to confuse it with the now-popular Tricot fabric. There is definitely a huge difference between the two as one is machine-produced and the other is hand-made.

Which fibres is tricot normally made of?

Usually, tricot is made from synthetic fibres like polyester, nylon, tri-acetate or acetate. For stability, nylon is blended with the base fibre, and spandex is blended with it for stretch. Cotton, wool and silk are rare tricot fibres, of a higher quality.

What are the advantages of tricot?

Tricot has a very long life, and it is mostly a non-elastic fabric. It is also useful for support and comfort. Moreover, it keeps the skin warm in cold weather.

What are the main uses of tricot?