Dan's Papers - June 29, 2007

Easy and breezy is the way to go in the summer, and that holds true for get-togethers, meals and especially for clothing. Summer is a time for laid-back, lightweight clothes that keep you cool when it's hot, and clothes that can be tossed in a bag and easily brought to the beach. Summer is a time for textiles that can be ready at a minute's notice and that aren't fussy and frilly. High-maintenance fabrics need not apply in summertime. As the days get hotter, summer's most popular fabrics will be getting more and more visible. Linen, lightweight cotton, seersucker and the new kid on the block, modal, will be re-emerging from the closets and hitting the town. All of these fabrics make it possible to really embrace the easy breezy philosophy of summer and allow you to live in style.

As I said, besides the old standbys, this summer there is a new fabric on the market called modal. A fiber made from the cellulose of beech trees, modal is a textile that is similar to cotton, but even softer and with more stretch. If you are completely unfamiliar with modal, jersey fabric probably provides the best comparison and can give you an idea of what to expect. One of the great features of modal is that it doesn't shrink or fade easily. Modal's water absorbency and air permeability properties also make it a good choice for athletic apparel. The fabric has already made its way into the products of many well-known companies. Victoria's Secret uses modal in its Angels line, GapBody's line counts modal as a main component and Bed Bath & Beyond sells sheets made from modal called Pure Beech. I've slept on those sheets and they are heavenly, like a perfect cross between cotton and silk. Besides all these other qualities, modal is ideal for summer because it is very thin and drapes well on the body. Even in the heat of the afternoon, you'll still look good.

Cotton is a classic. Modal can only hope to become such a household name and product as cotton. It's hard to sum up the main characteristics of cotton because there are so many different types and uses. It even once was used to make fire hoses. Of course, the cotton t-shirt is the ultimate staple and one of the reasons it is always a great summer fabric. Durable, washable, adaptable - cotton does it all. But, it has its downfalls. Remember the pills on your favorite cotton piece? Modal textiles don't get those, so perhaps that's a reason to go out and try out this new fabric.

Linen is another great summer fabric, no doubt about it. It's two to three times stronger than cotton, lint-free and gets softer with every wash. A fabric that benefits from washing, what more could you ask for? But if you're looking for a reason to try something new, look to the wrinkles that are ever-present when you don a pair of white linen pants or a linen top. You put linen on when it's freshly pressed and it looks fantastic, but after a little while your outfit has more wrinkles than a 100-year-old man who sunbathes on the beach everyday. Of course, the easy breezy philosophy of summer says wrinkles are not a problem at all, but some of you may have a hard time accepting that.

The blue and white stripes that signify seersucker are a quintessential summer pleasure. Seersucker, a cotton fabric woven in such a way that it has a slight wrinkle to it, is perhaps the most summery one of all. It's made to be held away from the skin to promote air circulation to keep its wearer cool. More perks of seersucker are that it is easily washed and does not require ironing. Originally created to be an alternative to suits in the summer, the fact that it doesn't require ironing is almost too good to be true. But if you're tired of its stripes and still want softness to be the criteria, modal will not disappoint.

Summer - the season of beach towels, sundresses and shorts. It wouldn't be the same without the great fabrics of seersucker, cotton and linen. And with the new modal textile that's lightweight and soft, this summer is shaping up to be the best ever.