Cotton Socks

Cotton Socks are very soft and skin-friendly, which make them so popular. Manufacturers frequently add a small amount of  artificial fibres to treat the toe and heel areas for higher durability.

Cotton used for socks come in different varieties:

• Lisle Cotton is cotton with a strong and tightly twisted thread. The French word is often used, too: fil d'ecosse. Lisle cotton is strong and therefore makes a more durable sock.
• Mercerised Cotton has been treated to improve the luster and the ability of the cotton to absorb dye and water. The process had initially been developed be John Mercer in 1851 and has been refined ever since. The result is a fibre with excellent wearing qualities.

Cotton - not only for Socks

Cotton is a soft fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant. The fibre is most often spun into a thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile.

10% of the raw weight of cotton is lost in processing. Once traces of wax, protein, etc. are removed, the remainder is a natural polymer of pure cellulose. This cellulose is arranged in a way that gives cotton unique properties of strength, durability, and absorbency. Each fibre is made up of twenty to thirty layers of cellulose coiled in a neat series of natural springs.

The use of cotton has been traced back to the Egyptians as early as 12,000 BC. Today cotton is grown on five continents. Its properties still make it a very favourable fibre to be used for clothing in general and socks in particular.

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