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| Pilot Shirt Fabric Information |
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Fabric Blends and Characteristics |
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Most shirt fabric is woven from a blend of two distinct components; Cotton
(a natural fiber) and Polyester (a synthetic fiber), each
having unique characteristics. Cotton is soft, sturdy, and
absorbs moisture, but cotton wrinkles, shrinks, retains
moisture, and takes longer to dry. Polyester is strong,
abrasion resistant, resists shrinking and stretching, resists
wrinkles, and does not absorb or hold moisture, but woven poly does
not "breath" as well all by itself. Fabric blend is the mixture of
cotton and polyester (as a percentage such as 60/40, 55/45 or
35/65), and results in a corresponding blend of characteristics. Together, cotton/poly blends offer a good
compromise of comfort and performance characteristics.
Note that fabric blend itself does NOT determine the thickness or appearance of a
material. |
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Fabric Thickness and Comparison |
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Thicker
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| Oxford |
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| Pinpoint |
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| Poplin |
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Broadcloth |
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Thinner
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Fabric thickness and appearance is NOT determined by the blend of a material.
Rather, it is determined by the size of the yarns, the weave, and the yarns per inch.
Oxford
is made with thicker yarns in a 2 x 1 basket weave, It is about
20% thicker than pinpoint and poplin fabrics and has a more visible texture. Pinpoint is a medium
"weight" fabric, also of a 2 x 1 weave. It is made with finer yarns, more tightly woven,
resulting in a
smoother texture. Poplin is similar in thickness and appearance to pinpoint but uses a 1 x 1
weave. Broadcloth is the thinnest, lightest fabric available, a tight 1 x 1 weave of the finest
yarns. |
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Fabrics used in the shirts we offer (white only) (Click on any
picture below to view a close-up image) |
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Oxford (60% cotton)
4.2 oz/yd.
Our most popular fabric... about 20% thicker than pinpoint or
poplin. Thicker yarns in a more visible "basket" weave.
Breathes well.
2-3% shrinkage (up to 1/2" collar shrinkage).
Available in our
PilotHouse Tapered and
PilotHouse Relaxed-cut
and new
Wings |
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Pinpoint (55% or 60% cotton) 3.7 oz/yd.
Medium weight, more finely woven fabric. Thinner with a tighter weave than oxford. Softer than
poplin.
2-3% shrinkage (up to 1/2" collar shrinkage).
Available in
Commander and
Pilot House Tapered.
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Poplin (35% cotton)
Medium weight, medium density, durable, easy-care fabric. Commonly used in uniform shirts.
More wrinkle resistant than high-cotton fabrics.
1-2% shrinkage (up to 1/3" collar shrinkage).
Available in
Aviator ,
Pilot, and
Jetstream. |
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Broadcloth (55% or 60% cotton) 3.1 oz/yd.
Lightweight, thin, high thread-count fabric. The
lightest weight dress and uniform shirt fabric... about 15%
lighter than pinpoint or poplin.
2% shrinkage (up to 1/3" collar shrinkage).
Available in Eagle. |
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Changes in Fabric |
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Fabric mills make changes to the yarn size,
thread count or finish of the fabrics they weave, or update the equipment used to
produce the fabric. Moreover, in recent years many U.S. fabric mills
have gone out of business while the few remaining ones reduced their offerings,
requiring us to re-source our fabrics numerous times.
Therefore, the fabric used in any of the shirts we sell has change over the years
and may be different since your last purchase. Fabrics used will continue to change
as overseas mills become the sole source of shirt fabric.
Fabric
also undergoes change during use as it endures countless washing/drying/wearing cycles that
alter a shirt's original look, feel and fit. Over time, the factory
finish washes out while shrinkage and stretching from laundering and use
takes place. The
incremental change often goes unnoticed until it is held up next to a brand new shirt. So, just
like that faded old T-shirt or comfy broken in pair of jeans, your old shirts no longer
resemble new ones.
Hence, it is not uncommon to notice a significant difference between new shirts and
older shirts.
Rather than make impractical comparisons, we ask that you
simply evaluate your new shirts for appearance, fit and function BEFORE LAUNDERING. Look them over and try
them on, even if you have purchased the "same" shirt before. If for any
reason the shirts are not acceptable to you, we offer a
30 Day
Return Policy on unused, unlaundered shirts.
If you are undecided on the suitability of your new shirts upon receipt, a prudent
option is to commit to the purchase of a single shirt and try it out. Our 30
day return interval provides sufficient time to test a shirt through a few
launder/wear cycles and still have time to return the remainder of the shirts should
they not meet your requirements. |
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