Oxford fabric: description, advantages and disadvantages, application features

Oxford is a fairly popular type of synthetic fabric that is often used for sportswear, casual wear, and camping equipment. This fabric is characterized by a special way of weaving threads, which is called "matting": the fabric visually represents convex squares, which are staggered.

A mattress is a type of special twill weave in which the warp and weft are woven in small groups rather than singly. As a result, a specific "checkerboard" texture is formed on the surface of the fabric. One of the existing legends says that the matting was invented by the peasants in Russia, who wove this coarse fabric for a variety of domestic needs, using the fibers of a plant called "cattail" as raw materials. Subsequently, it was replaced by bast, but the name remained unchanged.

However, the official version is completely different - the fabric, which is the prototype of modern Oxford, was first obtained in the 19th century in Scotland. It is not known why this canvas was named one of the most ancient British cities, but historians say that, a few years later, shirts made from this canvas became common among students at Oxford University and to this day remain a symbol of the prestige of this elite educational institution.

A fundamentally new stage in the improvement of the fabric was its processing with various chemical compositions, the result of such additives are new properties:

• hygroscopicity;
• combustion resistance;
• chemical resistance.

And although the new type of matter already differs in many respects from its original analogue, nevertheless, the first name "Oxford" remained unchanged.

The unique technique of weaving fibers allows you to protect the fabric from moisture and dirt in the structure of the fabric itself, thanks to this, oxford has many advantages in comparison with many other types of materials:

• property to repel dirt;
• moisture resistance and water-repellent properties;
• wear resistance;
• increased strength;
• the ability to maintain their physical and technical characteristics at t from -50 to + 115 degrees;
• low level of abrasion of the canvas.

Depending on what kind of threads are used in the production of canvas, there are three varieties of it, each with its own characteristic features.

• Cotton Oxford - this material is made using cotton fibers, things made from it are very breathable, hygienic and extremely practical. Usually, autumn-spring shirts are sewn from such fabric. It should be noted that in recent years, the technology of weaving from natural fibers has been used quite rarely.
• Nylon - quite dense and chemically resistant, but at the same time elastic material. It is sensitive to light and high temperature influences, that is, the fabric does not withstand exposure to UV rays. In addition, this type of fabric tends to accumulate static electricity.
• Polyester - in comparison with nylon, it is not so flexible and dense, however, in terms of light and heat resistance it is much superior to it.

According to the variant of weaving the fabric, two variations are distinguished.

• Royal oxford - in this case, rather thin threads are used, due to which the fabric becomes smooth, but at the same time very dense. The production consumes raw materials of the highest quality; this type of fabric is used for sewing expensive shirts in the business segment.
• Pinpoint - the production technology in this case is similar to the previous version, but the raw materials are coarser and cheaper. This material is used for the production of trousers and shirts. In addition, the fabric is often treated with special impregnations, resulting in an air- and moisture-proof material that is used for sewing windbreakers.

The color scheme of the material directly depends on the characteristics of the use of the fabric. In the classic version, the fabric has a blue tint, but nowadays it is often dyed in green, black and gray tones, camouflage, a little less often you can find oxford in white, red or yellow colors, sometimes material with an original pattern (print) is produced. In the production of such a fabric, fibers of the most varied thicknesses are used, and the denser the threads, the coarser, but at the same time, dense fabric becomes. Density parameters range from 150D to 1800D (den).

The undoubted advantages of the material include the following consumer properties:

• long period of wear;
• resistance to damage and wear;
• low weight of finished items;
• budget price;
• ease of maintenance.

Separately, we should dwell on the water-repellent characteristics of Oxford cloth. In order for the canvas to become hygroscopic, it is impregnated with special polymer compounds, as a rule, after that a rather thin film is formed on the surface, which makes the product air and moisture resistant. In this case, the degree of moisture resistance can be determined by the marking of the product:

• protection of 200-300 mm - the minimum level of security, protects only from the wind, does not retain moisture;
• 300-500 mm - indicates that the product will completely get wet, only 60 minutes after being in a heavy rain;
• 800 mm - absolutely waterproof item;
• 1000-3000 mm - the material used for warm jackets, ski suits, as well as tents, has exceptional protective properties.

The disadvantages of Oxford are directly related to what kind of thread was used to make it. So, if the basis is polyester fiber, then the main disadvantage is the slight flexibility in comparison with nylon options. Nylon oxford is destroyed by sunlight, it begins to fade, and with prolonged contact it simply loses its original color. Nylon fabric is sensitive to combustion: under the influence of a flame, the edges of the fabric begin to melt, but at the same time they do not crumble.

For both versions of the canvas, there are common disadvantages that should not be overlooked when purchasing such products:

• the material is very poorly permeable to air, that is, in other words, it does not breathe;
• under the influence of low temperatures oxford becomes very hard and makes a “rustling” sound when moving.

The scope of application of oxford fabric directly depends on the degree of density of the fabric.

• 150 den - this is the thinnest material, it holds its shape for quite a long time and drapes well, which is why raincoats and windbreakers, as well as thin overalls, are often sewn from it. In addition, the canvas is used for the manufacture of the top layer of jackets, down jackets, bags and covers.
• 210 den - much stronger than the previous fabric, it is optimal for sewing tourist tents, sleeping bags, uniforms for fishermen and hunters, as well as rescuers. Oxford of this variety is commonly used to create workwear.
• 240 den - a very dense fabric, which is also used to make tents, hiking backpacks and awnings. Such fabric is usually impregnated with polyurethane, as a result, acquires increased water-repellent characteristics.

• 300 den - this is a very tough and strong waterproof material, it is usually treated with PVC and sewn from it bags, suitcases, covers, as well as items of haberdashery and fishing accessories.
• 600 den - the fabric is popular in the manufacture of tent tents, jackets and other things designed for use in extreme weather conditions. Usually such a canvas is produced in a camouflage version.
• 1800 den - the most durable and dense type of Oxford, it is used for sewing awnings.

When buying products from Oxford, you should first study the information about the fabric care features provided by the manufacturer, since certain types of fabric can be made with the addition of specific threads that need special care. The fineness of washing and ironing the fabric depends on the main type of thread used for weaving.

• Cotton varieties of Oxford are machine washed at t no higher than 40 degrees, the use of absolutely any powders is allowed.Such products can be smoothed with an iron with heating of no more than 110 degrees, but it is better to dry them indoors, and away from heating devices, since under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the canvases change their shade.

• Products made of nylon or polyester are washed in the same way, but they are ironed in different ways: canvases made of polyester fibers can be ironed, but any hot effect on nylon is completely prohibited. It is recommended to give preference to liquid detergents when washing.
• In the presence of any contamination, it is enough to wipe the item with a damp cloth. If a gap appears on the canvas, it should simply be sewn up or glued.

In the next video, you will find a comparison of oxford fabrics of different weights.