Where do natural fibres come from, and what properties make each one suited to particular fashion and textile items?
Natural fibres (cotton, linen, wool and silk): their plant or animal source, their characteristic properties, and how those properties make each fibre suitable for particular fashion or textile items.
A focused answer to the SQA National 5 Fashion and Textile Technology content on natural fibres, covering the plant and animal sources of cotton, linen, wool and silk, their key properties, and how those properties decide which fibre suits a given item.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to know that natural fibres come from plants or animals, to know the properties of the four main ones (cotton, linen, wool, silk), and above all to match a fibre to an item by explaining why its properties suit the job. The skill tested most often is justification: not "cotton is good" but "cotton is absorbent, so it suits a shirt worn close to the skin".
Plant fibres: cotton and linen
Both are cellulose fibres, so they share a family likeness: absorbent, cool, comfortable in heat, but prone to creasing. This is why cotton and linen suit summer clothing, shirts, towels and bedding.
Animal fibres: wool and silk
Both are protein fibres. Compared with plant fibres they tend to be warmer and more elastic but need gentler care.
Matching a fibre to an item
Try this
Q1. Name the plant that linen is made from and the part of the plant used. [1 mark]
- Cue. The flax plant; the fibre comes from the stem.
Q2. State two properties of wool that make it suitable for a winter coat. [2 marks]
- Cue. Warmth (traps air) and water/weather resistance with good drape; elasticity also creditable.
Q3. Explain why silk is a popular choice for a luxury evening dress. [2 marks]
- Cue. It is smooth and lustrous so it looks rich and drapes beautifully, and it is comfortable against the skin, which suits a special-occasion garment.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA-style Describe4 marksA summer shirt is to be made from a natural fibre. Describe two properties of cotton that make it suitable for this item.Show worked answer →
Award 1 mark for each property named and 1 mark for linking it to the summer shirt, up to 4. Cotton is absorbent, so it takes up sweat from the skin and keeps the wearer feeling dry and comfortable in warm weather (2). Cotton is cool to wear and allows air to pass through, so the shirt does not trap heat and is comfortable in summer (2). Other creditable points include that cotton is soft against the skin and washes easily at high temperatures, which suits a garment worn close to the body that needs frequent washing. Markers reward the link between the property and the demand of a summer shirt rather than a bare list of words.
SQA-style Identify3 marksIdentify the natural source of cotton, wool and silk.Show worked answer →
Award 1 mark per correct source, up to 3. Cotton is a plant fibre taken from the seed head (boll) of the cotton plant (1). Wool is an animal fibre, the fleece shorn from sheep (1). Silk is an animal fibre, the filament unwound from the cocoon spun by the silkworm (1). A common error is to call wool or silk a plant fibre; both come from animals. Markers want the correct plant-or-animal origin, not just the word "natural".
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