Textile Archive/Socks No brand (96% Cotton, 04% Polyamide)
These brown, multi-colour socks were found in a used-clothing container and opened at the gesa measuring action (Textile Archive, 2026, canvas 33). They are an interlock knit: smooth on both sides and firm, often used for baby clothes and sportswear (Fashionary, 2021, p. 146). Cotton, grown for over 6,000 years, is soft and breathable, but conventional cotton uses a lot of water and chemicals (Fashionary, 2021, pp. 018–019).
Polyamide (nylon), the first successful synthetic fibre (1935), is very strong but heat-sensitive (Fashionary, 2021, p. 048). Blends improve comfort or price, but are harder to recycle (Fashionary, 2021, p. 055; Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). With no composition label, the NIR scanner (96% Cotton, 04% Polyamide) is our only clue to what they are made of – infrared spectroscopy can identify fibres without a label (Riba et al., 2020).
No defect was recorded: they are good enough to be worn again (R3 Reuse; Potting et al., 2017). Care tip: Wash gently at low temperature, inside out, and line dry.
A strong example of why NIR matters when the label is missing. Link it to the second-hand care & resale guide. Trace the brand to fill in the missing origin. Complete label language and 3D scan quality.
Manufacturing information
[edit | edit source]| Size | Small |
| Color | Brown, multi-colour |
| Product type | Socks |
| Weight | 5 g |
| Target | Children |
Status quo
[edit | edit source]| Status Quo | Level |
|---|---|
| Material out stage | Sale |
| Exclusion | NA |
| R strategy | Reuse |
| Reuse | 1 |
| Recycle | 0 |
| Repair | 0 |
| Repurpose | 0 |
Graphics
[edit | edit source]
References
[edit | edit source]- Textile Archive (2026) Labels_Final – sample label sheets of the gesa measuring action, June 2026 [Canva design, 34 canvases]. Unpublished project data.
- Fashionary (2021) Textilepedia: The Complete Fabric Guide. Hong Kong: Fashionary International Ltd. ISBN 978-988-77110-9-4.
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017) A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion's Future. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy
- Riba, J.-R., Cantero, R., Canals, T. & Puig, R. (2020) Circular economy of post-consumer textile waste: classification through infrared spectroscopy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 272, 123011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123011
- Potting, J., Hekkert, M., Worrell, E. & Hanemaaijer, A. (2017) Circular Economy: Measuring Innovation in the Product Chain. The Hague: PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. https://www.pbl.nl/en/publications/circular-economy-measuring-innovation-in-product-chains
| Authors | Adriana Cabrera |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Location | Wuppertal, Germany |
| Cite as | Adriana Cabrera (2026). "Textile Archive/Socks No brand (96% Cotton, 04% Polyamide)". Appropedia. Retrieved November 10, 2026. |