Textile Archive/Socks Self-made (80% Cotton, 20% Polyamide)
Like every piece in the Textile Archive, these beige socks came from a used-clothing container, not a donation box (Textile Archive, 2026, canvas 34). Someone knitted them by hand – the oldest way of making knitwear (Fashionary, 2021, p. 138). 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). The label says 76% Cotton, 24% Polyamide, the NIR scanner reads 80% Cotton, 20% Polyamide – labels and reality don't always match, which is why infrared sorting is being developed for textile waste (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.
Display label and NIR result side by side to start a conversation about label reliability. Invite visitors to share their own knitting or mending stories. Link it to the second-hand care & resale guide. Complete label language and 3D scan quality.
Manufacturing information
[edit | edit source]| Color | Beige |
| Product type | Socks |
| Weight | 126 g |
| Target | Unisex |
| Brand | Self-made |
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 Unpublished project data.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 Self-made (80% Cotton, 20% Polyamide)". Appropedia. Retrieved November 11, 2026. |