Textile Archive/Swimsuit Esmara (80% Polyester, 20% Viscose)
This black swimsuit was found in a used-clothing container and opened at the gesa measuring action (Textile Archive, 2026, canvas 30). Its fabric is jersey tricot: a stretchy warp knit typical of lingerie and swimwear (Fashionary, 2021, p. 160). Polyester is made from petroleum and is the world's most produced fibre – 59% of all fibre in 2024 (Fashionary, 2021, p. 047; Textile Exchange, 2025).
Viscose, the first semi-synthetic fibre (France, 1890s), is made from wood pulp as an 'artificial silk' – soft, but weak when wet (Fashionary, 2021, p. 046). 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 (80% Polyester, 20% Viscose) is our only clue to what it is made of – infrared spectroscopy can identify fibres without a label (Riba et al., 2020).
The Esmara label doesn't say where it was made. It was set aside because of hygiene rules for underwear. Care tip: Hand in to textile collection for recycling; hygiene rules exclude resale.
A strong example of why NIR matters when the label is missing. Shows the limits of reuse – where recycling is the honest end of the loop. Trace the brand to fill in the missing origin. Complete label language and 3D scan quality.
Manufacturing information
[edit | edit source]| Size | 44 |
| Color | Black |
| Product type | Swimsuit |
| Weight | 80 g |
| Target | Women |
| Brand | Esmara |
Status quo
[edit | edit source]| Status Quo | Level |
|---|---|
| Material out stage | Waste |
| Exclusion | Underwear |
| R strategy | NA |
| Reuse | 0 |
| 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 Unpublished project data.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.
- Textile Exchange (2025) Materials Market Report 2025. https://textileexchange.org/knowledge-center/reports/materials-market-report-2025/
- 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
| Authors | Adriana Cabrera |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Location | Wuppertal, Germany |
| Cite as | Adriana Cabrera (2026). "Textile Archive/Swimsuit Esmara (80% Polyester, 20% Viscose)". Appropedia. Retrieved November 11, 2026. |