Moisture management or moisture-wicking is a
functional
Functional may refer to:
* Movements in architecture:
** Functionalism (architecture)
** Form follows function
* Functional group, combination of atoms within molecules
* Medical conditions without currently visible organic basis:
** Functional sy ...
property in
fabrics
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
that enables them to
absorb moisture from the
skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other cuticle, animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have diffe ...
, spreading it over a large surface area, helps in drying quickly.
Moisture wicking
Moisture-wicking clothes absorb the moisture (in the form of sweat), spreads it to the larger surface, and dries more quickly than a regular clothing item. Hence it avoids saturation of the moisture and feeling of dampness.
Moisture comfort
Moisture
comfort
Comfort (or being comfortable'')'' is a sense of physical or psychological ease, often characterized as a lack of hardship. Persons who are lacking in comfort are uncomfortable, or experiencing discomfort. A degree of psychological comfort c ...
in clothing is the preservation from the
sensation
Sensation (psychology) refers to the processing of the senses by the sensory system.
Sensation or sensations may also refer to:
In arts and entertainment In literature
*Sensation (fiction), a fiction writing mode
*Sensation novel, a British ...
of dampness. A study about the human body's response and
sweating
Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals.
Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distr ...
Hollies suggests,
'' When more than 50–65% of the body surface is wet, it feels uncomfortable.''
Though cotton is a comfortable and skin-friendly natural fibre, its high absorbency rate makes it very uncomfortable to wear once saturated.
Application
An article of clothing with moisture-wicking properties helps in enhancing the performance of the wearer. Hence it is helpful in
sportswear
Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons.
Typical sport-specific garments ...
and
athleisure
Athleisure is a hybrid style of athletic clothing typically worn as everyday wear. Athleisure outfits can include yoga pants, tights, sneakers, leggings and shorts that look like athletic wear, characterized as "fashionable, dressed-up sweats and ...
.
Test
The property is quantifiable through various test procedures. Example tests are ISO 13029:2012, and AATCC TM195.
See also
*
Plated fabric
Plated fabrics are fabrics that have different colors or types of face and back. The fabrics are formed by using different kinds of yarn types or colors to both be invisible on the other side. Different properties of several textile fibers are exp ...
is a suitable fabric construction for moisture-wicking fabrics.
References
{{reflist
Textiles
Properties of textiles