The Fashion Revolution: Why The Viscose Fabric is a Gen Z Favorite

May 30, 2024 · Neha Agarwal
Why-The-Viscose-Fabric-is-a-Gen-Z-Favorite

Social media posts, trending reels, and viral videos, all influence Gen Z fashion. The result of this influence is a booming fast-fashion industry, marking a fascinating transformation of the fashion world. From budding designers to expert stylists, all join hands to present something quirky to today's generation. 

But fast fashion questions our environment’s safety. Non-biodegradable fashion waste harms nature. That’s why fashion experts are choosing environmentally friendly and sustainable fabrics for outfits. Viscose fabric meets these critical eco-friendly criteria and is considered the safest future of the fashion industry. 

Consumers of the fashion industry, especially Gen Z, choose sustainability over anything. This is because there is a growing awareness about the importance of eco-friendly materials among today’s generation, which has resulted in a surge in the demand for sustainable clothing lines. To meet the increasing demand for sustainability, fashion experts are now creating outfits made out of viscose fabric. But is that the only reason why the fashion business is choosing viscose fabric more often to make outfits? Are you curious to learn what makes this fabric a favourite among today’s youth? Read to the end to unravel all the secrets of viscose fabric and what makes it the “trending” option!

What is Viscose Fabric?

What is viscose fabric? Viscose is a partially synthetic type of rayon fabric that comes from trees and is processed with high concentrations of chemicals. Viscose fabric meaning refers to the solution of wood pulp which is turned into fabric. Viscose took the shape of fabric first in 1883 as a cheap substitute for silk. Like silk, viscose fabric is also versatile and can be used for various apparel styles, including jackets, blouses and dresses. 

Interestingly, viscose fabric in summer has a huge demand. Do you know why? Because it feels soft and lightweight on the skin- exactly what we need in our wardrobes for summer. 

The Making Of Viscose Fabric

Viscose fabric can be made from bamboo or wood pulp, such as pine, beech, and eucalyptus. Since several chemicals are used in the process of creating viscose fabric, it is not 100% natural. Carbon disulphide and sodium hydroxide chemicals give viscose its shape. Intrigued to know how this fabric is made? Here are five steps that summarise the entire process. 

  • The plant is chopped into wood pulp and mixed with chemicals like sodium hydroxide to create a dark wood pulp liquid. 
  • The dark wood pulp is then washed, sterilised and bleached.
  • Before creating the wood pulp into a viscose solution, it is treated with carbon disulphide. 
  • The solution is then driven through a spinning wheel, a mechanism that produces filaments known as regenerated cellulose.
  • This regenerated cellulose is then spun into a yarn, which is then knitted into viscose fabric.

Why is Viscose Fabric a Gen Z Favourite?

In recent times, fashion has not been limited to outfits that just look good on you. Consumers nowadays like to wear clothing that feels comfortable on the skin. Gen Z likes to buy stuff that looks luxurious but is reasonable and eco-friendly. For this reason, there is a greater demand for apparel made out of viscose fabric. 

Viscose fabric has a silk-like texture that feels soft on the skin at a less expensive price. It also gives a richer look, just like silk, making it the most suitable material for Gen Z. 

Viscose fabric in summer is a perfect choice as it's soft and breathable. Summers in tropical countries are quite hot, and some regions have high humidity. It is in this scenario that consumers prefer comfortable and breezy fabric, just as viscose fabric in summer does. 

Viscose fabric is easily absorbent, which means it can be dyed to beautiful shades. Furthermore, the fabric holds dye for a long period of time. You know what that means? It means you can wear and wash viscose-made clothes and the colours won’t fade away soon! 

Viscose fabric in summer when exposed to heat, does not shrink. Moreover, its absorbent nature is likely to absorb excess moisture and sweat, which are pretty common during the summer season. 

Just like potatoes mix with literally any ingredient (veg or non-veg), viscose fabric also blends with other fabrics smoothly. When the fabric is mixed with polyester, the fibre becomes polyviscose, and when combined with cotton, it turns into cotton viscose. The fabric attains high stretchability when viscose is blended with spandex. 

Viscose fabric’s absorbent properties also make it a useful agent in the fashion industry as well as the hygiene disposable sectors. 

Another benefit of viscose fabric is that it is extremely lightweight. The airy texture of viscose doesn’t stick to the body, which makes viscose fabric in summer, ideal for dresses and tops. 

Though it doesn’t retain heat, it absorbs moisture and sweat, making viscose fabric an ideal choice for sports garments. 

Viscose Fabric Vs. Cotton: Which is the better choice

Viscose and cotton are both breathable fabrics which can absorb perspiration and feel lightweight on the skin. So, what makes these two fabrics different? Let’s find out which viscose fabric vs cotton, which one is better. 

Though viscose fabric is obtained from wood pulp, it is not 100% natural as it undergoes a significant chemical process. It provides a silk-like texture at a reasonable price. On the other hand, cotton is a natural fabric, and its manufacturing process is quite intricate, making it a more pricey material than viscose fabric.

Viscose fabric is less expensive than original silk fabric, and it can be draped easily. Meanwhile, draping cotton can be a task as it feels bulky. 

Viscose fabric’s absorbent properties hold dyes even after hundreds of uses and washes (dry cleaning), and the colours don’t fade easily. Though cotton has a better wet strength than viscose fibre and is hand—or machine-washable, there’s a high chance of the colours fading away after a significant number of washes. 

Viscose can be blended easily with other fabrics, giving all the outfits made from the blended fabric a luxe feel. However, cotton cannot be blended with any other fabric except viscose. 

Though viscose fabric offers a lower wet strength than cotton, its pricing, texture, and versatility make it a Gen Z favourite! 

Viscose Fabric For Summer Or Winter: Which Season Does It Support

Is viscose fabric for summer or winter? Let’s find out! 

Even though viscose fabric is semi-synthetic as the fibres are obtained from a natural raw material cellulose, this also provides effective climate-regulating properties. Viscose is an extremely absorbent fabric which can absorb up to 400% of its own weight in moisture. Since tropical summers are very hot and sweaty, it is imperative to choose viscose fabric in summer.

While viscose absorbs sweat, the clothing doesn’t seem wet; it has a cooling effect. No wonder Gen Z prefers viscose fabric in summer. Unlike cotton or other natural fabrics, viscose fabric dries quickly, making it the best choice for outdoor textiles, vegan sneakers, and travel towels. 

The prickly heat can cause different skin allergies, and wearing synthetic clothing can only aggravate these allergies. Though chemicals are used during the processing of viscose fabric, no harmful components like pesticides are used during the cultivation of cellulose. It is due to this reason that you can wear viscose fabric in summer. The fabric is hardly made with harmful substances; thus, even if you get allergies from the scorching sun, it won’t at least induce them. 

In summer, people generally like wearing comfortable and airy clothes. Well, viscose fabric is the best bet for this summer! Its silk-like texture and lightweight feel will offer breathable outfit choices for you in summer, from shirts and tops to dresses, you can get your hands on different outfits in Virgio made from viscose fabric in summer.

Top 5 Viscose Fabric Outfit Ideas For The Season

Viscose was established as a fabric in 1883, and due to its eco-friendly nature, it is now considered the future of the fashion and apparel market. Its high absorbent quality and breathable and airy texture make viscose a perfect fabric for summer. Using dyes is also easy on these fabrics as they hold every colour beautifully, and they don’t fade away too soon. So, to get summer ready, ditch your old cotton garments and replace them with sustainable viscose clothing. Here are a few stunning outfit ideas for using viscose fabric this season. 

Polka Dotted Dress With Pockets

For every girl, having pockets in dresses is the best thing to happen. You can add a polka-dotted dress with pockets to your wardrobe this season. Made of viscose fabric, the dress entails cute polka dots and puffed sleeves, which would go very well with your vivacious personality. A square neckline and a little bit of flare in the dress will make you look summer-ready instantly! 

Whimsical Printed Dress

Picture this. A sundowner at a club. You wear a viscose-based whimsical printed dress, carrying a glass of cocktail/mocktail and dancing to the latest pub song. Interesting, right? So, here’s an idea. A beautiful abstract printed mini dress is available at Virgio, which is enough to create a statement and catch a few notices. The dress also comes with puff sleeves, which screams summer party and lets your vibrant personality out in the club. 

Flowy Printed Dress

Made from viscose fabric, a flowy dress with floral patterns all over reflects chic. Floral prints represent the coming of spring and the gradual summer days. The flow of the dresses makes them summer-worthy, and they can be worn during both daytime and on a night out with friends. As Gen Z likes to call it, make it your OOTD for the day. 

Halterneck Dress

The soft and silky texture of viscose can be used to design a beautiful halterneck flowy dress. Halterneck designs can never be out of style. It radiates a bold yet chic look, depending on how you’re styling the dresses. Be it a summertime brunch or a dinner date, a halterneck flowy dress can elevate your look anytime! 

Wrap Dress

Wrap dresses and blouses have been in fashion for quite some time now. So, if you don’t have a wrap dress in your wardrobe yet, buy one this summer. A beautiful viscose wrap dress with a V-neck line will surely turn a few heads toward you when you walk into a restaurant or a pub. Wrap dresses can also be worn at informal meetings; just make sure you accessorise them well. The soft and lightweight fabric representing playful colours is definitely an outfit you must have this summer. 

Takeaway

Gen Z is all about nailing fashion trends  on a budget, and that’s exactly what viscose-based clothing delivers. The material gives a silky and luxe vibe without burning a hole in the pocket. So, if you  still haven’t updated your wardrobe this summer, it's time to buy some stunning viscose dresses from Virgio and flaunt  them on different occasions. These dresses are made of 100% viscose fabric, offering attractive designs and patterns to captivate attention wherever you go. Virgio has an entire collection of Viscose dresses waiting for you! All you have to do is add them to the cart! 

FAQs

Is viscose a good quality fabric?

Viscose offers a silk-like texture. That means that clothes made from viscose fabric feel soft on the skin. Furthermore, the fabric is not as expensive as silk fabric. 

Is viscose fabric for summer or winter?

The absorbent properties combined with the airy and breathable nature make the viscose fabric ideal for summer. 

Is 100% viscose cotton?

Viscose is made from wood pulp, and its processing requires chemicals. This makes viscose a semi-synthetic fabric, unlike cotton. 

Is viscose better than cotton?

Viscose fabric’s inexpensive nature, silk-like texture and versatility make it better than cotton. However, it doesn’t have as much wet strength as cotton fabric.