Shell fabric: This is the outermost layer of padded jacket, usually made of windproof, waterproof, and wear-resistant materials such as nylon, polyester fibers, etc. Generally speaking, nylon fabrics are softer than polyester fibers, and nylon materials are generally more wear-resistant, so their prices are also relatively expensive. In terms of color, nylon material is also brighter than polyester, and nylon fabric is usually more elastic. Overall, there is a stereotype that nylon is superior to polyester in all aspects. In fact, polyester fibers also have their unique advantages, such as a more stable surface under friction and less prone to pilling. Nylon material may show signs of use, although this does not affect its strength, it may make your product look less "new".
Lining: The part that is close to the skin is usually made of soft and comfortable materials such as cotton, velvet, etc. But there are also cases where polyester fabric is used, which depends on the style of the product. The current trend is more inclined towards using polyester lining, because we only need to ensure that the part that comes into contact with the skin is comfortable, and polyester fibers can sweat well for us. And its texture is silky smooth! You will love the feeling of wearing it. When you reach your arm into your sleeve, you feel that the polyester fabric allows you to enter with low resistance and gently wraps around your skin. And after a little exercise, the sweat you excrete can also be absorbed smoothly. This cannot be achieved with wool lining, as it can cause discomfort and adhesion when sweating. Perhaps this is the reason why polyester fabrics are gradually becoming mainstream, do you think so?
Filling: The insulation layer of cotton clothing can be made of natural down, cotton, or synthetic materials such as 3M cotton, polyester fiber filling, etc. Each of these materials has its own benefits. Down is divided into goose down and duck down, and this filling will make the clothing feel very fluffy and comfortable to the touch! But this is only limited to dry environments, and their disadvantage is that if they get damp, the down will flatten and no longer retain heat, greatly reducing its warmth, which is not very friendly to people who wear it for hiking. In contrast, polyester fiber fillers completely compensate for the shortcomings of down, are not afraid of moisture, and have excellent insulation performance. That's also why most outdoor sportswear uses it. Finally, this polyester material can be manufactured by recycling plastic, which can reduce people's damage to the native environment and protect our homes. But there are always people who can't stop liking natural products, perhaps they also have their own unique charm.
Zipper: The zipper component is composed of multiple small parts, such as zipper teeth, zipper tape, zipper puller, and a stopper. Zipper teeth can be made of plastic or nylon, with the main difference being their appearance. Zipper tape may undergo significant changes based on performance requirements. Some products require extreme waterproof performance, not only the fabric needs to be waterproof, but also the front zipper needs to be waterproof. Therefore, people usually design it as a reverse waterproof zipper, with a waterproof coating attached to the outer fabric tape. The combination structure of puller also has patterns. Some zipper puller have a locking function. When the puller is lowered, the position of the pull tab will be fixed at a point. If the puller is not lifted and pulled, the puller will not be able to move on the teeth. This function is called auto lock.
Pocket: padded jackets are usually designed with multiple pockets, including external hand pockets, chest pockets, internal hidden pockets, etc. In addition to the common zippered pockets, there is also an inner chest pocket design that uses nylon buckles, it doesn't have any outstanding features, but compared to zippered pockets, it saves space, is lighter, and easier to use.
Cuffs and hems: It is not difficult to find that many outdoor clothing have designs with rib cuff, and there are also windproof sleeves between the rib and the sleeves. These designs prevent your cuffs from leaking air, and the heat emitted by your body can be well stored inside the clothing for warmth. The hem is sometimes designed with a rib opening with elasticity to better lock in heat and prevent cold winds from entering.
Hood: Some padded coats may come with detachable hoods, which may also have padding inside to provide additional warmth. Detachable hats are usually connected by multiple four piece snaps or zippers, and only few will use traditional button structures. The reason is simple, it's too troublesome to undo them one by one! On the other hand, people enjoy simply opening the zipper or pulling open the snaps.
Suture and lining: Suture and lining are two basic components. Stitching is responsible for connecting various parts of clothing, such as attaching finished sleeves to the body or stitching specific areas. And different linings usually have different functions, such as non-woven lining, anti velvet lining, thick lining, etc.