Putting the Iron Out to Pasture?

Cotton commands most of the attention, but it isn’t the only fiber using new technology to take the wrinkles out of clothes.

Norman Feinberg of Mannor Corp. in New York, one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of men’s tailored trousers, says he has pioneered wrinkle-resistant, all-worsted wool dress slacks that can be worn year-round. Unlike wrinkle-free cottons, he says, these wool trousers are not treated with chemicals.

The secret is in the weave.

Karl Mueller, a product development consultant for the American Wool Council in New York, affirms that “good wool slacks don’t really wrinkle much, but the right wool grade, the right twist of yarn and the right construction of the fabric could produce a wrinkle-free wool.”

Tencel, a new eco-friendly manufactured fiber created from wood pulp, used alone or in blends with wool or cotton, has anti-wrinkling properties along with a soft, drapey touch. David Rose, president of Camden Passage Ltd., manufacturer of quality slacks and sport coats, has been selling Tencel blend men’s slacks since fall.

And polyester, one of the synthetic fibers that helped propel the original wrinkle-free revolution of a generation ago, is back. It is wrapped strand by strand with 100% Pima cotton. The wearer never sees or feels the polyester, only the soft outer cover of cotton, but can enjoy the benefits of both fibers.

Unlike regular cottons, it doesn’t need to be treated with resins to achieve its wrinkle-resistance, and it features special thermal capabilities, too. It warms the body in cooler temperatures and cools it when the mercury rises. This elegant fabric, used in slacks, shorts and shirts, is exclusive to the new Nicklaus ProSpin collection of men’s golf wear. It’s produced by the Trans Apparel Group, a subsidiary of Hartmarx Corp. in Chicago.

A spokesman for Nicklaus ProSpin claims, tongue in cheek, that the new high-tech fabric is “the best way to play 18 holes without an iron.”