A bathrobe, dressing gown or housecoat is a robe. A bathrobe is usually made from towelling or other absorbent fabric, and may be donned while wet, serving both as a towel and an informal garment. A dressing gown (for men) or a housecoat (for women) is a loose, open-fronted gown closed with a fabric belt that is put on over nightwear on rising from bed, or, less commonly today, worn over some day clothes when partially dressed or undressed in the morning or evening (for example, over a man's shirt and trousers without jacket and tie). The regular wearing of a dressing gown by men about the house is derived from the 18th-century wearing of the banyan in orientalist imitation . The Japanese yukata is an unlined, cotton kimono worn as a bathrobe or as summer outdoor clothing. Several styles of bathrobes are marketed to consumers, categorised by textile material and type of curly hair weave.
Bathrobes are generally made of four different fabrics.
- Cotton: Cotton is a natural fibre consisting primarily of cellulose and is one of the most commonly used fibres in textile manufacturing. Due to the polarity of cellulose, cotton bathrobes absorb water easily and are frequently used by the beach, pool, or following a shower. Cotton bathrobes are especially suited to use in hot climates because cotton tends to absorb perspiration.
- Silk: Another common fabric used in bathrobes is silk. Silk lace closure is a fine lustrous fibre composed mainly of fibroin and produced by the secretions of certain insect larvae (normally silkworms) forming strong, elastic, fibrous thread. These kinds of bathrobes can be relatively expensive due to the cost of producing silk. Such bathrobes are very thin and lightweight. These bathrobes are not particularly suited to wet environments because they lack the surface area and polarity necessary to absorbwater wave hair .[2] However, silk dressing gowns are the traditional choice, since they are not worn after bathing.
- Microfibre: Microfibre is an extremely fine synthetic fibre, typically made of cellulose or polyester, that can be woven into textiles to mimic natural-fibre cloth. Modern microfibres are developed to maximise breathability and water absorption and can be thinner than the width of human hair. Much like silk, robes made out of microfibre are light in weight and are very soft to the touch. Microfibre is flammable.
- Wool: Wool is common in colder climates.
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