r/textiles

Hi guys not sure if this is the right place to post but I'm thinking about switching my area of study to textiles and wanted some advice from ppl w/ experience in the job market n business sector for textiles in the India. I'm currently pursuing computer science engineering degree (final year) at a level but my real passion is textiles - I just love fashion and manufacturing. I could easily build a portfolio and study textiles or something similar at uni but idk if it's the right decision. Can anyone in the textile industry tell me how difficult it is to break into the industry? I'd also like to know about the pay from actual people not just looking it up. Do you feel if you lost ur job now you could quite easily find a new one? Also what part of the industry pays best (I wouldn't mind doing something more chemistry based if it comes down to it)? Ugh sorry for asking so many questions and thanks if you read this far......

Any recs for charity shops with substantial fabric sections (even small selections are hard to find). Especially North/East London would be helpful! Thanks!

I have been considering going to university in germany for textile engineering, but I'm not sure if it's something I would like. I enjoy fashion and sewing, and textiles, my goal originally was to become a fashion designer, but I feel like maybe it is better to go for a (safer?) job where I have better chances at getting decent money. To me it sounds like the more realistic choice, but I'm afraid of regretting my decision.

I've learned quite a bit about textiles through books, which I find to be very interesting, but I know textile engineering also deals a lot with machines, and the course includes physics and math, which im less into, because of how abstract it is most of the time. What I don't know is how hard these things are going to be, and how much the things they teach apply to real life. I wouldn't say I'm completely closed off to learning about machines and that kind of stuff, but I've seen some of those industrial machines in person and it definitely looks intimidating.

So, has anyone here gone to university for textile engineering and what is it like? What job possibilities are there after uni (if I want to work in fashion)? Is it a good idea for someone like me who is more interested in the creative side than in theoretical stuff to go into this career?

A few months ago I started ordering fabric swatches and testing different materials for a small apparel project, mostly because I wanted my pieces to feel less “generic.” I honestly thought the biggest differences between fabrics would just be thickness or softness.

But after handling more textiles side by side, I realized how much the material alone changes the personality of a garment.

Some fabrics looked amazing online but felt lifeless once sewn. Others seemed plain at first but ended up draping beautifully and feeling better after multiple wears and washes. I also started noticing how certain textiles naturally make stitching, embroidery, or even simple construction details look cleaner and more premium.

The biggest surprise for me was realizing that people often blame “bad design” when sometimes the textile itself is what’s making the piece feel cheap or awkward.

Now I pay way more attention to texture, recovery, weight, and how a fabric behaves over time instead of just how it photographs.

Curious if anyone else here went through a similar shift after spending more time working directly with textiles.

I find that all my natural fabric items, linen, wool, silk stretch easily on hangers. I don’t hang sweaters but even thicker wool jackets bulge wear the hanger hits. Definitely true for linen button downs as well. Do you fold everything?

i've been getting into sewing more seriously lately, and i'm starting to wonder what specific features i should look for in a sewing machine. i know there are so many options out there, from basic models to advanced ones with tons of functions. for those of you who are experienced in textiles, what do you think makes a sewing machine worth it? are there certain brands or types that stand out? any tips for someone trying to upgrade from a basic model would be really helpful!

Most of our wardrobes are split between traditional natural fibers like cotton and silk or petro based synthetics like polyester and nylon. Each category has their merits. Synthetic when done right can last long but has a significant environmental impact. Natural fiber, is generally more breathable, but may not as long (also with cotton it uses a lot of water)

In my spare time, I try to learn more about the future of textile. It seems like we are moving toward a period where bio based textiles will become the standard soon. These materials are derived from plant cellulose, like wood pulp or seaweed, but they are processed in a way that gives them the performance of a synthetic fabric.

I recently started looking into specific bio based lines. The chemistry behind this is what makes it a potential replacement for polyester. Because these fibers are engineered, they can have the same moisture wicking and high elasticity properties as synthetics, but they remain entirely plant based and biodegradable. When produced in a closed loop system, where almost all the water and solvents are recycled, the footprint is significantly lower than even organic cotton.

I hope to see more brands start using these synthetics. The scalability of closed loop production makes it a much more sustainable path than just relying on organic cotton, which uses crazy amount of water.

What are your thoughts on the future of fabric? How can we make the production of fashion more sustainable?I would love to hear if anyone else is tracking these bio based trends.