Should underwear fabric be brushed or unbrushed?

Short answer: Brushing raises fibre ends on the fabric surface, giving a softer, warmer, more matt handle. It can make a basic fabric feel more premium on first touch, but it also tends to increase fuzzing and pilling risk, can soften the look of prints and colours, and adds a processing step. Unbrushed fabrics keep a cleaner, smoother surface and are usually more resistant to surface wear. The choice depends on the season, the fibre and how much friction the style sees.

What brushing does

In brushing, sanding or peaching, the fabric passes over rollers covered with fine wire or abrasive surfaces that lift or cut fibre ends from the yarn. The raised surface traps a little air, so the fabric feels warmer and fuller. Light peaching produces a subtle, suede-like touch; heavier brushing produces a visible nap. Because some fibres are partly pulled from the yarn, the surface becomes more prone to forming pills under friction, especially with short-staple or loosely twisted yarns.

Effects to weigh

• Softness: higher on first touch, which helps in retail.
• Warmth: useful for winter lines, less welcome in hot markets.
• Pilling: more risk at the inner thigh and seat; check after washing.
• Appearance: colours look slightly lighter and more muted; fine prints may look less sharp.
• Cost and lead time: an extra finishing step and possible process loss.
• Weight: brushing can change finished weight and thickness, so confirm the specification after finishing.

How to decide

• Decide the season and market first; brushed fabrics suit cooler seasons and loungewear.
• Wash both versions with the same procedure and compare pilling with ISO 12945-2.
• Check how the brushed surface looks after washing; some lose their softness quickly.
• Consider brushing only the inside, or using it for a specific line, rather than the whole range.

Fibre and yarn matter

A long-staple combed or compact cotton, or a modal, can take light peaching with less fuzz than an open-end cotton. If the brushed version pills heavily, a better yarn is often a more reliable route to softness than more brushing.

Limits

Softness from brushing is partly a first-touch effect. Customers judge the fabric after many washes, so long-term appearance should carry more weight in approval than the hand feel of a new swatch.

Facts, recommendations and uncertainty

Established: brushing raises fibre ends, increasing softness and warmth but also pilling risk. Recommendation: compare washed versions for pilling and appearance before choosing. Uncertain: how long the softer feel lasts on your fabric, which wash testing shows.

Sources and further reading

• ISO 12945-2:2020 — Pilling, fuzzing or matting, modified Martindale method
• ISO 6330:2021 — Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing
• ISO 3801:1977 — Mass per unit length and mass per unit area (woven fabrics)

Standards and regulations are referenced by their published scope. Test parameters, cycles and pass levels should be agreed with your laboratory for the specific product; legal requirements should be confirmed for each destination market.