Imabari

Definition and Overview

Imabari is a textile production area centered on Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture. It is especially known for cotton towels, towel fabric, and pile fabrics, and businesses involved in processes such as yarn preparation, warping, weaving, dyeing and finishing, and sewing are concentrated in the region.

"Imabari" is not the name of a fabric structure or material, but a term that indicates the production area. Therefore, even when it is labeled Imabari, specifications such as pile length, density, raw material, weave method, and after-finishing differ from fabric to fabric.

Production Area Background and Strengths

In Imabari, cotton textiles and towel production have developed by making use of water resources. Even today, technology has been accumulated to adjust the texture required for towel fabric, such as absorbency, soft hand feel, and bulkiness, through combinations of yarn usage, weave design, dyeing, and finishing.

The representative product is pile fabric, which weaves in pile yarn in addition to warp and weft yarns. Some fabrics leave looped pile intact, while others cut the pile to create a surface with a fuzzy texture, allowing the feel to be selected according to the intended use.

Representative Fabrics and Applications

In the Imabari production area, in addition to towel fabric, pile-based fabrics for apparel and household miscellaneous goods are handled. Depending on the amount and length of pile yarn and the density of the base weave, the balance of lightness, thickness, absorbency, surface feel, and quick-drying performance changes.

Applications are not limited to towel products. They are also used for baby products, loungewear, pajamas, bathrobes, partial use in cut-and-sew items, miscellaneous goods such as pouches, and bedding and interior applications, according to the desired touch and absorbency.

• Loop pile: A towel fabric that retains loops on the surface and easily achieves absorbency.
• Cut pile: A fabric in which the loops are cut to create a soft, fuzzy feel.
• Gauze pile: A fabric that combines gauze and pile, designed with lightness and skin feel in mind.

Points to Check When Purchasing

When confirming a production area label, check with the supplier which processes were carried out on the product or fabric in the Imabari region. Since "Imabari" does not indicate a material name or a uniform quality grade, it is important not to judge performance or specifications based on the production area name alone.

For mass production, confirm the bolt length, minimum order quantity, stock availability, whether additional production is possible, and delivery schedule early. Since pile fabrics vary in production conditions depending on yarn usage, color, and processing conditions, also align in advance on the acceptable ranges for the hand feel, color, width, fabric weight, and shrinkage rate of samples and mass-produced goods.

• Processes covered by the production area label and display conditions
• Blend ratio, structure, pile specifications, fabric weight, and fabric width
• Shrinkage after washing, lint loss, absorbency, and color fastness
• Minimum order quantity, bolt length, whether sample bolts are available, and mass production lead time
• Lot differences for additional orders and prospects for continuous supply

Differences from Similar Terms

"Pile" refers to a structure or surface form with loops or fuzz on the surface, while "Imabari" is the name of a production area known for such fabrics. Therefore, not all pile fabrics are produced in Imabari, and not all fabrics from Imabari have the same pile specifications.

"Senshu" is also known as a towel production area, but it refers to a different region from Imabari. Do not fix fabric characteristics based only on the difference in production area; instead, individually check the raw materials, weave design, processing, and quality standards of each fabric before selecting it.

Frequently Asked Questions