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The sun’s harsh rays can cause fabric to fade over time.

The process of creating these finishes is heavily based on chemistry. The first step to adding any finish is to formulate it. Chemists access several different ingredients and test them on many fabrics to see how well they stand up against certain elements. This is important because since there are many different materials that clothes are woven from, each one might react to a given formula in a different way. Chemists also must take into account fabrics that have mixed elements. Most of the clothing that you see at retail stores is affordable because it mixes a few different inexpensive materials for a durable but low-cost product. A good example of this would be a T-shirt made from a mix of cotton and polyester. When formulating a solution to apply to this type of clothing, chemists will need to consider ingredients that are proven to be effective at protecting both materials.

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FASHION