What Is Mesh Fabric?

There are a few different versions of mesh fabric, but this type of fabric is typified by its lightweight heft and permeable texture. Unlike most types of fabric, which feature closely-woven textures, the mesh is woven loosely, which results in thousands of tiny holes being present in each mesh garment.
The idea of mesh has been around for thousands of years; for instance, every type of a net in existence is made from mesh, and this material has also been used to make items like hammocks. However, it wasn't until the end of the 19th century that textile innovators started using mesh for apparel.

British mill owner Lewis Haslam came up with the idea to use mesh for fabric when he was out for a walk with his aunt in cold weather. He noticed that her gloves were riddled with holes, but when he questioned her about them, she maintained that her hands were still warm.



Intrigued, Haslam started experimenting with loosely-knit fabrics, and he went on to found a textile company called Aertex, which was the world's first producer of mesh fabric. Aertex is no longer the sole supplier of mesh fabric, but by the mid-1980s, textiles made by this company had become so popular that they were frequently worn by popular culture icons on MTV.
This surge of popularity was partially fueled by the adoption of Aertex mesh fabric as the primary sportswear material for the international shoe and apparel company Adidas. Starting in the 1980s, a variety of other companies started making mesh, and in the ensuing years, a number of subtypes of this fabric emerged.
In almost every case, the mesh is made from synthetic materials like polyester and nylon. Some fabric experts contend that the weave style used in Polo shirts by popular brands like Lacoste is also a type of mesh, but since there is significant disagreement regarding this designation, in this article, we'll only touch on traditional mesh fabric and its variants such as power mesh and powernet.