Today, the fashion industry faces challenges related to the sustainability problem due to its richness, heterogeneity, and globality. Taking into account the complexity of the fashion industry, this review of the literature analyzes the sustainability of fashion, beginning with the development of fibers and ending with the use of worn garments and considers the environmental, economic, and social sustainability aspects that must be evaluated throughout the life cycle of the product. The results of the literature review have shown that the integration of complex decisions into the business models of both manufacturing and marketing companies must be implemented to develop the sustainable fashion industry from a long-term perspective.

Different fiber blends, knit patterns, and treatments may be applied to increase the functionality and comfort of knitted fabrics. In this research, the physical properties and bending stiffness of 1 × 1 rib and half-milano rib fabrics with four fiber blends (90% cotton/10% antistatic PET, 80% cotton/20% antistatic PET, 70% cotton/30% antistatic PET, and 65% cotton/35% antistatic PET) applied to each knit pattern were studied. The effect of fabric direction (course and wale), technical side (face side and back side), and treatment (dying, softening with Aquasoft® SI hydrophilic softener, and Polygiene VO-600 antibacterial finish) on the physical characteristics and bending stiffness of the fabrics was evaluated. The results revealed that dyeing and softening increased the fabric area density and both wale and course densities and decreased fabric thicknesses compared to the control fabrics. The antibacterial finish applied to the softened samples did not change the physical properties. Bending stiffness in the course direction was lower than in the wale direction, and it was higher for technical face samples than for technical back ones. The 1 × 1 rib knitted fabrics showed lower stiffness than the half-milano rib fabrics. Treatment of the investigated fabrics decreased bending stiffness for both treatment sample groups compared to the control group.

This research critically reviewed the influence of textile characteristics, including textile content (fiber composition), yarn construction, material structure, and treatment type, on microplastic release from textile products during washing. To date, the predominant focus of research has been on the washing parameters rather than the intrinsic characteristics of textiles. The findings of this review revealed that natural, man-made, and mixed-composition fabrics tend to release more microfibers compared to pure synthetic fabrics. Divergent results have been observed in studies on the release of microplastics from recycled synthetic fabrics. Woven fabrics release less microplastic compared to knitted fabrics. However, it is evident that yarn construction has more impact on microplastic release than textile composition or structure, and high-twist filament yarns reduce microplastic formation. Mechanical finishes tend to enhance microplastic release, while synthetic and biodegradable reduce it, but their sustainability and durability aspects need further investigation. The impact of different types of dyes on microplastic release remains unclear. All of the textile characteristics specified in this article are of pivotal importance in microplastic research. Overlooking the significance of any of these details can complicate the development of microplastic mitigation strategies.

This research fills in the missing knowledge on the moisture management and air permeability of knitted fabrics developed using mixed cotton/antistatic polyester yarns with both antibacterial and antistatic behavior to enhance their functionality. The effect of the knit pattern, technical side, percentage of fiber mixture and treatment on water absorption capacity and time, relative water vapor permeability and resistance, and air permeability of developed fabrics was investigated. The 1x1 rib knit and half-Milano rib knit patterns were applied in each 4 percentages of cotton and antistatic polyester and 3 types of finishing to prepare 24 fabrics. The water absorption capacity for 1x1 rib knit fabrics was in the range of 182–231% and 162–237% for the half-Milano knitted fabric with the ∼20% increase when increasing the percentage of antistatic polyester or applying the treatment. The water absorption time depended on the pattern, the fabric treatment, and the percentage of the fiber mixture. The applied antibacterial treatment significantly prolonged the water absorption time of most of the dyed and softened samples. The 1x1 rib knitted fabrics showed significantly higher water vapor and air permeability than the half-Milano rib knitted fabrics. The relative water vapor and air permeability of the treated samples increased significantly with an increasing percentage of polyester. Research results are of great practical value when designing new textiles and simulating mathematically their comfort behavior when choosing them for a particular garment.

Currently used nonprehensile manipulation systems that are based on vibrational techniques employ temporal (vibrational) asymmetry, spatial asymmetry, or force asymmetry to provide and control a directional motion of a body. This paper presents a novel method of nonprehensile manipulation of miniature and microminiature bodies on a harmonically oscillating platform by creating a frictional asymmetry through dynamic dry friction control. To theoretically verify the feasibility of the method and to determine the control parameters that define the motion characteristics, a mathematical model was developed, and modeling was carried out. Experimental setups for miniature and microminiature bodies were developed for nonprehensile manipulation by dry friction control, and manipulation experiments were carried out to experimentally verify the feasibility of the proposed method and theoretical findings. By revealing how characteristic control parameters influence the direction and velocity, the modeling results theoretically verified the feasibility of the proposed method. The experimental investigation verified that the proposed method is technically feasible and can be applied in practice, as well as confirmed the theoretical findings that the velocity and direction of the body can be controlled by changing the parameters of the function for dynamic dry friction control. The presented research enriches the classical theories of manipulation methods on vibrating plates and platforms, as well as the presented results, are relevant for industries dealing with feeding, assembling, or manipulation of miniature and microminiature bodies.