Black, gray, and black with white. These colors are very satisfactory for woolen materials.
Black is not a color which wears very well with cotton fabrics, as it shows the starch (sizing) and often fades.
Red is an excellent color for all woolen materials. It looks attractive and wears well.
Red is a very poor color for cotton. It loses its brilliancy and frequent washing spoils it.
A deep pink is an excellent color for all ginghams for it fades evenly and leaves a pretty shade.
Green is a poor color for both cotton and woolen materials unless it is high priced.
Lavender fades more than any other color in textiles.
History of Textiles
The three fundamental industries that have developed from necessity are the feeding, sheltering, and clothing of the human race. These primary wants were first gratified before such conveniences as transportation and various lines of manufacture were even considered. Next to furnishing our food supply, the industry of supplying clothing is the oldest and the most widely diffused. It is in the manufacture of textiles—including all materials used in the manufacturing of clothing—that human ingenuity is best illustrated.
The magnitude of the textile industry in the United States is evident when we consider that it gives employment to a round million of people, paying them nearly five hundred million dollars annually in wages and salaries, producing nearly one and three-quarters billion dollars in gross value each year, and giving a livelihood to at least three millions of our population.