Future Textile Testing

The development of new textile features necessitates the creation of corresponding testing methods, which are crucial for ensuring effective evaluation of these innovations. These tests must account for durability during use, as well as the performance under home or professional cleaning and maintenance procedures. The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has a dedicated technical committee, CEN/TC 162, which focuses on protective clothing—including hand and foot protection, immersion suits—as well as textiles and related products. This committee primarily oversees textile standards that fall outside of general EU regulations. For instance, it sets minimum performance requirements based on the type of protection offered by the clothing and strictly enforces rated indices. Most of these standards emphasize testing methodologies, with a special focus on expanding the scope of functional textiles. This includes prioritizing areas such as healthcare, human wellness, multifunctional fabrics, interactive textiles, and sustainable development. Since 2004, international fiber inspection and clothing quality assessment have been broadening their scope and deepening their approach. Functional textiles now include beauty-related applications like cosmetic textiles, anti-static properties, electromagnetic shielding, leisure massage, and temperature regulation. A working group established in 2005 is still actively developing test methods for cosmetic textiles. In fact, a wide range of so-called cosmetic functional textiles has already entered the market, offering benefits such as moisture retention, body shaping, energy boosting, refreshing effects, cell activation, sun protection, and even fragrance release. The adoption of international standardized testing methods allows new textile functions to accurately reflect traditional quality benchmarks. However, these methods must also address the growing complexity of multi-functional monitoring in the future. Chemical analysis of textiles with cosmetic properties, including signs of toxicity and specific effects, should follow European standards for future beauty textiles. This subject remains quite sensitive, as it involves existing cosmetics regulations and numerous unresolved issues that require careful consideration. As a result, the future of versatile textiles should extend into other industries, such as temperature control, and global textile testing institutions are rapidly emerging. Nanotechnology has introduced entirely new possibilities for the textile industry, but many challenges remain, particularly in terms of environmental impact and health and safety concerns. The collaboration between CEN/TC 248 and the newly formed CEN/TC 352 is becoming more defined. The surge in nanotechnology development in this field reached its peak after April 2007. Today, the garment industry has moved beyond the traditional boundaries of fiber-based textiles, evolving into a complex, multi-industry sector. Without cooperation across disciplines and sectors, it would be nearly impossible to develop multi-functional apparel or keep up with global fashion trends.