For us, it is essential to choose just the right materials for our workwear. Our demands go beyond color and pattern. We also place a high value on the material's environmental footprint, its quality, and its suitability for handling by industrial laundries.
We aim to create workwear that brings joy to the user for a long time. Workwear that is put on with a smile and worn frequently in various work situations. That supports the natural workflow with smart, innovative cuts and features. Thus, the choice of material plays a crucial role.
We ensure the best qualities by testing the materials we select. In our tests, we assess aspects such as abrasion resistance, color fastness, and durability. Our workwear must maintain its shape and color – for as long as possible.
To ensure a quality that can be handled by laundries, we also send our materials to be tested by them. This way, together, we can determine whether the material can be included in regular washing procedures.
We only choose to use materials in our production that have passed all our tests. Thus, you can feel confident that choosing Kentaur means choosing an enduring quality. At work.
At Kentaur, you can find workwear in various materials. Get an overview of them below.
Our Choice Materials
Our Choice Materials encompasses materials we have hand selected due to their characteristics. Whether it be innovation, circularity, social and/or environmental impact.
In other words, it is materials that go beyond the conventional. And they are our recommendation to you.
TENCEL™ Lyocell
TENCEL™ Lyocell is known for its innovative closed-loop production process. Wood pulp is transformed into cellulosic fibers, while more than 99.8% of the solvents are recovered and fed back into the loop, resulting in close-to-zero wastage. According to the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI), TENCEL™ Lyocell has a significantly lower environmental impact than generic lyocell in the categories of abiotic depletion of fossil fuels (up to 39%), global warming (up to 53%), water consumption (up to 69%) and eutrophication (up to 60%).
TENCEL™ Lyocell x REFIBRA™ Technology
To produce TENCEL™ Lyocell with REFRIBA™ Technology, wood and cotton textile waste are used as raw materials. The fibers contain a minimum of 30% recycled materials. TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers with REFRIBA™ Technology offer the same benefits as standard TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers. Like TENCEL™, REFIBRA™ is also a trademark of Lenzing AG.
Better Cotton
Kentaur is a proud member of the Better Cotton Initiative. With our membership, we have committed ourselves to improving global cotton cultivation. Better Cotton operates as a mass-balance system. Hence, purchasing a product with the Better Cotton logo is not a guarantee that the product itself contains cotton from Better Cotton-certified farming. However, by buying a product with sourced Better Cotton, you contribute to a more sustainable production ofcotton.
Many of our cotton-containing products are made with cotton obtained via the Better Cotton initiative. However, we only mark products with the Better Cotton logo when cotton is the dominant material in the product.
If you want to learn more about Better Cotton, visit bettercotton.org/ massbalance. We are committed to sourcing 50% of our cotton as Better Cotton by 2025.
REPREVE® recycled polyester (rPES)
REPREVE® is polyester made from used PET bottles. REPREVE® works to create a cycle where waste is recycled.
We are looking for alternatives to recycled polyester from PET bottles as these bottles should be recycled in a closed loop, becoming new PET bottles and not turned into textile fibers.
Nevertheless, recycled polyester from PET bottles has a lower environmental impact than virgin polyester. Therefore, Kentaur will continue to use recycled polyester from PET bottles until there is a better solution for us on the market.
Finding a suitable alternative to recycled polyester from PET bottles is an ongoing development project.
Materials with recycled textiles
Our materials with recycled textiles contain recycled textile fibers from pre- and/or post-consumer textiles. Pre-consumer textiles are textile waste from production, while post-consumer textiles are textiles that have been worn out in their current form. The material quality is developed for industrial laundries, ensuring good durability and colorfastness. The percentage of recycled material in the fabrics can vary from style to style. If you want to know the precise percentage of recycled material, you can always find this information on the individual product.
Conventional materials
Cotton (CO)
Cotton is a soft natural fiber, and absorbs moisture well, giving it a high comfort level. In addition, cotton is very hard wearing, only superseded by synthetic fibers, and thus it is ideal in blends with polyester when a durable, hard-wearing material is required.
Polyester (PES)
Polyester is the most widely used synthetic fiber. When it is blended with cotton, the optimal mix is 65% PES / 35% CO regarding durability and suitability for washing. Polyester enhances the PES/CO blend with qualities such as strength, minimal shrinkage, crease resistance and short drying time. This makes PES/CO blends highly suitable for workwear.
EOL, EME, elastane & mechanical stretch
Many of our qualities are stretch fabrics, as elasticity increases comfort. It is important to ensure high recovery, so that elasticity and comfort are maintained throughout the product’s lifetime. As a rule, Kentaur uses stretch fabrics in which elasticity is achieved through firmly spun yarns and the weaving technique (mechanical stretch/natural stretch) or elastic fibers which can withstand washing in industrial laundries without losing elasticity.
Types of weaving
Twill
Twill is a weave characterized by the distinctive slanting stripes, known from the denim fabric used for jeans. The twill construction produces a structured surface and a supple fabric. Many of Kentaur’s fabrics are twill, because this fabric is good for pants, upper parts, and aprons.
Plain & panama
Plain weave is the simplest weave. It is the same on the right side and the reverse side, firm and stable, and produces a strong fabric. Plain weave is normally used for the lighter products such as shirts and functional shirts. Panama is derived from the plain weave, but there are fewer binding points, which produces a softer and more supple fabric. Panama is normally woven in thicker yarns, which combines with the weave to produce a smart structured surface. Panama is used for aprons in Kentaur’s collection.
Pique
Pique is a knitted construction that is known from polo shirts. At Kentaur pique is used in garments in our HoReCa & Retail and Healthcare & Service segments. Knitted fabrics generally increase the comfort for the wearer since they have greater elasticity and allow greater freedom of movement than woven fabrics.
We collaborate with different producers to ensure that pique fabrics can be washed in accordance with ISO 15797 and meet requirements for stability of shape and color fastness.
Dyeing
For Textile Service, good color fastness is important, and the greater part of Kentaur’s collection is therefore vat dyed. Vat dyes give the best achievable color fastness to light, weather and washing, and furthermore, they withstand bleaches better than other dyes, ensuring that Kentaur products can be handled according to ISO 15797 and a variety of hygiene standards. Read more about our colors here.