Cotton is a cellulosic fiber and is still the most important apparel fiber. It has a unique combination of properties, including comfort, pleasing appearance, easy care, moderate cost, and durability, that renders it ideal for warm-weather clothing, activewear, work clothes, upholstery, towels, and bedding. Even though other fibers have encroached on the markets that cotton once dominated and despite some disadvantages of cotton fabrics, like susceptibility to abrasion and shrinkage, the cotton look is maintained.

Uses – Cotton is used to make a number of textile products. These include terrycloth for highly absorbent bath towels and robes, denim for blue jeans, socks, underwear, etc. Most T-shirts and high quality bed sheets are made from cotton. Cotton also is used to make yarn used in crochet and knitting. While many fabrics are made completely of cotton, some materials blend cotton with other fibers, including rayon and synthetic fibers such as polyester. It can either be used in knitted or woven fabrics, as it can be blended with elastan to make a stretchier thread for knitted fabrics, and apparel such as stretch jeans.

All-cotton fabrics are used when comfort is of primary importance and appearance retention and strength is less important, or when a more casual fabric is acceptable. Cotton blended with polyester in wrinkle-resistant fabrics is easy to find on the market. These blends retain cotton’s pleasant appearance, have the same or increased durability, are less comfortable in conditions of extreme heat and humidity or high physical activity and have better appearance retention as compared with 100 % cotton fabrics.

Cotton is an important furnishing fabric because of its versatility, natural comfort and ease of finishing and dyeing. Towels are mostly cotton - softness, absorbency, wide range of colors and washability are important in this end use. Even in blended (e.g. cotton/polyester) towels, the loops are 100 % cotton so that the maximum absorbency is retained. Cotton is also used in draperies, curtains, upholstery fabrics, rugs and wall coverings.

Shiny cotton is a processed version of the fiber that can be made into cloth resembling satin for shirts and suits. However, it is hydrophobic (does not absorb water easily), which makes it unfit for use in bath and dish towels (although examples of these made from shiny cotton are seen).