Performance Fabrics

Performance Header Hero” to “Mechanic working in a uniform made of performance textiles/performance fabric

Performance Fabrics

Dependable, Hardworking Fabrics

STRENGTH. COMFORT. DURABILITY. WORKWEAR & PERFORMANCE FABRICS BY MILLIKEN

Businesses from all across the spectrum have relied on Milliken to meet their workwear needs for decades. Our functional performance fabrics are durable, comfortable, and colorfast, designed for extensive applications in both commercial and recreational markets. As one of the preeminent textile manufacturers in the United States, our performance, technical, and uniform fabrics can be found just about anywhere you look.

We’re in the industrial, construction, and automotive sectors. In hospitality and restaurants. In policing and security. In healthcare. And we make fabrics for outdoor apparel and sports uniforms, too. Our portfolio includes performance fabrics offering superior moisture-wicking and breathability, soil-release, water resistance, and UV protection. Whatever your specific requirements, Milliken can meet them.

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You Need It, We Have It

Milliken is a unique resource. Along with our wide range of natural, synthetic, and blended performance fabrics, we also share design and technical insight with manufacturers and retail partners.

Supply Chain Efficiency

Domestic manufacturing helps us support our customers with nearshoring efforts and Western Hemisphere supply chains. Close proximity reduces transportation costs, tariff costs, and increases speed to market.

Unmatched Capabilities

All of our manufacturing is vertically integrated. Our fabrics are made in the U.S.A. using sustainable processes. Milliken’s renowned textile research lab is one of the world’s largest.

Partnerships Make Us Better

Milliken Textiles has long been a leader in protection, performance, and quality. Throughout our 150+ year history, we have partnered with customers to be the first in innovation and fabric technologies.

POLYESTER / COTTOn BLENDS

Our Largest Offering

Polyester/Cotton blends bring the advantages of both fibers — breathability, strength, wrinkle resistance, and abrasion resistance — into a single fabric. Industrial laundries see Poly/Cotton more than any other fabric, expecting a life of about 75 washes or 3 years. Given all the advantages, it’s no surprise that poly/cotton fabrics make up our widest-ranging product portfolio.

TECHNICAL SYNTHETICS

Wide-Ranging and Versatile

Exhibiting superior abrasion resistance and versatility than even polyester, technical synthetics of various fiber combinations have always been commonly used for outdoor products like shirts, shorts, and pants. They can also be found in liners or the outer shells of jackets. More recently, we’ve seen some polyester/spandex blends beginning to move from casual and lifestyle categories into workwear for added stretch.

PERFORMANCE KNITS

Long-Lasting Comfort

Synthetic-rich polos are a popular offering in industrial laundries. Knits tend to breathe better, and their natural stretch makes them very comfortable. An advantage of pique knits is that they’re more snag-resistant than other designs.

DURABILITY IS SUSTAINABILITY

Milliken’s long history of caring for the environment began in 1901, with our first recycling policy. It continues today and is woven into everything we do. Our fabrics are OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified and use sustainably sourced materials. Another simple way to a greener world: Use less, less often. Extend a product’s useful life and throw fewer things away. We support sustainability by making durable products.

FOR HUMANKIND

As of January 2023, Milliken Textiles has removed all PFAS chemistries from our fibers and finishes. The benefits have been wide-ranging — our development of next-generation non-PFAS soil release technology, for example.

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TECHNOLOGY

Make your products better with Milliken technology.

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Milliken’s Laundry Service Team

No other company supports laundry service customers the way Milliken does. We will work with you to improve laundry processing, safety, and quality procedures. We do onsite and virtual training, including classes for sales teams. We provide access to lab analysis to help with stains, bleach testing, and more. And we can be a partner to help solve technical, product, or marketing issues. Our Laundry Service Team is unique. Let us help.

Rain or Shine

Over the last two years, Milliken has been a trusted supplier to the U.S. Postal Service, supplying fabrics that are worn by nearly 500,000 USPS employees. Our 65/35 poly cotton uniform fabrics stretch and stay dry, adding comfort for postal carriers, truck drivers, and distribution workers. With a focused effort from our “Rain or Shine” team, four of our new uniform and hat fabrics have received Natick Certification, with five more on the way.

Tough and Sustainable

In 2021, Milliken established a partnership with Girl Scouts of the USA to develop a new line of sustainable uniforms. The new uniform fabric consists of 40% recycled material, 40% virgin polyester, and 20% cotton. The fabric mix includes Unifi ’s REPREVE fiber, which is made with recycled post-consumer plastic bottles. Durable and colorfast, the new uniforms don’t fade — and they’ll withstand just about any activity a troop can come up with.

Our Products

Our performance fabrics strike a perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality, catering to both visual appeal and performance. There’s something in our wide range of performance fabrics to suit your needs.

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