Esmetex has announced its first collection of casual and dress shirt fabrics that combines the cooling and moisture wicking properties of Sorbtek, with the recycled benefits of Repreve. The company is a leader in producing and sourcing fabric.

Esmetex is the first company to launch Repreve and Sorbtek, both products of Unifi, in lightweight shirting fabric. According to the company, these lightweight fabrics are ideal for bringing performance benefits to the casual and dress shirt market.

In an effort to continue offering the latest in fabric development to the industry, Sorbtek is designed to offer properties found in athletic wear, such as moisture wicking, along with the convenience of soil release technology. Each shirt made with Repreve will contain an average of two recycled plastic bottles, according to the company.

Esmetex is launching two yarn dyed fabric blends, one with 54 per cent cotton/46 per cent Repreve, and the other 70 per cent cotton/30 per cent Repreve. The weight for both fabrics is 4.5 ounces per sq. yard, and the width is 57 inches.