What does Rayon mean?

Strong, highly absorbent, and soft fabric that drape well and can be dyed with brilliant, long-lasting colours. Rayon fibres are also used as reinforcing cords in motor tires, and their excellent absorbency makes them useful in medical and surgical materials.

Rayon can be used alone or blended with other synthetic or natural fibers. Since the mid-1980s rayon use has grown dramatically as new formulations and blends have added more strength and softness to the fabric and have made it more absorbent, more washable, and less vulnerable to wrinkling.

Heddels explains Rayon

Rayon is unique in that it is neither a natural nor a synthetic fiber. It is not natural because it requires considerable processing.

However, it is also not synthetic because it comes from (naturally formed) cellulose. Instead, it is considered a manufactured fiber.

Hilaire de Charbonnet originally created rayon in France in the 1880s as a less expensive alternative to silk. Cheap to produce, rayon is valuable for its excellent imitative abilities, as well as its absorbency and draping qualities.

Additional Resources

Hawaiian shirt made from rayon:

Source:  shakatime.com