Towel fabric with cotton and microfiber faces

Abstract

A fabric for decorative towels is disclosed that combines exceptional hand and image-carrying capability with high strength and absorbency. The fabric includes two different pile faces, preferably opposite one another, with one of the faces being formed of synthetic filaments of 0.9 denier or less—i.e., microfibers—for providing strength and absorbency, with the other of the faces of the fabric being formed of cotton for providing desirable hand and decorative design capabilities, and with the synthetic microfiber face being more absorbent on a weight-for weight basis than the cotton face.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] The present invention relates to specialty fabrics for towels, more specifically sports towels, with a particular emphasis on towels used for golf.

[0002] Sports towels often serve two or more purposes. Typically, they may be used to dry both a piece of equipment during use as well as to wipe perspiration from the sportsman. Examples include towels used for tennis (grips) and golf (grips and club heads). In recent years, towels with logos and designs have become quite popular with golfers. Such towels are often about the same size as a bathroom hand or bath towel, and in their most popular versions, include a logo or design (sometimes as large as the towel face itself) that represents the golf course or club, or a particular event, or—in commercial situations—a sponsor.

[0003] Golfers typically use such towels to wipe their club heads (which tend to pick up dirt during a golfer's swing). Such dirt, particularly on the face of the club, can seriously impair performance. Thus, golfers typically use towels frequently, particularly in wet conditions.

[0004] Cotton is, of course, a favored material for towels as well as other fabrics. Cotton has an excellent hand, carries printing and other design elements (embroidery, etc) very well, dyes easily, and is absorbent. Cotton does not shed water easily, however, so that once wet it tends to lose performance until it is proactively dried.

[0005] Alternatively, some synthetic fabrics offer certain advantages over cotton. Polyester, for example, is widely available and relatively strong, and its chemistry and manufacture are well understood. Historically, however, the most common forms of polyester filament or fibers have been less absorbent than cotton, have a less pleasing (although not necessarily unpleasant) hand than cotton, cannot be dyed or printed as easily as cotton, or when printed cannot give as fine an appearance as cotton.

[0006] Other common synthetic fibers and filaments such as polyolefins, acrylics and rayon offer similar advantages and disadvantages with respect to cotton.

[0007] More recently, however, polyester and related synthetic fibers have become available in microfiber deniers. As generally used in the art, and as will be used herein, the term “microfiber” refers to synthetic filament that has a denier (in single strand or yarns) of less than 1, typically less than 0.9, and preferably smaller.

[0008] Fabrics made from microfibers tend to have a luxurious drape, are lightweight but not flimsy, and still possess appropriate body. They also resist wrinkling and pilling, and are relatively strong in comparison to other fabrics of similar weight.

[0009] Polyester microfiber is quite strong, and unlike earlier generations of polyester, extremely absorbent when made into fabrics—up to seven times as absorbent as cotton and with a wicking rate that is three times as great.

[0010] Accordingly, in many circumstances, polyester microfiber is a superior fabric for many purposes, including high-end clothing.

[0011] Towels, however, are generally formed of pile fabrics of some sort (explain the variations) because of the greater absorbency offered by a pile fabric, all other factors being equal. Because microfibers are so small, however, they can create an unpleasant hand in pile fabrics. In some pile fabrics, they can almost give a prickling feel because they are smaller than the ridges between a typical fingerprint. Although polyester microfiber has absorbency, strength, and lifetime advantages, it does not shear as well as cotton (resulting in a less pleasing face and hand), it does not form as pleasing a face as cotton when looped, and accepts dyes differently than cotton, sometimes resulting in a less pleasing appearance.

[0012] Thus, cotton towels can offer excellent look and feel, but lack the strength and absorbency performance of microfiber. Microfiber can exceed the performance of cotton in some circumstances, but at the cost of hand and appearance.

[0013] Furthermore, design elements are becoming increasing important in sport towels, particularly those used for golf. The more popular towels almost always include at least a partial logo portion and more preferably a design on a scale on the order of the towel itself. Although certain conventional design techniques such as Jacquard or dobby weaving give an elegant (and still popular) appearance for towels, they are limited (in most cases) to the two-color, two-yarn aspects of such weaving. Thus, the use of printed designs on towels has significant color reproduction benefits. As noted above, cotton is preferred for towels incorporating printing or other design elements.

[0014] Attempts to combine cotton and polyester to capture the benefits of each are well-known and generally successful in many cases (particularly apparel). In most cases, such “cotton-poly” garments incorporate blended yarns or, in the case of some active wear, rely on a cotton portion to be more absorbent and a polyester (or other synthetic) portion to provide a hydrophobic function, typically wicking moisture from the synthetic portion to the cotton portion.

[0015] Lumb U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,667 discloses a composite knit sweatshirt fabric that is formed of cotton and polyester. The polyester layer is hydrophobic, however, rather than absorbent. The fabric can include a terry construction. The '667 patent broadly recites that the cross section of the polyester can be between 0.3 and 6.0 denier (e.g. Column 3 lines 34-36), but in its sole example, Lumb discloses a polyester layer that is 2.2 denier (Column 4, lines 58-60). The purpose of the Lumb fabric is to provide an appropriate wicking function from the hydrophobic polyester fibers to the more hydrophilic cotton fibers.

[0016] Byles U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,600 discloses a terry apparel fabric for having opposed cotton and polyester faces. The polyester face is hydrophobic, and carries a 1.2 denier filament or yarn. The goal is for the polyester layer to be moisture permeable and pass moisture to the more absorbent cotton layer.

[0017] Sherrill U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,274 discloses a terry towel that has one cotton face and one rayon face. None of the fibers are microfibers, however, and the purpose of the structure is to reduce the shrinkage of the towel as compared to 100% cotton. The patent appears to predate commercial microfiber technology and refers to polyester as being, “much less absorbent than cotton” (Column 2 lines 53-54).

[0018] Kaufman ‘U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,500 discloses a towel that has one face formed of a material that more readily accepts printing, particularly by sublimation techniques, and one face formed of an absorbent material. The more absorbent face is cotton, however, and the printed face is preferably “relatively non absorbent”, particularly less absorbent than cotton; e.g. column 2 lines 45-57.

[0019] Rock U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,332 describes an anti-microbial apparel fabric that includes one hydrophobic layer and one hydrophilic layer both of which can be synthetic. Although Rock '332 discloses the possibility of a terry fabric, it fails to discuss denier or the use of microfibers.

[0020] Kasdan U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,493 discloses a double knit fabric for athletic wear in which both faces are polyester, including some microfiber. As with most of the fabrics described in these patents, the purpose is a wicking action of moisture from against the skin.

[0021] Finally, Waite U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,272 discloses a pile towel construction in which the ground yarns are moisture-transporting polyester fibers, but the pile yarns are cotton.

[0022] Accordingly, a need exists for a towel fabric that can incorporate the highly absorbent and rugged properties of microfibers while still offering the hand and design advantages of cotton.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The invention is a fabric for decorative towels that combines exceptional hand and image-carrying capability with high strength and absorbency. The fabric comprises two different pile faces, preferably opposite one another, with one of the faces being formed of synthetic filaments of 0.9 denier or less—i.e., microfibers—for providing strength and absorbency, with the other of the faces of the fabric being formed of cotton for providing desirable hand and decorative design capabilities, and with the synthetic microfiber face being more absorbent on a weight-for weight basis than the cotton face.

[0024] In another aspect the invention is a sport or beach towel that incorporates the fabric of the invention.

[0025] In yet another aspect, the invention is a display-packaged decorative golf towel that incorporates the fabric of the present invention.

[0026] The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention and the manner in which the same are accomplished will become clearer based on the followed detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one face of a towel according to the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the opposite face of the towel of FIG. 1.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a towel according to the present invention in use cleaning a golf club.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a view of a towel according to the present invention and a hanger used to commercially display the towel.

[0032] FIGS. 6 and 7 are enlarged photographs of exemplary microfiber structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a decorative golf or sport towel broadly designated at 10 according to the present invention, and FIGS. 1 and 2 are best understood in conjunction with one another. The towel 10 combines exceptional hand and image carrying capability with high strength and absorbency. The towel 10 is formed of a fabric that has two different pile faces, 11 and 12 respectively in FIGS. 1 and 2, that in preferred embodiments are opposite one another (as opposed to side by side). One of the faces, designated 12 in FIG. 2, is formed of synthetic microfibers—i.e. filaments of 0.9 denier or less—for providing strength and absorbency. The other face, designated 11 in FIG. 1, is formed of cotton, preferably 100 percent cotton, for providing desirable hand and decorative design capabilities.

[0034] Although the fabric and towel disclosed herein are described primarily in the sport or golf context, it will be understood that the invention relates to the towel fabric rather than to its size or end use. Thus, the towel can be formed in any desired size, including but not limited to those generally referred to as beach towels, bath towels, hand towels and washcloths.

[0035] As well understood in the textile arts, synthetic fibers with deniers of 0.9 or less are generally referred to as “microfibers”. By way of comparison, silk is somewhat larger, approximately 1.25 denier. In turn, many microfibers are between about 0.5 and 0.6 denier, and potentially even smaller. As another illustrative comparison, nylon stockings are typically knit from 10 to 15 denier yarns, comprising three or four filaments per yarn. In comparison, a 15-denier yarn formed of microfibers could have up to 30 filaments.

[0036] Microfibers, both in the invention and in many other applications, are preferably formed of polyester. Although the term “polyester” most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate, those of skill in this art recognize that it properly refers to polymers composed of at least 85 percent by weight of an ester of a substituted aromatic carboxylic acid. As indicated by the “85 percent” aspect of the definition, polyester can also include lesser amounts of various copolymers or other compositions, and such compositions can be incorporated into the synthetic portion of the present invention provided they otherwise do not interfere with (and in some cases they may be included to enhance) the structure or performance of the resulting fabric and towels.

[0037] As noted in the Background, microfibers have a number of advantages for garments with respect to their feel and appearance. In recent years, microfiber filaments have become widely available commercially, and are available under trade names such as TREVIRA FINESSE, FORTREL MICROSPUN, MICROMATTIQUE and SUPPLEX MICROFIBER. It will be understood that this is an exemplary list demonstrating the availability of these fibers and filaments to those of ordinary skill in the art and is not in any sense limiting of the present invention. From the standpoint of the present invention, however, the significant advantage of microfibers are that fabrics formed from microfibers are extremely absorbent. As further noted in the background, microfiber textiles will absorb up to seven times their weight in dirt, grime and liquid, will wick approximately three times as fast as cotton, and will absorb seven times as much water as cotton on a weight-for-weight basis.

[0038] In the invention, the microfiber face 12 can be selected from the group consisting of polyester (which is most preferred), polyolefins, nylon, acrylics, and rayon. The synthetic filaments, as noted above, are 0.9 denier or smaller, and are more preferably between 0.5 and 0.6 denier, and can be even smaller; i.e., less than 0.5 denier.

[0039] Although the drawings are presented in black and white format, in preferred embodiments, the two different faces 11 and 12 may comprise two different colors, including two different shades or tones of the same color. In that manner, the color of the microfiber face 12 can quickly identify it for use; e.g., absorbing water or dirt or grime or any similar materials. Such use is illustrated in FIG. 4, in which the microfiber face 12 is shown being used to wipe the face of a golf club 13. As noted in the background portions, decorative towels are particularly ubiquitous in golf, but the invention is not limited to golf, and is appropriate for any other sport or circumstance where the combination of the high strength, high absorbency microfiber face and the excellent hand and design capabilities of the cotton face are concurrently desired or necessary.

[0040] As further shown in FIG. 1, the cotton face 11 preferably includes a design element designated at 14 while the microfiber face 12 is preferably a solid color. The design element 14 can be formed from or of any type of physical structure or process that is compatible with cotton and that does not otherwise interfere with the structure or function of the towel 10. Generally, this means that the physical aspects of the design element, and its method of production, are preferably selected from a broad set of possibilities including image dyeing, printing, heat transfer methods, embroidery, and combinations thereof. If desired, one or more portions of the design element can include Jacquard or dobby-type weaving.

[0041] The methods and equipment used to produce pile fabrics are generally well understood in the textile arts and need not be discussed in detail herein. Useful references for all of the textile terms used herein include, but are not limited to, Tortora, FAIRCHILD'S DICTIONARY OF TEXTILES, 7th Edition (1996) and Kosa, DICTIONARY OF FIBER & TEXTILE TECHNOLOGY (1999).

[0042] As perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 3, the pile fabric for each respective face is selected from the group consisting of raised loops, tufts (cut loops), cut interlacing, and combinations thereof. In the most preferred embodiment, the cotton face 11 is sheared terry, and the microfiber face 12 is formed of terry loops. In FIG. 3, the loops are individually designated at 15 and the sheared tufts at 16. It will be understood, of course, that both faces 11 and 12 could be formed of terry loops, or both of sheared tufts, or the microfiber face could be the tufts and the cotton face could be the terry loops. These are all individual design choices that fall within the scope of the invention.

[0043] FIG. 3 also shows in somewhat exaggerated fashion the individual microfibers 17 extending from the terry loops 15. It will be understood that these are not necessarily drawn to scale, but merely to illustrate one of the reasons why, in a towel fabric of this type, the hand of the synthetic face tends to be less pleasing than the hand of the cotton face.

[0044] FIG. 3 also illustrates that the pile faces 11 and 12 of the towel fabric 10 are woven into a ground fabric broadly designated at 20 in FIG. 3, which in turn is formed of ground warp yarns 21 and ground filling yarns 22. Thus, in the preferred embodiment the towel fabric will also include cotton warp yarns illustrated at 23 in FIG. 3 for the cotton face 11, and polyester microfiber yarns 24 for the synthetic face 12. Both the ground warp yarns 21 and the ground filling yarns 22 can be selected from the group consisting of cotton yarns, polyester yarns, blended cotton polyester yarns and combinations thereof, or any other fabric that provides an appropriate ground fabric without otherwise interfering with the structure or function of the towel 10.

[0045] In preferred embodiments, the fabric is formed into a complete towel by including the four borders 25, 26, 27, and 30 respectively. In the most preferred embodiment, the borders are woven in a conventional manner although this is exemplary rather than limiting of the invention.

[0046] FIGS. 1 and 2 also show that the towel 10 preferably includes the grommet 31 typically formed of brass or another corrosion-resistant metal. The grommet 31 is typically used in conjunction with a clip (not shown) to fasten the towel 10 to a golf bag. An exemplary clip is shown in commonly assigned U.S. designed Pat. Des. 377,196, the contents of which are incorporated entirely herein by reference.

[0047] FIGS. 6 and 7 are exemplary micrographs of polyester microfibers. They are not taken from towels according to the present invention, and thus should be understood as illustrative of microfibers in general, rather than definitive or limiting of the fibers used in any particular embodiment of the invention herein. FIG. 5 is taken at a magnification of 30, and FIG. 7 at a magnification of 400, thus illustrating the potentially extremely fine nature of microfiber filament.

[0048] FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention and one that takes advantage of its functional and esthetic qualities in the context of a golf professional shop or related venue. In this embodiment, the invention is a display packaged, decorative golf towel again broadly designated at 10. The towel 10 comprises the rectangular pile face 12 (not shown in FIG. 5) formed of the synthetic microfibers and the opposite cotton pile face 11, more preferably 100 percent cotton, that provides the desired hand and decorative design capabilities. In this embodiment, the golf towel 10 includes at least one woven border illustrated at 30 in FIG. 5 that includes an opening 32 parallel to both of the faces 11 and 12 of the towel 10 and parallel to the border 30. The towel 10 includes the design elements 14 on the cotton face 11 of the towel 10, as described with respect to the previous embodiments.

[0049] In the display packaged embodiment, however, the towel includes the hanger 34 portions of which are inserted into the opening 32 in the border 30 so that when the hanger is placed in a normal orientation on a rack (not shown), it will display the towel 10 in a full vertical orientation that favorably shows the design element.

[0050] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate another embodiment of the invention that incorporates a Jacquard weave. In this aspect, the towel fabric 35 comprises a Jacquard weave that includes the microfiber and cotton pile faces designated at 36 and 37 respectively. FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate opposite sides of the same towel 35 and appear as the negative image of one another because of the characteristic structure of Jacquard weaving in which warp yarns are raised or lowered to create the desired design. Thus, as schematically illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the synthetic face 36 of the towel 35 is shown as white with the Jacquard design 40 formed from the cotton filaments shown in cross-hatch, and the cotton face is shown at 37 in cross hatch with the Jacquard design 38 formed by the synthetic yarns shown in white. In preferred embodiments, the design appears “positive” on the cotton face 37 and as a “negative” on the synthetic face 36.

[0051] As in the other embodiments, the two faces 36 and 37 are formed of pile with the synthetic face 36 being formed of filaments of 0.9 denier or less and the cotton face 37 providing a more desirable hand. As in the earlier embodiments, the synthetic microfiber face is more absorbent on a weight for weight basis than the cotton face 37.

[0052] In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms have been employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A fabric for decorative towels that combines exceptional hand and image-carrying capability with high strength and absorbency, said fabric comprising:

two different pile faces;

one of said faces being formed of synthetic filaments of 0.9 denier or less for providing strength and absorbency;

the other of said faces of said fabric being formed of cotton for providing desirable hand and decorative design capabilities;

with said synthetic microfiber face being more absorbent on a weight-for weight basis than said cotton face.

2. A towel fabric according to claim 1 comprising synthetic filaments of between about 0.5 and 0.6 denier.

3. A towel fabric according to claim 1 comprising synthetic filaments of less than about 0.5 denier.

4. A towel fabric according to claim 1 wherein said cotton face comprises 100 percent cotton.

5. A towel fabric according to claim 1 wherein said two different pile faces are opposite one another.

6. A towel fabric according to claim 1 wherein said microfiber face is selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyolefins, nylon, acrylics, rayon, and blends thereof.

7. A towel fabric according to claim 1 wherein said respective pile faces are selected from the group consisting of raised loops, tufts, cut interlacing, and combinations thereof.

8. A towel fabric according to claim 1 wherein said cotton face is sheared terry.

9. A towel fabric according to claim 1 wherein said pile faces are woven into a ground fabric.

10. A towel fabric according to claim 1 wherein said microfiber face and said cotton face are different colors from one another so that the color functionally identifies said microfiber face.

11. A towel fabric according to claim 10 wherein said microfiber face is a solid color and said cotton face includes a design element.

12. A towel fabric according to claim 1 wherein said design element is selected from the group consisting of image dyeing, printing, heat transfer, embroidery and combinations thereof.

13. A towel formed from the fabric of claim 12.

14. A towel according to claim 13 comprising a woven border.

15. A towel formed from the fabric of claim 1.

16. A towel according to claim 15 comprising a woven border.

17. A towel fabric according to claim 1 comprising:

ground warp yarns

ground filling yarns

cotton warp yarns for said cotton face; and

polyester microfiber yarns for said synthetic face.

18. A towel fabric according to claim 17 wherein said ground warp yarns are selected from the group consisting of cotton yarns, polyester yarns, blended cotton-polyester yarns, and combinations thereof.

19. A towel fabric according to claim 17 wherein said ground filling yarns are selected from the group consisting of cotton yarns, polyester yarns, blended cotton-polyester yarns, and combinations thereof.

20. A decorative golf towel comprising:

a rectangular pile face formed of synthetic filaments of less than 0.9 denier for providing strength and absorbency; and

a pile face formed of 100 percent cotton and opposite said synthetic fiber face for providing desirable hand and decorative design capabilities;

a woven border; and

a design element on said cotton face;

said synthetic microfiber face being more absorbent on a weight-for weight basis than said cotton face.

21. A golf towel according to claim 20 comprising a grommet.

22. A golf towel according to claim 20 wherein said design element is selected from the group consisting of image dyeing, printing, heat transfer, embroidery, Jacquard, and combinations thereof.

23. A golf towel according to claim 20 wherein:

said microfiber face is selected from the group consisting of terry loops or sheared pile; and

said cotton face is selected from the group consisting of terry loops or sheared pile.

24. A golf towel according to claim 23 wherein said cotton face is sheared pile and said microfiber face is terry loop.

25. A golf towel according to claim 20 wherein said synthetic filaments comprise polyester.

26. A golf towel according to claim 20 wherein said pile faces are woven into a ground fabric.

27. A golf towel according to claim 20 wherein said microfiber face has a solid color different from the color and design of said cotton face.

28. A golf towel according to claim 20 wherein said design element is selected from the group consisting of image dyeing, printing, heat transfer, embroidery and combinations thereof.

29. A golf towel according to claim 20 comprising a woven border around the perimeter thereof.

30. A golf towel according to claim 20 comprising synthetic filaments of between about 0.5 and 0.6 denier.

31. A golf towel according to claim 20 comprising synthetic filaments of less than about 0.5 denier.

32. A display-packaged decorative golf towel comprising:

a pile face formed of synthetic filaments of less than 0.9 denier for providing strength and absorbency; and

a pile face formed of cotton for providing desirable hand and decorative design capabilities;

a woven border that includes an opening parallel to both of said faces of said towel and parallel to said border;

a design element on said cotton face;

said synthetic microfiber face being more absorbent on a weight-for weight basis than said cotton face; and

a hanger having portions in said opening for displaying said towel in a full vertical orientation that favorably shows said design element.

33. A display packaged towel according to claim 32 wherein said cotton face comprises 100 percent cotton.

34. A display packaged towel according to claim 32 wherein said cotton face is opposite said synthetic fiber face.

35. A rectangular display packaged towel according to claim 32.

36. A display packaged towel according to claim 32 wherein said hanger is formed from the group consisting of metals and polymers.

37. A display packaged towel according to claim 32 wherein said design element is selected from the group consisting of image dyeing, printing, heat transfer, embroidery, Jacquard and combinations thereof.

38. A display packaged towel according to claim 32 wherein said microfiber face and said cotton face are different colors from one another so that the color functionally identifies said microfiber face.

39. A display packaged towel according to claim 32 comprising a grommet.

40. A display packaged towel according to claim 32 wherein said cotton face is sheared pile and said microfiber face is terry loop polyester.

41. A display packaged towel according to claim 32 comprising synthetic filaments of between about 0.5 and 0.6 denier.

42. A display packaged towel according to claim 32 comprising synthetic filaments of less than about 0.5 denier.

43. A fabric for decorative towels that combines exceptional hand and image-carrying capability with high strength and absorbency, said fabric comprising:

a Jacquard weave;

two different pile faces;

one of said faces being formed of synthetic filaments of 0.9 denier or less for providing strength and absorbency;

the other of said faces of said fabric being formed of cotton for providing desirable hand;

said synthetic microfiber face being more absorbent on a weight-for weight basis than said cotton face;

portions of said synthetic filaments forming a Jacquard design on said cotton face; and

complementing portions of said cotton forming the reverse design on said synthetic face.

44. A towel fabric according to claim 43 comprising synthetic filaments of between about 0.5 and 0.6 denier.

45. A towel fabric according to claim 43 comprising synthetic filaments of less than about 0.5 denier.

46. A towel fabric according to claim 43 wherein said two different pile faces are opposite one another.

47. A towel fabric according to claim 43 wherein said microfiber face is selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyolefins, nylon, acrylics, rayon and blends thereof.

48. A towel fabric according to claim 43 wherein said respective pile faces are selected from the group consisting of raised loops, tufts, cut interlacing, and combinations thereof.

49. A towel fabric according to claim 43 wherein said cotton face is sheared terry.

50. A towel fabric according to claim 43 wherein said pile faces are woven into a ground fabric.

51. A towel formed from the fabric of claim 43.

52. A towel according to claim 51 comprising a woven border.

53. A towel fabric according to claim 43 comprising:

ground warp yarns

ground filling yarns

cotton warp yarns for said cotton face; and

polyester microfiber yarns for said synthetic face.

54. A towel fabric according to claim 53 wherein said ground warp yarns are selected from the group consisting of cotton yarns, polyester yarns, blended cotton-polyester yarns, and combinations thereof.

55. A towel fabric according to claim 53 wherein said ground filling yarns are selected from the group consisting of cotton yarns, polyester yarns, blended cotton-polyester yarns, and combinations thereof.