Fabric guide

A garment's composition is read on the inside label and, with us, on every product page. It tells you more than the photo: how the piece breathes, whether it itches, whether it wrinkles after an hour, how many washes it will take. Here is what we know about each fabric we sell, with no embellishment.

How to read a composition

Percentages are given by fiber weight. "95% viscose, 5% elastane" means the hand and the hold come from the viscose, and the elastane is only there for stretch. Above 10% elastane, the garment hugs the body. Below 3%, it won't spring back after being stretched.

A blend is not a flaw. Polyester in viscose pants limits wrinkling, polyamide in a knit reinforces the elbows. What matters is the majority fiber: it is the one that touches the skin and decides how warm the piece is.

Cotton

A plant fiber, absorbent, which washes at 40 °C without trouble. Cotton keeps you warm when it is thick (fleece, heavy jersey) and lets air through when it is thin (voile, poplin). It shrinks by one or two centimeters in the first wash if it hasn't been pre-washed, which is the case for most non-mercerized cottons. It wrinkles. We like it for blouses, summer dresses and anything that touches skin that reacts to synthetics.

Linen

Linen is cooler than cotton because it draws heat away from the body and dries fast. It is the fabric of July. It wrinkles as soon as you sit down, that is its signature, and anyone who wants smooth linen has picked the wrong fabric. It softens with washing. A linen blended with viscose wrinkles less but loses some of the coolness.

Viscose

A fiber made from wood cellulose. Fluid, shiny without being too shiny, it drapes well on a dress or wide-leg pants and doesn't cling to the skin. It is fragile when wet: wash at 30 °C, no hard spin, and dry flat or on a wide hanger. Modal and lyocell (Tencel) are newer-generation viscoses, stronger and softer.

Wool and merino

Wool insulates even when damp, which is why it has lasted through the centuries. Merino wool is finer than ordinary wool (about 18 to 24 microns against 30 and more), hence no itch on most skin. It regulates temperature: warm in winter, bearable in the in-between seasons. It is washed rarely, by hand or on a cold wool program, and dried flat. Cashmere is a case apart: warmer at equal weight, softer, and more fragile, it pills under the arms if you wear it three days in a row.

Cashmere

Cashmere is the fine down combed from under the coat of the cashmere goat, raised mainly in Mongolia and China. The fiber measures 14 to 19 microns, against 17 to 19 for extra-fine merino and 25 to 30 for ordinary sheep's wool; that fineness is what gives it softness and, at equal thickness, more warmth than wool. On our product pages, "pure cashmere" means 100% cashmere; "cashmere blend" gives the exact percentage, the rest being wool, viscose or polyamide that add hold.

It is hand washed in cold or lukewarm water, two or three times a season, and dried flat. The pills of the first weeks come from short fibers working their way up where the fabric rubs; a cashmere comb removes them. Stored folded with a block of cedar, it lasts several winters. The washing detail is in the care guide.

Acrylic knits and blends

Acrylic imitates wool at a low price. It doesn't itch, doesn't shrink, goes in the machine. In exchange it holds less heat, pills faster and builds up static. A wool-acrylic blend in equal parts is an honest compromise for an everyday cardigan. We always state the exact proportion.

Polyester and polyamide

Two synthetic fibers, strong, quick to dry and almost wrinkle-free. Polyester is everywhere in linings, flowing printed dresses and tailored pants. Polyamide (nylon) is finer and tougher, found in lingerie, tights and technical knits. Their shared drawback: they breathe less than natural fibers. In strong heat, avoid them next to the skin.

Satin

Satin is not a fiber but a weave, which gives one shiny face and one matte face. It can be made of silk, polyester or viscose. A polyester satin washes in the machine at 30 °C; a silk satin is hand washed and ironed inside out with a warm iron. Check the composition before buying a "silky" satin: the word says nothing about the fiber.

Elastane

Also known as Lycra and spandex. It is never worn alone, it gives stretch to the rest. It hates heat: the dryer and a hot iron break it down, and the garment loosens for good. It also ages on contact with chlorine and rich creams.

Leather and faux leather in bags

Animal leather is recognized by its irregular grain and its smell. It develops a patina and is conditioned once or twice a year with a suitable lotion. Faux leather (polyurethane on a textile backing) is light, uniform, cleaned with a damp cloth, and needs no upkeep. It cracks after a few years where it folds. The nature of the material is written on every bag page.

Jewelry metals

Our jewelry is an alloy with a silver or gold finish, not solid silver or gold. The finish wears over time, faster on contact with water, perfume and sweat. Put jewelry on last, after cream and perfume, and take it off to sleep. The exact material is on every product page.

Choosing by skin and season

Skin that heats up easily, hot flashes: linen, thin cotton, viscose, lightweight merino. Dry or sensitive skin: cotton, modal, silk, merino; avoid acrylic directly on the skin. Winter: wool, merino, cashmere, thick knits. Travel and office: viscose blended with polyester, flowing polyester, which come out of the suitcase without a crease.

For how to wash and store each fabric, see our care guide. Measurements in centimeters are in the size guide.