Material guides
What each fiber actually is, how it's made, and how it wears, from linen and organic cotton to viscose and elastane.
Cotton
Is cotton natural? Yes, a true natural fiber. What matters is how it is grown: conventional vs organic, staple length, and the pesticide myths corrected.
Updated Aug 19, 2026
Elastane (Spandex, Lycra)
Elastane (spandex, Lycra) is a fully synthetic stretch fiber, polyurethane. Why it usually fails first, why 2% blocks recycling, and how to shop around it.
Updated Aug 19, 2026
Modal
Modal is beech-based rayon: softer and stronger wet than viscose, but not a natural fiber. Its carbon disulfide chemistry makes the mill the real question.
Updated Aug 19, 2026
Organic Linen
Is linen organic? Flax is already a low-input crop, so the organic gap is smaller than cotton's. What GOTS adds, and why European Flax is not organic.
Updated Aug 19, 2026
Viscose (Rayon)
Is viscose a natural fiber? No. Viscose (rayon) is plant-based but chemically made. Here's how it's produced, how it wears, and what labels really mean.
Updated Aug 19, 2026
Bamboo
Is bamboo fabric natural? Mostly no: bamboo fabric is usually rayon, dissolved and rebuilt with chemicals. What the FTC requires, and how to shop smarter.
Updated Aug 19, 2026
Hemp
Hemp is a bast fiber from the stem of the industrial cannabis plant. One of the strongest natural fibers, grown across Europe, and softer with every wash.
Updated Aug 19, 2026
Linen
Linen is cloth woven from flax, grown and field-retted in western Europe. Where it comes from, why it wrinkles, and why it gets better over years of wear.
Updated Aug 19, 2026
Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides, fertilisers, or GM seed. The fiber is identical to conventional cotton, so check for GOTS or OCS.
Updated Aug 19, 2026
Silk
Silk is one continuous protein filament reeled from a silkworm cocoon. Why satin is a weave and not a fiber, and how mulberry differs from wild tussah.
Updated Aug 19, 2026
TENCEL Lyocell
Lyocell is a regenerated cellulose fiber: wood pulp spun in a closed loop that recovers 99% of its solvent and uses no carbon disulphide. How it wears.
Updated Aug 19, 2026
Wool
Wool is the fleece of sheep, graded in microns. Why it insulates when wet, how merino differs from lambswool and Shetland, and what the RWS label covers.
Updated Aug 19, 2026