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. The real question is how it's grown: conventional vs organic, minus the decades-old myths.
Published Jul 16, 2026
Elastane (Spandex, Lycra)
Elastane (spandex, Lycra) is a fully synthetic stretch fiber. What it is, why it fails first, and how to find clothes without it.
Published Jul 16, 2026
Modal
Modal is beech-based rayon: softer and stronger wet than viscose, but still not a natural fiber. What that means and what to check on the label.
Published Jul 16, 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 which linen claims to trust.
Published Jul 16, 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.
Published Jul 16, 2026
Bamboo
Is bamboo fabric natural? Mostly no — bamboo fabric is usually rayon, a semi-synthetic. Here's what that means and how to shop smarter.
Published Jun 10, 2026
Hemp
Hemp is a bast fiber from the cannabis plant. Strong, hard-wearing, and increasingly grown for clothing across Europe.
Published Apr 25, 2026
Linen
Linen is cloth woven from flax fiber. Where it comes from, why it wrinkles, and why it gets better with age.
Published Apr 25, 2026
Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers. What that means for the fiber, the soil, and the price tag.
Published Apr 25, 2026
Silk
Silk is a protein fiber produced by silkworms. Where it comes from, how it differs from satin, and how to tell mulberry silk from cheaper grades.
Published Apr 25, 2026
TENCEL Lyocell
Lyocell is a regenerated cellulose fiber made from wood pulp in a closed-loop solvent process. What that means and how it wears.
Published Apr 25, 2026
Wool
Wool is the spun fleece of sheep. Why it insulates when wet, why merino is different from lambswool, and what to look for on the label.
Published Apr 25, 2026