Product care
A made-to-order garment in natural fibres lasts for years. What usually decides it is how you treat it between wearings. Below is what holds for everything, and then what each material asks for on its own.
The basics
- Wash less, air more. Most garments only need a few hours in the air after wearing.
- Always inside out and fastened, as zips and buttons damage the surface of whatever is next to them.
- Deal with a stain at once, with cold water and a light hand. Rubbing pushes it deeper into the fibre.
- Skip the fabric softener. On natural fibres it leaves a film that takes away both absorbency and breathability.
- Skip the tumble dryer too. It is the quickest way to shorten the life of any of our materials.
By material
Cashmere
- Wash by hand in lukewarm water up to 30 °C with a wool shampoo, or in the machine on the wool programme with the lowest spin.
- Never wring it. Press the water out between two towels and dry flat, out of direct sun and away from any heat.
- Pilling is natural, comb it off gently with a cashmere comb rather than cutting it.
- Store it folded, not on a hanger: a hanger pulls the shoulders out.
Merino wool
- Merino doesn't need washing often, airing is usually enough. Fewer washes mean a longer life.
- Wash on the wool programme up to 30 °C, with an enzyme-free detergent and no softener.
- Dry flat. A tumble dryer shrinks the fibre for good.
Linen
- Wash up to 40 °C on a gentle programme. Linen takes more than wool, but hot water costs it its softness.
- Dry in the shade, hung or flat; high heat breaks the fibre.
- Iron slightly damp, from the reverse. Creasing is a property of linen, not a fault. After a few wearings the garment softens and falls.
Cotton
- Wash up to 40 °C. Similar colours together, and the first wash on its own.
- Avoid the tumble dryer, as cotton shrinks in it and the fibres break.
- Iron slightly damp, at a medium heat.
Tencel™
- Wash up to 30 °C on a gentle programme, with a small amount of detergent.
- Wet Tencel™ is more fragile, so don't wring it, and let it dry freely.
- Iron at a low heat, from the reverse.
The exact composition and the instructions for a particular piece are on its own page, under "Composition and care". More about what we make things from is in Materials.