Fabrics & Materials

Viscose

Viscose is a semi-synthetic fibre made from processed wood pulp, often labelled rayon — the two names describe the same material. Soft, drapey, and breathable like a natural fibre but cheaper, it's used for fluid blouses, dresses, and linings.

"Viscose" and "rayon" cause endless confusion, but they're effectively the same thing — rayon is the broader category, viscose the most common type. It's made by chemically processing cellulose from wood into a soft, fluid fibre.

Viscose drapes beautifully but can wrinkle, shrink, and lose strength when wet, so it often needs gentle washing. Modal and lyocell are upgraded versions engineered to be stronger and more stable.