What actually is Viscose ?

Viscose is probably the most misunderstood of all fabrics, and a common misconception of Viscose is that it is a purely synthetic fabric, similar to polyester or acrylic.

In fact Viscose is produced from a combination of 100% natural fibres, typically made from cotton, bamboo, sugar cane, soy and wood pulp.

The process to create Viscose was discovered in Paris in 1882 by Hilaire de Chardonnet, and happened by accident whilst working with Louis Pasteur, and was originally called 'Chardonnet Silk'

The process used is to extract the cellulose from the plant using a chemical solution, which breaks down the structure, allowing the fibre to be regenerated into Viscose.

The beneficial properties to Viscose are that it breathes, drapes well, has excellent colour retention, handles beautifully, no static, and is strong and robust.

As with all natural fibres, care should be taken when washing, we recommend a 30 Degrees machine wash temperature. If you prefer to hand wash, a good tip to remember is that body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius, so the water temperature needs to be colder than your hand. Also, its worth remembering that Viscose will fade if left for a prolonged period of time in direct sunlight.