Viscose is probably the most misunderstood of all fabric fibres. Originally known as artificial silk as it has a similar drape and smooth feel to luxurious silk. It is not a natural fabric but nor is it a synthetic fabric.
Viscose is made from tree wood pulp , such as pine, beech, eucalyptus and more recently from bamboo. The manufacturing process can be summarised in five steps:
- The tree is chipped into wood pulp and dissolved into a solution forming a brown wood pulp.
- The wood pulp is then washed, cleaned and bleached.
- To create the fibres, the pulp is treated to create a “viscose” solution.
- The viscose solution is then forced through a spinneret machine which creates filaments called regenerated cellulose.
- The regenerated cellulose is spun into yarn which can then be woven or knit into viscose rayon fabric.
Viscose’s myriad of brilliant qualities include:
- It is lightweight.
- Drapes beautifully
- Has a similar breathability to cotton making for stylish Summer wear
- It does not trap heat
- It’s low permeability makes it hypoallergenic
- Produces beautiful, vivid colours
- Is biodegradable because it comes from a renewable source
- Has a luxurious look at an economical price
Shop our favourite viscose pieces below:
