Fabric and care

Linen look polyester

The biggest group by far, and the reason a $25 pair of trousers survives a holiday. It is woven with a slub so it reads as linen, but it dries in an hour, resists creasing and holds a print through a season of washing. Cold machine wash, hang, no iron needed. It breathes less than cotton, so on a still 35 degree day the cotton pieces will feel cooler.

Cotton and cotton blends

Softer against skin and cooler in dry heat, slower to dry after a swim, and it will crease in a bag. Cold wash, tumble low or hang. Expect a small amount of shrinkage on the first wash, which is why the cotton pieces are cut with a little extra length.

Acrylic crochet

The open weave sweaters and cardigans. Acrylic keeps its shape better than cotton in an open stitch and does not itch like wool. Wash cold on a gentle cycle inside a mesh bag, then lay flat to dry. Hanging a wet crochet knit stretches the shoulders and that damage does not come back out.

Viscose and mesh

Two viscose dresses with a heavier drape, plus the mesh overlays on the evening pieces. Both prefer a cold hand wash and a flat dry. Viscose is weakest when wet, so do not wring it. Mesh catches on jewellery and velcro long before it fails in a wash.

The short version

• Cold water, inside out, gentle cycle.
• Hang everything except the crochet knits, which lie flat.
• No bleach, no fabric softener on the linen look weave.
• Warm iron only, and only if you insist.

The care line from the label is printed on every product page under From the label.