I took keen interest in the recent post by
, on how different the discourse in menswear is from womenswear:She continues:
Menswear writing discusses fabrics and workmanship in the minutest detail, whereas womenswear discourse misses the complexity of these topics and says things like “here’s a linen shirt for every budget”.
I love Substack for these longer reads and discussions (her comment section is top notch). And of course you have, well, books.
But some days, I just want to settle on the sofa, with some easy-to-digest video content on YouTube.
So, I wanted to share some user-friendly and female-created content on the topic of fabrics, that made sense to me, who is a mere “student” on the matter.
What fabrics look for to look polished
I love Hannah Louise Poston, for her calm and inviting videos on strategies for getting dressed, and shopping less and better.
In this video she shares some easy hints on what to look for in fabrics:
Is is sloppy or sturdy? Is it knitted or woven? What fabric combinations will pill and wrinkle? Which fabrics are actually pure plastic fibers, and what separates the nylons from the rayons?
She advises to:
Look for thicker fabrics
Avoid acrylic knits / blended synthetic knits
Avoid rayon/viscose wovens
Avoid the dryer
Quick on summer fabrics
Tuba Avalon is one of my favorite YouTubers, for her sharp style and also her wit.
In the first part of her most recent video, she talks about fabrics suited for summer:
Here, she highlights:
Linen
Cotton
Lyocell
Hemp
Merino wool
What more to look for, in general
French designer Justine Leconte has a large following on YouTube, and a ton of videos, but this one is quite clear and simple to follow:
She highlights the natural fabrics silk, cotton, linen and wool, and she goes further in depth on natural fibers in this video.
Quick focus on sustainability
Danish creator Gittemary Johansen promotes hemp and linen, before cotton, as well as TENCEL, Cupro and a fabric made of stinging nettle?
This topic is huge, and I would love further pointers.
A 30 minute mini-lecture on fabrics?
Yes please. She, designer Zoe Hong, actually has a whole playlist on fabrics to indulge in.
Did you find these useful? Can you point me to some really nerdy content on fabrics and how to shop and care for quality? Or do you have some thoughts on the subject?