our fabrics

cashmere

Our cashmere gauze stoles are sourced from the Himalayan mountain goat and produced in a small, family-run factory in Nepal. The goats live in small herds, roaming freely in the mountains with their herder. They are not shorn, like sheep, and the yarn is only combed out in warmer weather when they start to moult. Our supplier Cocowai works closely with the local community in Nepal and is involved in several charitable projects. You can read about these here.

The cashmere used in our cashmerino blend is sourced from Mongolia and blended in Italy.

Caring for your cashmere. We recommend that all our cashmere pieces are washed by hand using a wool specific detergent, which are pH neutral and help protect the natural oils in the yarn. After rinsing thoroughly to ensure all the detergent is removed, roll the style in a towel and gently squeeze to remove excess wetness before drying flat. You may wish to gently reshape the garment at this point. While most washing machines do have a wool cycle, use this at your own risk as the spin cycle speeds can vary greatly between machine brands. We would also recommend not using fabric conditioner every time you wash – these can act as a lubricant and enable the individual fibres in the yarns move to the surface of the garment and create pills. These styles can be ironed with a cool iron to remove any wrinkles after drying.

lambswool

Lambswool can come from any breed of sheep, including merino, is categorised as up to 50mm in length max and is taken from the 1st sheering of the lamb/ sheep at around 7 months old. It is a super-soft wool yarn with a slight elasticity and an often luxurious handfeel.

Kettlewell’s lambswool is also sourced from Italy, Australia, New Zealand and South America, and are chosen for their quality and feel.

Caring for your lambswool. We recommend that all our lambswool knitted pieces are washed by hand using a wool specific detergent, which are pH neutral and help protect the natural oils in the yarn. After rinsing thoroughly to ensure all the detergent is removed, roll the style in a towel and gently squeeze to remove excess wetness before drying flat. You may wish to gently reshape the garment at this point. While most washing machines do have a wool cycle, use this at your own risk as the spin cycle speeds can vary greatly between machine brands. We would also recommend not using fabric conditioner every time you wash – these can act as a lubricant and enable the individual fibres in the yarns move to the surface of the garment and create pills. These styles can be ironed with a cool iron to remove any wrinkles after drying.

suede & leather

The leather and suede used in our products is a by product of the meat industry, and the tanneries used in the tanning process are closely monitored and controlled for their chemical waste. While some of our colours are achieved by using a vegetable tanning process (using tannins extracted from vegetable matter), the more vibrant colours can only be produced using chromium sulfate.

The suede for our gorgeous Hudson Jacket is from goats. The hides are split after tanning, and the soft, underside is used to make these luxurious garments. Suede is created by buffing the surface of the hide to give a soft, velvety finish after removing the outer layer. This means suede is more delicate than full leather and needs a more considered approach to care and cleaning to ensure it retains its softness, suppleness and colour. The top split of the hides will be used by the manufacturer for other products.

The leather used for our bags and belts is from cows, which is more durable for accessories. It is full grain leather, which keeps the surface texture and detail after dying.

Caring for your suede styles. Suede requires specialist cleaning – it should not be washed and our Hudson jackets require dry cleaning by a cleaner who specialises in leather and suede garments. Small marks can be buffed out gently using a silicone bristled suede brush using gentle strokes in the direction of the nap. Suede will often transfer some colour due to the natural finish – this can be minimised by using a good quality suede protector spray, which will also help protect the suede against water staining. This should be applied following the instructions for the spray , usually a light coating, leaving it to dry for approximately half an hour before a 2nd coating of the spray. This process should be repeated annually.

Caring for your leather styles. Like suede, leather should not be washed. To clean your Kettlewell bags and belts, please use a natural show polish, wax or cream, and a soft cloth to buff them back to perfection.

denim

Our denim is constructed with a high content of cotton, and blended with elastomultiester (a type of polyester) and elastane. This gives our denim the strength and performance of cotton with the added stability and stretch for comfort.

For our vibrant coloured denim styles, these are made up in un-dyed fabric and then garment dyed. This allows a more judicious use of dyes and water, as the factory are only dying as needed and also gives much less fabric wastage as all colours are cut and sewn before they are dyed.

Our true denim colours are made in the more traditional way – using pre dyes yarns which are woven into fabric, and the made garments are then washed down to create the different shades, from dark to light.

Caring for your denim. Whilst denim can be washed at higher temperatures, in order to keep the vibrant colours fresh and bright, we recommend washing at a low temperature and only when they are truly dirty. We recommend using a colour safe detergent and not using fabric conditioners on a regular basis. Denim can be ironed on a mid to high temperature.

Caring for your cotton. Whilst cotton can often be washed at higher temperatures, our jersey and knitted styles are best washed at 30°, using a colour safe detergent which will help keep the colours vibrant and the styles last longer. Whilst most of our cotton jersey can be tumble dried, it is advisable to keep this to a minimum to prolong the life of the garment, this also has the benefit of reducing unnecessary energy usage. Repeated tumble drying of fabrics with synthetic yarns such as elastane can break these down. We would also recommend not using fabric conditioner every time you wash – these can act as a lubricant and enable the individual fibres in the yarns move to the surface of the garment and create pills. These styles can be ironed with a cool iron to remove any wrinkles after drying.

viscose, lyocell & modal

Viscose, modal and lyocell are all cellulose based fibres produced from the replenishable raw material of wood or bamboo. The wood is pulped, dissolved in a solvent and the resulting solution is pushed through spinnerets to create fibres, which are then washed, dried and spun into yarn.

All of the viscose used in Kettlewell products is made in Austria from sustainably managed and controlled origins of pine, beech and eucalyptus. While the production of viscose uses chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide, the yarn we use comes from a fully closed loop manufacturing process meaning that the chemicals and waste are recycled and biologically treated to limit the environmental impact which arises from the chemical processing required to make viscose.

Lyocell is made from the wood pulp of eucalyptus, oak and birch trees, and its manufacturing processes are very similar to viscose. The solvent used in the production of lyocell is N-Methylmorphine-N-oxide which is non-toxic. Our lyocell also comes from Austria, with the wood input coming from only sustainably managed and controlled origins and a closed loop production process. 

Modal comes from the wood pulp of only beech trees, and is manufactured in the same way as viscose but is treated with sulphuric acid before being washed and dried and spun into yarn. We ensure the manufacturers us a closed loop process and that any waste is carefully managed to minimise its environmental impact.

These man-made yarns can be used to create a vast range of different fabric types, from fine, silky jerseys to heavy duty woven twills. Unlike true synthetic yarns, they are breathable and absorbent and behave more like natural fibres. They can have the luxurious characteristics of silk or the hard wearing properties of cotton or linen.

Caring for your viscose, lyocell and modal. These are best washed at 30°, using a colour safe detergent which will help keep the colours vibrant and the styles last longer. Whilst most of our jerseys can be tumble dried, it is advisable to keep this to a minimum to prolong the life of the garment, this also has the benefit of reducing unnecessary energy usage. Repeated tumble drying of fabrics with synthetic yarns such as elastane can break these down. We would also recommend not using fabric conditioner every time you wash – these can act as a lubricant and enable the individual fibres in the yarns move to the surface of the garment and create pills. These styles can be ironed with a cool iron to remove any wrinkles after drying.

linen

Linen has also been used in textiles for many 1000s of years. Dyed flax fibres discovered in modern day Georgia date back to 36,000 years ago, farmed linen was used in ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt (used for both clothing and as mummy wrappings). German flax and linen was a thriving trade in the Middle Ages, and it is known linen was harvested and spun in Ireland and Southern England from the 11th Century.

The fibre (staple) length of linen is usually much longer than cotton, but without the natural elasticity it can be much harder to work with, which is why pure linen tends to be more expensive. The lack of elasticity in the fibres is also why linen will crease much more easily than cotton. Due to the structure of the fibres it is a much cooler fabric to wear in hot weather and can last a lot longer than many ot her fabrics.

Our linen fabric is blended with viscose and a touch of elastane, which allows the fabric to maintain much of its natural properties, while the viscose and elastane help to minimise creasing and add comfort.

Caring for your linen. While linen is fine to be machine washed, our Iona structured blazer should be dry cleaned for best results. As with our other jerseys, our linen tees are recommended to wash at 30°, using a colour safe detergent which will help keep the colours vibrant and the styles last longer. Whilst our linen jersey can be tumble dried, it is advisable to keep this to a minimum to prolong the life of the garment, this also has the benefit of reducing unnecessary energy usage. We would also recommend not using fabric conditioner every time you wash – these can act as a lubricant and enable the individual fibres in the yarns move to the surface of the garment and create pills. These styles can be ironed with a cool iron to remove any wrinkles after drying.

merino wool

 Merino wool comes from the Merino breed of sheep, known for their fine and soft wool. Merino sheep originated in Spain, who kept a strict monopoly on their exports (under threat of capital punishment!) until the 18th Century when flocks began to be exported, first within Europe and then farther afield to the Americas and Oceana.

Our merino yarns are sourced from Italy, Australia, New Zealand and South America, and are chosen for their quality and feel.

Caring for your merino. We recommend that all our merino knitted pieces are washed by hand using a wool specific detergent, which are pH neutral and help protect the natural oils in the yarn. After rinsing thoroughly to ensure all the detergent is removed, roll the style in a towel and gently squeeze to remove excess wetness before drying flat. You may wish to gently reshape the garment at this point. While most washing machines do have a wool cycle, use this at your own risk as the spin cycle speeds can vary greatly between machine brands. We would also recommend not using fabric conditioner every time you wash – these can act as a lubricant and enable the individual fibres in the yarns move to the surface of the garment and create pills. These styles can be ironed with a cool iron to remove any wrinkles after drying.

LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose

Some of our viscose styles come with a product licence granted by LENZING™. This shows the yarn used to make these are certified as coming from the LENZING™ mills. This is a guarantee that the wood input used to make the pulp base of the fibres come from FSC® or PEFC verified sustainably managed forests. The non-profit environmental protection organisation Canopy (read more here) has consistently ranked LENZING™ among the top viscose providers globally due to its sustainable wood and pulp sourcing. The fibres are produced with a molecular marker which ensures authenticity and traceability even after processing into fabrics.

cotton

Cotton is a natural fibre that has been used for 1000s of years to make textiles for clothing. It is made from the fibres of the ‘fluff’ that surrounds the seed ball of the cotton plant, which after harvesting/ picking goes through a number of processes to clean and prepare the fibres for knitting or weaving into fabrics.

All of our cotton fibres are combed before spinning which creates a finer and smoother yarn as it removes the very short fibres. After combing, the fibres are then spun into yarn form which is then knitted or woven into fabric. For our striped tees, like the classic Prue Breton or for our true knitwear pieces, the yarns are dyed before they are knitted, and for plain colours, the dye process happens to the finished fabrics.

The cotton used by our suppliers is grown in either India or Turkey, using both conventional and organic farming techniques.

We use cotton in a variety of different forms in our ranges, from the 100% cotton jersey in styles like our Monaco top, cotton blended with elastane which gives the jersey better stability and recovery, blended with modal and elastane which creates a silkier feel fabric to the 100% cotton used in our knitted pieces like the Lois Cardigan.

Cotton that is not blended with another yarn, like elastane, before it is knitted, can often be found to ‘stretch’ during wear. This is normal, and once washed the garment will return to its original size and shape.

Caring for your cotton. Whilst cotton can often be washed at higher temperatures, our jersey and knitted styles are best washed at 30°, using a colour safe detergent which will help keep the colours vibrant and the styles last longer. Whilst most of our cotton jersey can be tumble dried, it is advisable to keep this to a minimum to prolong the life of the garment, this also has the benefit of reducing unnecessary energy usage. Repeated tumble drying of fabrics with synthetic yarns such as elastane can break these down. We would also recommend not using fabric conditioner every time you wash – these can act as a lubricant and enable the individual fibres in the yarns move to the surface of the garment and create pills. These styles can be ironed with a cool iron to remove any wrinkles after drying.

polyester

Polyester is made by creating a chemical reaction between terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate and monoethylene glycol which produces polyethylene terephthalate – also known at PET. The PET is then chipped, before being remelted and like our cellulosic fibres, pushed through spinnerets to create fine monofilaments, which are then spun into yarn to by knitted or woven.

In recent years we have become more aware of the damage this process is causing our environment in addition to the dependency on fossil fuel based inputs, and the processes for turning waste plastic, such as plastic bottles, as well as waste polyester clothing into new polyester yarns and fabrics have improved meaning our reliance on virgin polyester is decreasing. Recycled polyester takes the already produced PET, washes it, turn it into small chips which can then be melted down to create new yarns. This process uses far less energy (up to 59% less) than required for virgin polyester, and also uses far less chemicals making it a more environmentally friendly option than virgin yarn.

Whilst as an industry it would be great to remove our reliance on and need for synthetic yarns such as polyester, for certain performance characteristics there is no truly viable alternative available yet.

The recycled polyester used in our padded outerwear ranges, including the filling used, is traceable from post consumer waste.

We also use polyester for our Roxy and Rachel Jackets. This is currently not recycled polyester, but we are working with our supplier to source a suitable recycled alternative. The fabric for these jackets has been chosen for its suede-like feel, which gives a smart, comfortable and crease-free appearance, coupled with longevity.

Caring for your polyester outerwear. Polyester generally requires infrequent washing, which reduces the impact of microfibres being released during the wash process. These can be machine washed at 30° using a colour safe detergent which will help keep the colours vibrant and the styles last longer. We do not recommend these are tumble dried, as the heat can damage the filling fibres in our padded styles. We would also recommend not using fabric conditioner as it can reduce the water repellency of the fabric. These styles should also not be ironed as this can damage the surface texture of the Roxy and Rachel styles and the filling in the padded styles.