Viscose Fabrics

by Maeve Huthwaite January 25, 2023

One of the fibres we love here at Dána Bodies is viscose. Some of our favourite jerseys that we use in our Classic collection are viscose jerseys, which we have sourced from the UK. But what exactly is viscose? And what makes it a more eco-friendly choice?

What is viscose?

Soft and versatile, viscose fibres have been in use since 1883. Viscose is one of the most common types of rayon fibre and is often referred to as “Artificial Silk” due to its similar drape and lightweight, breathable characteristics. As viscose is made from natural, renewable sources it is biodegradable. Viscose is a semi-synthetic fibre produced from wood pulp, typically from trees such as pine, beech, eucalyptus and sometimes bamboo.

How is viscose made?

1. The tree is chipped to create wood pulp. It is then dissolved in chemicals such as sodium hydroxide to form a wood pulp solution. 2. The wood pulp is then washed and cleaned using caustic soda to create an alkali solution. 3. The alkali solution is pressed to remove excess liquid. 4. Next, the pulp is treated with carbon disulfide and then dissolved with sodium hydroxide. This creates a viscous solution, which is where viscose gets its name. 5. The final step of the process is to use a spinneret to create fibres of regenerated cellulose. 6. These fibres can then be spun into yarns ready to be woven into fabrics.

Viscose is considered to be semi-synthetic due to the chemicals used in its production. In more recent times, viscose has been increasingly manufactured using the "Lyocell Process." This uses N-methylmorpholine N-oxide as the solvent, which produces less waste product, making it much more eco-friendly.

What characterises does viscose have?

Pros: * Versatile – it blends very well with other fibres * Breathable * Drapes well * Highly absorbent * Very smooth * Excellent colour retention * Lightweight * Soft hand feel * Inexpensive * No static build up Cons: * Can shrink when washed * Wrinkles easily * Weakens when wet * Susceptible to light damage

Viscose is a sustainable alternative to polyester or other petroleum-based fibres. Our goal is to help in making small steps to reduce our carbon-footprint and to reducing our oil consumption from textiles is a great way to do this. Here our some of our styles that use viscose fibres (some even use deadstock fabric for bonus eco-points!).

Pink viscose jersey Harper bodysuit, zebra print unitard, black viscose jersey Harper bodysuit, black lace collection Farrah shorts unitard, cutout Nico bodysuit, Gia all-lace bodysuit.