The word ‘Mélange' has French origins and translates to "mix” which accurately describes the visual appearance of mélange fabric.
Mélange yarn is produced by weaving a mixture of raw and dyed fibers together to create a unique two-tone color effect and an abstract textured pattern. The raw and dyed fibers used can be cotton or blended (i.e cotton polyester). Melange fabrics are most commonly used in knitwear, active wear, and denim.
The benefits of Mélange fabric:
- Environmentally friendly: Mélange yarn is a partially yarn-dyed product, which means that some of the fibers are dyed before mixing raw (undyed) fibers for spinning. Mélange yarn processing can save around 50% water compared to the conventional processing of spinning before dyeing, and reduces around 50% of wastewater. This not only saves water but also energy and emissions.
- Appearance: Mélange yarns are popular due to their unique two-tone appearance. The wavy effect that is created by mixing different fibers looks rich and luxurious. It is also a very soft fabric with can have an almost metallic sheen. Due to the natural soft feel, further chemical treatments to 'finish' the fabric, are not required.
We have recently launched two new Mélange shirts at The Stiff Collar, one with a regular collar and the other with a round mandarin collar. We have selected a rich, deep blue shade of Mélange fabric, which has a subtle sheen. Follow the link to shop now: https://www.