Boutique Vastra — Everyday women's wear explained | boutiquevastra.com
Fabric names are marketing; g/m², elastane percentage and bolt width are measurements. Choose by the numbers and the dress hangs, wrinkles and washes the way you expect.
Weight is quoted in grams per square metre. From 60–100 g/m² you are in voile territory — sheer and airy. Cotton poplin sits at 110–140 g/m² and holds a crisp crease. Mid-weight jersey runs 180–220 g/m² and drapes rather than creases. At 300 g/m² and above you have left dresses for heavy outerwear cloth.
Stretch is the second number. A woven with 2–3% elastane has enough give for a fitted silhouette but should be washed cold at 30 °C to protect the fibre. A 5% stretch knit is more forgiving: it tolerates 40 °C and needs no ironing at all.
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Width is the number nobody reads. Bolts come 110–150 cm wide. A 52 cm dress front fits on a single width, so the cutting plan is simple and the fabric use is efficient.
A 60 cm full-circle skirt breaks that limit: it needs 140–190 cm of cloth and is cut on the bias or in panels. Bias cutting changes how the hem hangs and how the fabric behaves in the wash, which is why full skirts in poplin and in jersey feel like different garments.
Plan for movement after the first wash. Untreated woven cotton shrinks 3–5%; knits can grow 2–5% when washed hot and dried flat rather than aired. The size chart page explains how much ease absorbs that movement, and the care-label page turns the symbols into settings.
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