Cotton Lining

Linings are the part of a garment nobody sees and everybody notices. A good one lets a coat slide over a jumper, stops a skirt clinging, hides your seam allowances and makes the whole thing more comfortable to wear. Cotton is a popular choice for the job because it's breathable and pleasant against skin, it's widely available, and it costs less than most alternatives. The trade-offs are honest ones: it creases more readily than a viscose or acetate lining and it shrinks, so it needs pre-washing.

What sits in this collection is broader than plain white sheeting. There's cotton lawn and voile for lightweight dress linings where you want almost nothing between the outer cloth and the skin, poplin for a slightly firmer hand, polycotton blends that crease less than pure cotton, and cotton Silesia, the traditional hardwearing cloth used for pocket bags and waistband facings, which is exactly what you want somewhere that takes daily abuse. Colours run from white and ivory through to a range of shades and prints.

Choosing a lining

Dresses and skirts generally want something light: lawn or voile, in a shade close to the outer fabric or deliberately contrasting if you fancy it. Jackets and coats are the one place cotton isn't always the right answer, since it grips rather than slides and can make a sleeve hard to get into, so a smoother viscose or acetate is often better there. Pockets and waistbands are what Silesia exists for. Underlining, where you back a sheer or loosely woven outer with a second layer cut to the same pieces, suits lawn and voile particularly well.

Getting the shade right

Order samples of your outer fabric and your lining together and check them side by side in daylight, not under a lamp and not on a screen. Whites and ivories in particular shift a lot depending on the light. If the outer is at all sheer, remember the lining will change how it reads, so hold them layered rather than next to each other. It's a two-minute job that saves an expensive mistake.

Sewing and care

Pre-wash your lining and your outer fabric before cutting, and do it separately, since cotton shrinks and a lining that shrinks at a different rate to the shell will pull the finished garment out of shape after the first wash. That's the single most common lining problem and it's entirely avoidable. Cotton lining presses crisply and sews easily with an ordinary needle. Always follow the care guidance on the individual product page rather than assuming, as composition varies across the range.

Related collections

For smoother linings that slide better in sleeves, see all lining fabrics, viscose dress linings or acetate lining. There's also stretch lining for jersey and fitted makes.