Why Making an Evening Gown Without Polyester or Silk is So Much Harder Than I Expected

Designing an eveningwear dress in a plant-based fiber is so much harder than I realized it would be. I went in thinking it would come down to picking the right plant-based satin, and that the hardest part would be selecting the best weight, color and hand feel. Boy, was I naive. I’d designed many eveningwear gowns before, but they were all in synthetic materials. And this time, it was so important to give me an eveningwear option that is comfortable, breathable (no one likes to sweat in a “plastic” fabric when dancing for hours on end at a wedding reception, or sitting at an event on a hot day. And the sustainable element of it all is top of mind, always.

Here is what I am asking this one dress to do. I don't want to use silk, and I don't want a synthetic fiber, so right away I have ruled out the two fabrics the entire eveningwear industry leans on. I want it to have some kind of sheen, even if it’s just a very minimal one, because an evening gown should catch the light a little. It will just give that fancier look. It has to drape beautifully, because the design is cut on the bias, and a bias cut lives or dies by how the fabric falls. It has to breathe. And it absolutely has to work in black, with no issues, because more than any other color, I want to offer this gown in black. Black is a basic, capsule wardrobe color that I hear friends, family and customers most often want to wear their wedding guest or event dresses in. I want women to have one floor-length gown in their closet they can reach for at any occasion, and that piece needs to be black.

As an added side note, we also designed the dress to have a detachable bow, with bow tie tails that reach almost to the floor (because that is so, so chic). Since we are Triplicity, the bow is an optional piece you can add or remove without ever knowing the bow was ever there when removed. Make it a super simple bias cut dress, or a simple dress with a chic little statement piece.

What we have tried so far

We started with 100% lyocell satin, and we tried many versions of it. Lyocell is plant-based, made from wood pulp, so it checked the natural fiber box. And it was so soft, so comfortable, and draped so nicely. But every version had a whitening effect, a subtle frosting that shows up on black, and I could absolutely not accept it. It only showed up once it was tested, worn and machine washed a lot. I know that typically an eveningwear gown is dry cleaned, but in case customers did throw it in the wash, or if it was worn to death (which it should be!) then the whitening effect would eventually show up, if not right away. On a black gown, any whitening is the first thing you notice. So we moved on from that fabric type.

Then we tried 100% cupro satin, and honestly, it was a moment. Cupro is also plant-based, made from a cotton byproduct, and it has a gorgeous sheen and feels incredible in the hand. It drapes like a dream. So far, no whitening at all. I thought we had it. We were obsessed. But both my factory and myself noticed the needle marks showed a bit stronger on this fabric than they probably should. It was subtle, but my factory suggested for this reason we don’t use any cupro. Even though it wasn’t that bad, I don’t want to ever go against push back like that from my factory because they’ve been around the block and they would know best about this kind of thing.

So here I am. The fabric that looks perfect might not hold together, and the fabric that holds together doesn't look right.

My next try is a 70% lyocell, 30% cupro satin fabric. It’s in a heavier weight, and we are currently testing it for our Viola drawstring pant. So far, we’ve worn and washed the pant many times and no whitening. So we are going to see how it performs on the Rosalind dress!

Still searching

In case this doesn’t work out, I am really open to suggestions here. If you know fabrics, and you happen to know the answer to this one, I would love to hear it. There has to be a plant-based satin out there that drapes, shines a little, breathes, and behaves in black. Until I find it, we keep testing.

This is the unglamorous part of building a brand that nobody sees. Months spent on a single fabric for a single dress, because I refuse to cut the corner. But when this gown is right, she will be worth every failed swatch.

Xoxo, Arianna

A few questions I get

Why won't you use silk?
Silk is beautiful, but it is animal-derived, and I have chosen to keep Triplicity free of animal fibers. So I am looking for a plant-based fabric that gives the same liquid, luminous drape.

What is a good plant-based alternative to silk?
That is exactly what I am hunting for. The regenerated cellulosics, lyocell, cupro, and viscose, are the closest plant-based options for a satin drape, but each has tradeoffs, from whitening to fragility. The search continues.

When will the dress be available?
She is still in fabric testing. The design is done and I love her, I just won't release her until the fabric is right. But soon!

In the meantime, see all available styles at triplicity.nyc.