What is Şile Fabric?

Şile Fabric is a fine exclusively Anatolian fabric woven from 100% natural cotton threads on hand looms. The name comes from the beautiful town of Şile, a district on the Black sea coast of Istanbul, where it's been traditionally produced for generations.

About a century ago, Silk was the main textile fabric to be produced in Şile followed by Linen which left its place to Cotton in the 50's, when Linen production became increasingly difficult due to increase in demand. Since then Şile Fabric has become a trademark of Şile, being certified as Protected Geographic Indication, and gained worldwide popularity.

What sets Şile Fabric apart from other cotton fabric is its fine, ultra soft, crimped texture and unique, traditional production method. The first stage starts when highly twisted curly yarn, called 'Kelep', is thrown into a mixture of flour and water, or 'flour soup' (as the locals call it), in copper boilers and boiled until the yarn absorbs the mixture, which gives strength to the cotton fibres. At the boiling stage, natural dyes may be added to the boilers to achieve various colours. Cooled yarn is then left to dry on poles or rocks and freed from the mixture residue.

Once dried, the yarn is then spun onto bobbins either by hand on a warping apparatus (which is a wooden fixture on a wall) or a traditional spinning wheel, which is still done in some workshops where the weaving is also done on hand looms only. However, nowadays it is mostly done on a cone sectional warping machine since increase in demand has made special motorized looms more common for the weaving process and they require the thread to be prepared according predetermined order.

 

Weaving is best done by hand on wooden hand looms or special motorized wooden weaving machines, which are approximately a metre wide and have specialized pieces that are required for a flawless weave.

The most interesting characteristic of Şile Fabric production is when it is washed in the slightly salty sea water of the Black Sea and left to dry on the quartz sands of the Şile beaches, which adds to the structure of the fabric. Dried fabric is then ready for the design and stitching phase.      

Şile Fabric is decorated with culturally unique embroidery, with over 200 motifs bearing the joys, sorrows and life of Şile people, before being transformed into a wide variety of textiles – from clothing to home textiles –while needlework and crochet are also used to embellish the finished products.

The unique, natural production process along with the 100% natural, GMO free Turkish Cotton used in its production gives Şile Fabric its unique characteristics and benefits. Şile Fabric touches the skin softly, circulating the air between the body and the fabric. It breathes, it's hygienic, sweat-absorbing, and a perfect natural insulator. Clothing made from Şile Fabric is perfect for warmer weather, but its lightweight, comfortable quality makes it ideal for any season, worn by layering different pieces together or combining with other garments such as cardigans, t-shirts, tights etc. It’s durable, easy to care for, does not require ironing, has minimal shrinkage and looks better with every wash.

At a time when we need to rethink the impact our choices make not only on the environment but also our own wellbeing, the negative impact of mass production and mass consumerism is evident. Scientific research shows that technological advancement in mass production has led to the increase in the usage of synthetic fibres, unsustainable and dangerous processes. Our textiles made of Şile Fabric offer a timeless, ethical and sustainable solution by providing you with products that are totally natural and healthy from the raw material used to the finished product.  

Key Features / Benefits:

• 100% GMO free cotton
• natural & ethical production
• no use of toxic chemicals
• certified low-impact dyes
• biodegradable
• hygienic, anti-bacterial
• hypoallergenic
• breathable & heat responsive
• moisture wicking
• durable
• lightweight
• easy to care for
• does not require ironing
• minimal shrinkage

 

GO TO ŞILE COTTON COLLECTION