Modal is a fibre spun from beech wood pulp. In every Lociónne modal piece it is blended exactly the same way, 76% modal, 14% nylon and 10% spandex, so the thing that actually changes from piece to piece is not the fibre at all. It is the weight of the knit.
Modal is a regenerated cellulosic fibre, a variation of rayon, made from beech wood. It feels smoother and falls closer to the body than cotton. Our modal range runs at two weights, 380GSM and 400GSM, and the 400GSM fabric uses a tighter weave. The one to know: the Modal Club Jogger is 400GSM in some colours and 380GSM in others.
What modal fabric actually is
Modal starts as wood. Beech is broken down to a pulp, and that pulp is regenerated back into a spinnable filament. Textile Exchange, the industry body that maintains the material standards most brands report against, defines it as a second generation regenerated cellulosic fibre and a variation of rayon. It is not a new idea: the high wet modulus fibres that modal came from were developed in Japan in 1951.
That one sentence answers most of what people want to know. Modal is cellulose, the same base material as cotton or linen, but it arrives there by a different route: cotton grows as a fibre, modal is made into one.
Natural, synthetic, or neither
Neither, strictly. The usual word is semi-synthetic, and it is the accurate one.
The raw material is a plant. The process that turns it into yarn is an industrial one, which is why modal is not classed as a natural fibre the way cotton and wool are, and not as a synthetic the way polyester and nylon are. Polyester starts from petrochemicals. Modal starts from a tree. The finished fibre is cellulose either way.
Worth saying plainly: the modal in our pieces is 76% of the blend, not 100%. The other 24% is nylon and spandex, and both of those are synthetics. Any piece described only as "modal" is being described loosely, ours included until now.
What it feels like, and whether it stretches
Smooth rather than dry. Modal is the fibre people reach for when they want something closer to silk than to a cotton tee, and Textile Exchange describes it as renowned for its softness. It also falls rather than holds: it takes the shape of the body underneath instead of standing away from it.
On stretch, there is a common misreading worth correcting.
Modal on its own has very little stretch. What gives a modal garment its give is almost always the elastane blended with it. In our pieces that is the 10% spandex, and the 14% nylon is what stops a soft fibre going shapeless after a few wears. So if you have worn a pure modal top that lost its shape and a Lociónne jogger that did not, the blend is the reason, not the modal.
Modal against cotton
This is the comparison people actually search for, so here it is without a winner declared. They are different, and which one suits depends on what you want the garment to do.
| Modal | Cotton | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the fibre comes from | Beech wood pulp, regenerated into a filament | The boll around a cotton seed, already a fibre |
| Fibre class | Semi-synthetic, regenerated cellulosic | Natural cellulosic |
| Hand | Smooth, fluid, closer to silk | Drier, more textured |
| How it hangs | Drapes close to the body | Holds more body and structure |
| Stretch without elastane | Very little | Very little |
If you want a piece that skims, modal. If you want a piece that holds a shape on its own, cotton. Our modal pieces sit in the first camp, which is why the joggers stack at the ankle instead of standing off it.
The honest pros and cons
What it does well
A smooth, fluid hand. It drapes rather than stands. It takes colour deeply, which is why the Carbon and Slate Marle read as solid rather than washed out.
What to expect
It wants a gentle wash. Cold water, inside out, air dry, no iron and no bleach. Certain colours may fade slightly after the first wash.
We would rather put the second column on the page than have you find it out in a machine. The fade note is our own care guidance, not a disclaimer we invented for this article, and it is normal for the fabric.
Is it a summer fabric, or a winter one
Both, and the honest answer is that the fibre is only half of it.
Cellulosic fibres like modal absorb moisture rather than sitting on top of it, which is the property people mean when they call modal breathable. But a fabric's season is set as much by how heavy the knit is as by what it is made from. A 400GSM modal hoodie and a 380GSM modal short are the same fibre in the same blend, and nobody would reach for them in the same week.
So on our pieces, the number that answers the season question is the GSM, not the fibre. Which is the next section.
What GSM means, and why 400 is not just a bigger number
GSM is grams per square metre. It is literally what one square metre of the fabric weighs, so it is the cleanest way to compare two knits without touching them. Higher GSM means more yarn in the same space: heavier, denser, more opaque.
GSM, tighter weave
Holds its shape. A clean fall instead of a soft slump, and more opacity. This is the hoodie and wide leg jogger weight.
GSM, lighter hand
The same blend with less weight behind it. Drapes closer to the body and wears better in a warm room.
On the 400GSM pieces the weight is not the whole story. Our own fabric notes describe that fabric as taken up to 400GSM with a tighter weave for added structure, durability, and weightless softness. So the knit was changed as well as the weight.
Which Lociónne pieces are 400GSM
| Piece | Weight | Colours |
|---|---|---|
| Modal Oversized Hoodie | 400GSM | Carbon, Pearl, Slate Marle |
| Modal Wide Leg Jogger | 400GSM | Carbon, Slate Marle |
| Modal Club Jogger | 400GSM | Carbon, Slate Marle |
| Modal Club Jogger | 380GSM | Cerulean, Pearl |
| Modal Club Short | 380GSM | Carbon, Cerulean, Pearl |
| Modal Cropped Hoodie | 380GSM | Carbon, Cerulean, Pearl |
Read that table again, because the Club Jogger is on it twice
The Modal Club Jogger in Carbon is 400GSM. The same jogger in Cerulean and Pearl is 380GSM. Same cut, same blend, same name, different fabric weight.
That matters if you already own a pair. If your Cerulean joggers are the ones you reach for and you are adding Carbon or Slate Marle, expect something a little denser and more structured, not a copy of what is already in your drawer. It is a real difference, and it is the reason we treat GSM as a fact about a specific colour rather than a claim about the range.
So which one should you get
If you want structure, the 400GSM pieces are the ones to look at. The Modal Oversized Hoodie is the heaviest expression of it, with dropped shoulders, a double lined hood and pockets set into the seams.
The Modal Wide Leg Jogger uses the same fabric with no taper, so it stacks cleanly at the ankle instead of clinging.
If you want the lighter hand, that is where the 380GSM pieces sit. The Modal Club Short is the clearest example: same blend, less weight, made to be worn in warmer rooms.
Both weights, one place
Every modal product page lists its own composition and weight, so you never have to guess which one you are holding.
Shrinking, pilling, fading, and how to avoid all three
Modal is a soft fibre and it rewards a gentle wash. Our care instructions are short on purpose: wash with like colours, turn the piece inside out, machine wash cold, air dry, and do not iron or bleach. Full details are on our care instructions page.
Cold water and air drying are the two that matter most. Heat is what moves a knit, in the wash and in the dryer, so skipping both is how you keep a 400GSM hoodie the shape it arrived in.
One thing worth knowing before it surprises you: certain colours may fade slightly after the first wash. That is normal and it does not affect how the garment performs.
Sizing questions
What is modal fabric made of?
Beech wood. The wood is reduced to pulp and regenerated into a fibre, which is why it is classed as a regenerated cellulosic rather than a natural or a synthetic. Our pieces are not pure modal: the blend is 76% modal, 14% nylon and 10% spandex.
Is modal the same as cotton?
No, although both are cellulose. Cotton is spun from the fibres around a cotton seed. Modal is regenerated from beech wood pulp, which is what gives it a smoother, more fluid hand. Cotton holds more structure, modal drapes closer to the body.
Is modal fabric stretchy?
On its own, barely. The stretch in a modal garment comes from the elastane blended with it. In our pieces that is the 10% spandex, with 14% nylon for recovery so the shape comes back.
What does GSM mean on a clothing label?
Grams per square metre, the weight of one square metre of that fabric. It is a density measure, not a quality score. A 400GSM knit is heavier and more opaque than a 380GSM one in the same blend.
Which Lociónne pieces are 400GSM?
The Modal Oversized Hoodie in all three colours, the Modal Wide Leg Jogger in Carbon and Slate Marle, and the Modal Club Jogger in Carbon and Slate Marle. The Club Short and the Cropped Hoodie are 380GSM.
Does modal shrink, and how should I wash it?
Heat is what moves a knit, so wash cold and air dry rather than tumble drying. Inside out, with like colours, no iron and no bleach. Expect a slight fade in some colours after the first wash.