Acetate Lining Fabric

A lining does more work than it gets credit for. It hides the construction, it lets a sleeve slide on rather than catching, it takes the friction that would otherwise wear the outer fabric from the inside, and it stops a wool jacket feeling scratchy against a shirt. Get it wrong and the garment fights you every time you put it on. Acetate has been the tailoring answer to that for a long time, and the reasons still hold.

Why tailors use acetate

Two things, mostly. It's slippery in the way a lining needs to be, so a sleeve goes on cleanly rather than dragging against a shirt cuff. And it's more breathable than polyester, absorbing a little moisture rather than sitting against the skin, which is what makes a lined jacket wearable through a long day. It also takes dye deeply, giving the rich colours and clean jacquards you find in good ready-to-wear tailoring, and it has a natural drape that hangs quietly inside a garment instead of rustling.

The trade-off is that acetate is not as hard-wearing as polyester and it doesn't like heat, so it wants a lower iron and a gentler wash. For a jacket or coat that will be dry cleaned, that's no drawback at all.

What's in the collection

There are plain acetate linings in the everyday tailoring shades, jacquards and woven patterns for a lining with more character, stripes, and some striking printed designs for anyone who likes the inside of a jacket to be a surprise. Alongside those you'll find silk linings for the finest work, and mixed lining packs sold by weight, which are a practical way to build up a stock of coordinating pieces. Compositions vary across the range, including some acetate and viscose blends, so check the individual product page for the exact makeup.

Acetate is one of several lining fibres and each suits a different job. There's more choice across our full lining fabrics collection, and if you want something breathable and anti-static for dresses and lighter jackets, look at viscose lining.

Sewing and pressing acetate

Acetate is slippery to cut, which is the price of the property that makes it good. Cut single-layer with weights and a rotary cutter rather than wrestling two layers under pins, and use a fine sharp needle with a slightly shorter stitch. It frays readily, so finish the seams as you go.

Pressing is where acetate gets damaged. It's heat sensitive and will glaze, shine or melt under an iron set for cotton, so use a low setting, press with a cloth and test on a scrap first. Follow the care guidance on the individual product page, as some linings in this collection are blends and behave differently.