M1519 100% Ramie Fabric 100s 60 GSM 137cm Width – for Shirts, Dresses and Loose Suits

Item M1519 is a 100% pure ramie woven fabric spun from a 100s yarn at 60 GSM and 137 cm wide. It is a deliberately light cloth — thin enough to read as a summer shirting and sheer enough to layer — with the dry, cool hand that has made ramie a summer staple for centuries.

Ramie is a bast fibre taken from the ramie plant, and it behaves nothing like the other fibres usually blended into summer cloth. Its fibre is extremely long and strong — roughly seven to eight times the tenacity of cotton — and it is around 20% lighter than cotton of the same volume. That combination is what gives this fabric its particular character: it is strong but airy, with a natural silk-like lustre after degumming and a hand that stays dry and cool against the skin rather than clinging to it.

Five properties of the fibre decide how this cloth behaves in wear, and they are the reason ramie is specified for summer rather than substituted with a cheaper look-alike.

The ramie fibre has a large internal cavity structure that draws perspiration in and moves it out again. Moisture absorption and drying are roughly three times faster than cotton, so the cloth stays cool rather than damp. On a 60 GSM build this is the difference between a fabric you can wear all day in warm weather and one you take off at noon.

Ramie contains trace elements including tannin, pyrimidine and purine, which suppress common bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. Laboratory testing shows the antibacterial effect retains more than 98% of its effectiveness even after 50 wash cycles. The fibre is also naturally resistant to mildew and insect attack, so the cloth stays fresh between wears without any chemical treatment.

A ramie fibre is longer and finer than any other bast fibre, and its tenacity is roughly seven to eight times that of cotton while remaining low in extensibility. In practice that means a fabric that resists abrasion and tearing, yet is about 20% lighter than an equivalent volume of cotton — strength without weight.

After degumming the fibre is white with a silk-like sheen, and it transports heat quickly, giving the cloth its characteristic cool feel. The hand is dry rather than slick, and the surface keeps a soft, natural lustre that dulls gracefully rather than going flat. The fine irregular slub typical of ramie is part of the fabric, not a fault, and gives each piece its own character.

At 60 GSM this is a genuinely light cloth, and it is used as a translucent layer where a heavier fabric would be too warm. It works well for layering pieces, for blouses and shirt-dresses, and as a lining or interfacing cloth where structure is needed without body. Because ramie has low extensibility and low elastic recovery, it can crease after wear — this is a characteristic of the fibre and is handled the same way as linen.

The lightweight, breathable and cool characteristics of pure ramie make it a natural choice for warm-weather and layering programmes.

A 100s ramie at 60 GSM is a classic shirt cloth. It is light enough to move with the body, breathable enough to wear through a summer day, and the natural lustre gives it a dressed-up quality that a plain cotton shirting does not have.

The fluid fall and the way the cloth settles into soft creases suit full skirts, loose dresses and relaxed tailoring. The low weight means it can be worn as a dress or as an open layer over a slip, and the 137 cm width gives efficient marker making for long panels.

The same properties that make ramie comfortable to wear make it useful around the house: curtains and blinds, table cloth and napkins, cushion covers and lightweight upholstery. It is also widely used as a lining and supporting cloth where a light, breathable hand is wanted.

210 stock shades are available for immediate dispatch, covering neutrals, pastels and deeper tones. Custom solid dyeing to Pantone TCX is available for development orders.

Hand samples and cutting samples are supplied before bulk production, either from stock greige or from a lab dip matched to your shade. Samples are cut so the open, sheer hand of a 60 GSM cloth can be judged properly — at this weight the fabric behaves differently in the hand than a standard swatch allows.

Development runs around three points: the fibre and yarn count, the shade matched to Pantone TCX, and the weight confirmed against the end use. Ramie is a bast fibre and can feel different after washing, so we confirm the shrinkage and the hand change on a washed sample before bulk is scheduled. Full-width greige and finished samples, small trial orders and custom development are supported for new customers.