What a melange yarn is made of

Short answer: A melange yarn is spun from fibres in two or more colours. The colours are blended in the thread itself, so the fabric gets a lively surface without a pattern.

Blending before spinning

The fibres are dyed separately and then blended in the amount you want. A typical grey melange yarn consists of white and black fibres in a set ratio. Change the ratio and the shade changes, so it is possible to steer whether the melange turns out light, dark or somewhere between.

Not the same as stripes

Melange is something other than yarn dyed striped fabric. With stripes the thread changes colour at set places, and the pattern is clearly visible. With melange the colours are blended in the thread itself, so the eye cannot tell the single fibres apart. The result looks without pattern. See bamboo socks for women.

Why the surface looks lively

Every stitch contains fibres in both colours, but not in the same ratio. The eye reads that as depth instead of a flat, uniform colour. The surface therefore looks a little livelier than a plain fabric, even in ordinary daylight and from a little distance.

Why grey melange is so common

Grey melange is common because it hides both wear and small stains better than plain colour. The slightly uneven surface means small irregularities do not catch the eye. It is a practical colour that suits many other colours and rarely looks too plain. See bamboo T-shirt for women.

What it means for care

Melange fabric shows both light and dark pills less clearly. On the other hand a spot of bleach shows clearly, because only one of the colours disappears. Avoid bleach and wash as the label says, so the melange keeps its look. See bamboo tops for women.

Does melange fade differently

Yes. The dark part fades first, and the fabric looks lighter over time. Because the fibres of both colours sit together, it happens evenly across the whole surface, so the garment gets no clear edge between faded and new colour. The shade simply moves slowly.

Can all fibres be blended

Yes, but the blending must happen before spinning, not after. Once the fibres are spun into a thread, the colours can no longer be mixed. That holds for bamboo viscose as for other fibres, which is why the colours of a melange are decided early in the process.

How to recognise a melange

Hold the fabric close and look at a single stitch. A melange shows small flecks of two colours in the thread itself, while a plain fabric looks the same all the way. If you see stripes that repeat, it is a yarn dyed pattern and not a melange.

Choose melange by need

If you want a fabric that hides wear and small stains, melange is a good way. If you want a completely even, clean colour, plain is the better choice. Both have a place in a wardrobe, and the choice depends on what the garment will be used for.