At Justine Tabak, we design practical, timeless clothes made with care and we hope our customers will enjoy these garments for many years to come. To this end, we choose natural materials that have their own strength and longevity; if properly cared for, your dresses and jumpers will stand the test of time. As a general rule, we encourage minimal washing, kinder to your clothes and the environment as you save water, detergent and electricity. Always popping your dresses on a hanger or storing your jumpers neatly folded in a drawer will go a long way to conserving them. When they do need a wash, check the care label inside each garment and follow the simple steps below.

Caring for your Cotton

Cotton is a natural fibre derived from cotton plants whose use dates back to the fifth millennium B.C.: most of us wear a lot of cotton in one form or another. The cotton we use is either carefully selected from trusted suppliers like Liberty of London or ‘deadstock’ (cloth that would otherwise go to waste)

Wash on a delicate cycle in cold (30°C or below) water if you are using a washing machine. If you are washing by hand, the water should only be lukewarm: remember, hot water might cause colours to fade.

When handwashing, gently agitate the garment in a generous amount of soapy water for several minutes and be sure to rinse thoroughly. Squeeze as much water out of the dress by hand as you can, then shake it out to remove as many creases as possible.

We recommend you don’t use a tumble drier; tumble driers consume huge amounts of energy and the direct heat is not kind to your clothes.

Instead, we recommend that you hang your clothes out in the open air and our dresses will quickly dry, often crease free. In winter months, hang indoors (don’t be tempted to put it on a radiator!) and your dress will soon be dry.

We usually find that our Liberty Tana Lawn dress don’t need any ironing; the fabric is so soft and silky the creases simply fall out. Should you feel your cottons need a quick iron, use a cool or medium iron setting and we find best to press on the reverse side to smooth out seams whilst the fabric is slightly damp..

Caring for your Linen

Linen is a strong, lightweight, breathable fabric made from the flax plant. It is ‘crisper’ than cotton and therefore creases and ‘moulds’ more easily; we love the way each linen garment seems to adapt to the body of the wearer taking on a unique personality!

Many people worry that linen shrinks in washing, however, all our linen is softened and pre-washed before being made up into our dresses and trousers. If you follow these simple instructions, the linen will not shrink further. In fact, you will find that linen is an easy and rewarding fabric to care for.

All our linen garments should be turned inside out before washing to prevent surface fibres from breaking. Avoid washing your linen with other hard items, such as jeans or hoodies which may have metal zips that can catch the natural fibers. Remember to do-up buttons, hooks and eyes before putting your dress in the machine.

To avoid your linen colours from fading, wash in lukewarm water (30°c or less) either by hand or on a gentle wash cycle: avoid mixing colours in the same wash.

Do not wring or tumble dry your linen dresses as this isn’t kind to either the environment or your dresses – the heat from a tumble drier is harsh and energy consuming!

We encourage air drying your linens. If the sun shines, be cautious of direct sunlight as this can fade richer colours ( albeit we love the way linen softens and ages over time) The exception is white as the sun will bleach it to an even more glorious whiteness!

Often creases will fall out after hanging, however, you might decide that you would like to iron your garment for a finishing touch. Pressing from the inside avoids any potential shine and spritz linen garments with water letting the moisture penetrate the linen fibres to assist the ironing process.

And last but by no means least, embrace the natural texture and slight creasing of linen; it is a beautiful, natural fibre and you should “wear your creases with pride!!” Our dresses are made with luxurious weighty comfortable linen that is pre-washed and therefore contain beautiful ripples rather than hard lasting creases.

Caring for your Corduroy

True corduroy is made from cotton and is woven into “cords,” or ribs and ridges with a lush velvety texture. It is a long-lasting, durable and classic fabric that looks fabulous with the right care. We tend to use a fine soft microcord for our dresses which is beautifully soft and moves gracefully.

Before washing, turn your dress or trousers inside-out to ensure that the pile (that velvety texture) doesn’t get crushed, distorted, or worn down. It also helps protect the longevity of the fabric and the vibrancy of the colour.

 As with most items, it’s best to wash corduroy items with like colours and like fabrics. Corduroy is a slighty heavier fabric so avoid washing with delicates. Choose a gentle wash cycle to avoid creasing and wrinkling. A word of warning here: corduroy attracts lint! Avoid washing corduroy with fabrics that produce lint, such as towels, fleece, or wool.

You can just imagine how these little fibres get buried in the pile of the cord. They can be brushed out, but it’s a long and tedious job!

To dry your corduroy, we recommend air drying only – try to avoid direct heat, from a radiator or drier, as this can easily stiffen and shrink the fabric. Simply hang your garment on a hanger to dry naturally in its own time.

If you decide you would like to iron your corduroy, turn inside out and iron on reverse, using a medium-high heat. 

Caring for your EcoVero viscose by Liberty of London

Liberty Fabrics LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Eco Viscose fabric is made from eco-certified viscose fibres derived from responsibly-managed sources of 'cellulose' or wood pulp. We love this fabric for its rich colour, clear print definition, super soft feel, and gentle drape.

The first thing to do is to turn your dress inside out. If you are washing in the machine, use a delicate wash at 30°C and a gentle detergent. Only ever wash with other delicates . . . you might even have a mesh washing bag you can use which will help avoid snags and tears.

To hand wash, submerge the item in plenty of water and a soft detergent and soak for up to 30 minutes. Rinse the item well with cool water; do not wring, instead, press the water out of the item and lay it in its natural shape on a flat surface, drying rack, or clean towel to dry.

Once most of the water is removed you can hang your garment to finish the drying process. Do not tumble dry.

Use a cool iron if it is necessary to iron at all. 

Caring for your Wool

We use pure wool for all of our knitwear, a 100% natural fibre we love for its breathable and moisture wicking properties. As a luxury fibre, we always recommend hand washing when absolutely necessary. We often find a fresh airing is enough to freshen up a knitwear piece.

Should you decide to clean your knitwear, wash each piece separately using a delicate detergent specified for wool.

Wash in lukewarm water by gently agitating the knitted garment to clean. Do not soak, wring or rub too hard.

Rinse using fresh cold water; be patient as it might take several rinses until the water runs clear.

Remove excess water by squeezing carefully and then wrap in a clean towel and press gently. Please do not tumble dry your jumper as this will cause felting and shrinkage.

Whilst your jumper is still wet, reshape it and dry flat on a towel, away from direct heat and sunlight. If required, iron your jumper using the wool setting.

To avoid your jumper stretching, store folded, not on a hanger. Shake out regularly to avoid moth infestation and store in vacuum bags should you need to store your jumpers for lengthy periods.