Hello everyone, this is Chi ! I’m writing this blog to give a rundown on how to care for Tamay & Me jackets. I’m going to focus this blog post on Indigo.
All of our indigo cloth is dyed using hand grown and picked indigo. The clothes dipped inside the indigo vat by Yeun (who does all our indigo dyeing) and dried out in the sun for each dip. The process is VERY long. For example, the 21 dip jackets take seven days to dye (dipping and drying the fabric 3 times a day for 7 days). I think the process of washing our jacket (as wearers) is the closest understanding we can get to the Artisans, like Yeun, and the time and care they take to make them.
After washing and rinsing the jackets, it is important to remove the excess water (as it shortens the drying time considerably). This process can be done by hand or in the washing machine using a very light spin.
Hanging the jackets out in the sun is one of the best bits. It's so nice to see the indigo in the sunny weather!! Even without the sunshine, it's really important to hang them outside to dry (even for a little bit). When I washed my jackets, I hung them outside for a few hours and bought them inside to dry overnight.
Once they are completely dry, the final step is to give them a iron (the cotton is very crinkled at this stage!!) The best thing to use is a steam iron but regular iron settings or steamers work too. The main thing is to get all the big creases out and make the jacket all crisp. Don’t be afraid, attack the creases with lots of steam, the more the better !!
Washing the jackets might seem like a really long process but it is one of the most rewarding parts of slow fashion. I think the whole process makes you really appreciate the jackets after spending a long time caring of them.
Happy washing, let me know if you have any questions.
Chi
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