What Is Cotton Voile? Weave, Sheerness and Knitted Cotton Explained
What cotton voile is, why it feels so light, whether it is see-through, how to wear it, and how it differs from the soft knitted cotton in our knitwear.
In this guide
In short: Cotton voile is a lightweight, semi-sheer plain-weave fabric made from fine, tightly twisted cotton yarns. It feels soft and floaty, breathes beautifully and dries quickly, which makes it lovely for summer shirts and dresses.
On the warmest days, nothing feels quite as dreamy as cotton voile. It's so light it almost floats, and the breeze moves straight through it. Slip on a voile shirt over a cami, or a floaty voile dress with sandals, and you'll understand why it's a summer love story. Here we explain what cotton is, what makes voile different from other cotton fabrics, whether cotton voile is see-through, how to wear it, and how it compares with the soft knitted cotton in our knitwear.
What is cotton?
Cotton is a natural fibre that grows as a soft, fluffy boll around the seeds of the cotton plant. The fibres are spun into yarn, and the yarn is then either woven (threads crossing over and under each other, like most shirts and dresses) or knitted (yarn looped together, like a jumper or cardigan). The same gentle fibre can become a featherlight shirt or a cosy knit; it all depends on the yarn and how it's made into fabric.
What is cotton voile?
Voile (from the French word for "veil") is a lightweight, plain-woven fabric made from fine yarns. The result is soft, featherlight and slightly sheer, with a lovely airy drape. Our cotton voile pieces are 100% cotton voile, and our voile shirts are sheer, soft and featherlight, exceptionally breathable, and quick to dry. Like our linen, our cotton voile is pre-shrunk before it's cut and each piece is garment washed, so it keeps its size after washing and feels soft from the very first wear.
Cotton voile in our range
- Our THALIA shirt has oversized raglan bell sleeves, soft gathering and a frill at the back.
- Our TILLY shirt has delicate machine embroidery on the bodice, a mini frill at the neckline and natural corozo buttons.
- Our EMBER shirt has a pretty placket finished with corozo buttons made from palm tree seeds.
- Our CALLIE dress has a minimal straight-line shape, with embroidery on the cuffs and side slits.
- Our BELLE midi dress is flowy and sleeveless, with adjustable shoulder straps and side pockets.
- Our BEATRICE midi dress is soft, lightweight 100% cotton voile with all-over embroidery, adjustable shoulder straps, corozo buttons at the front neck and side seam pockets. Dreamy, floaty and so easy to throw on.
Discover our cotton clothing, cotton dresses, the BEATRICE collection, women's cotton tops and shirts.
Why cotton voile feels so cool
Voile's fine yarns and open, plain weave let air pass through easily, and the fabric is so light it barely seems to touch you. That's why our voile shirts feel exceptionally breathable and dry quickly, perfect for summer seaside days.
Is cotton voile see-through?
Cotton voile is semi-sheer by nature, and that delicate lightness is part of its charm. Lighter colours show a little more than deeper ones. A few easy ways to wear it:
- Layer a cami underneath in a soft shade, like our BEA or ROSA linen cami, or the LENI silk cami with its silk front facing.
- Choose a deeper colour if you'd like more coverage.
- Wear a voile shirt open over a cami, or knotted at the waist, as the lightest layer.
How to wear cotton voile
- With linen pants: a THALIA or TILLY shirt with our LETTY or OLI linen pants, for an easy, polished summer look.
- With shorts: a voile shirt over a cami with our GAIA linen shorts, for days by the water.
- With a skirt: tuck a voile shirt into the RILEY bias cut skirt.
- On its own: the BEATRICE, BELLE or CALLIE dress with sandals and a straw bag, and you're ready.
Cotton voile vs other cottons
| Cotton fabric | Weave | How it feels |
|---|---|---|
| Voile | Plain weave, fine yarns | Featherlight, soft, semi-sheer |
| Lawn | Plain weave, fine yarns | Light, but a little crisper and smoother than voile |
| Poplin | Tight plain weave | Smooth, crisp and more opaque, a classic for shirts |
| Gauze | Loose, open weave | Airy, with a soft crinkle |
| Knitted cotton | Knitted loops | Stretchy and cosy, for knits and layers |
We compare linen and cotton voile side by side in our guide to linen vs cotton voile, and What Is Linen? shows how flax differs from cotton.
Knitted cotton
Cotton can also be knitted into soft, textured layers for cooler days. Our ELARA cotton knit can be worn as a top or a vest, with natural corozo nut buttons and a chunky neckline; its label reads 100% cotton tape yarn. Our BAILEY cardigan has a soft, dry hand feel and corozo nut buttons, and its label reads 100% organic cotton. Layer them over a linen dress or cami as the evenings cool. Discover our knit vests, vests, cardigans and knitwear. For other soft knits, discover our guides to cashmere and extra fine merino wool.
How to care for cotton voile and knitted cotton
| Cotton voile | Knitted cotton | |
|---|---|---|
| Wash | Cold hand wash or cold machine wash, separately, on a gentle cycle | Very mild machine wash at 30°C |
| Bleach | Do not bleach | Do not bleach |
| Dry | Check the label on your piece | Do not tumble dry; line dry or dry flat in the shade (check your label) |
| Iron | Cool iron if necessary | Cool iron if necessary (on the reverse side for BAILEY) |
Whatever the fabric, dry your pieces in the shade rather than in hot, direct sun, which can fade colours over time, and turn coloured pieces inside out when you dry and iron them to keep their colours bright. As always, the care label on each piece comes first. For linen, see how to wash linen clothing.
Cotton voile FAQs
What is cotton voile?
A lightweight, plain-woven cotton fabric made from fine yarns. It's soft, featherlight and slightly sheer.
Is cotton voile see-through?
It's semi-sheer. Lighter colours show more; a cami underneath gives more coverage.
Is cotton voile good for hot weather?
Yes. It's featherlight and breathable, and our cotton voile shirts dry quickly.
What's the difference between voile and poplin?
Both are plain weaves, but poplin is woven more tightly, so it's smoother, crisper and more opaque. Voile is lighter and softer.
Does cotton voile shrink?
Ours doesn't. Our cotton voile is pre-shrunk before it's cut and each piece is garment washed, so it keeps its size when you follow the care label.
Can you machine wash cotton voile?
Our cotton voile labels say cold hand wash or cold machine wash, separately, on a gentle cycle.
Is your cotton organic?
Some of our cotton knitwear is, like the BAILEY cardigan, whose label reads 100% organic cotton. Each product page shows its exact fabric.
