Pointelle Brands – Cotton, silk, merino and bamboo!

Pointelle is so nostalgic, and I reach for it whenever the weather gets cooler. Below is a list of lovely pointelle brands made with natural fibres, including cotton, merino, and bamboo.

I’ve recently been looking for cosy bits to wear while working at home during winter. (For more working-at-home clothes, check out these sustainable bras.) I’m a massive fan of pointelle fabric. It’s comfortable and cute and makes the winter months more enjoyable. However, many pieces can also be worn in the summer months!

What is pointelle?

Pointelle is a fabric with tiny holes throughout. It is usually chevron-shaped, but it also comes in heart shapes. The holes can form a pattern, such as more oversized shapes or stripes. High-street brands often sell pointelle clothes such as tees, tops, underwear, PJs, trousers, and loungewear.

What is the composition of pointelle?

Unfortunately, many brands sell pointelle made of polyester. Polyester pointelle looks cute and has a fluffy, cosy feel, but it ends up feeling sweaty and isn’t great for the environment. (Polyester is a by-product of oil.)

Buying and wearing pointelle in natural fabrics such as 100% cotton or organic cotton is much more comfortable. Cotton is breathable and biodegradable, meaning it won’t clog up the landfill in years to come! While driving in Turkey this summer, I came across some cotton fields ( on my way to a turtle sanctuary.) They look idyllic and so much nicer than the polyester fields… Saying that, cotton is labour-intensive to produce, and many reports have shown that farmers aren’t paid enough. Fairtrade cotton supports farmers and cotton workers in fighting against this; GOTS-certified cotton is great, too. Organic cotton means no pesticides are used in the production of the cotton.

Bamboo is similar but often feels softer than cotton. It’s also breathable, biodegradable, and potentially better for the environment, as it is less water-intensive and the plants grow fast.

Is Pointelle fabric warm?

Yes, all pointelle fabric is warm, but how warm it is depends on the material composition. For instance, polyester pointelle can be very warm but isn’t that breathable, so it can get sweaty and end up cooling the body. Cotton pointelle is warm and cosy, as is merino wool pointelle. I’ve listed some brands below that are both cotton and merino.

The Outfits – Cosy Workwear

The outfit in the images is similar to what I am wearing today. The Cou Cou pointelle trousers are long, but I can push them into these winter boots from Dear Frances. They have a faux fur lining, which creates a great silhouette for the outfit. I knitted the scarf and almost forgot to include it in a post about sustainable scarves last week. The Merino wool sweater is from Dilling. I like the contrast with the white tee from Organic Basics.

The second outfit also features the Cou Cou pointelle trousers and a cashmere sweater from Everlane. I always like Everlane for thinner sweaters for layering; they are ethically made and of excellent quality. The boots are an eBay find; the gold brightens up the outfit. The pointelle trousers are long enough to cover most of the gold, so they peek out at the bottom.

A huge puffy coat is a must (this one is By Malene Birger; it’s sold out, but this is a close alternative, made with recycled materials.) I wrote more about the scarf from Cos in the sustainable scarf post. And I picked up the black mittens on holiday in Corfu!

Pointelle Brands

I’m linking brands that use cotton, bamboo, and a merino silk mix and giving polyester a miss. Marks and Spencer, I’m looking at you and your cute but uncomfortable polyester pointelle tee.

I recommend Cou Cou Intimates  for cosy workwear after seeing them all summer on Instagram. They have the cutest pointelle pieces. I’ve been coveting the cherry red tops and shorts. However, I left it too late and wanted something warmer, so I ordered The Pant in black GOTS-certified organic cotton. I’ve been wearing them while working at home (see images!) I like the idea of slouchy layers for winter, and these fit the bill perfectly. I’m hoping they wear well. See laundry tips for ideas to help clothes last longer.

Another brand with a vast selection of pointelle tees and other pieces is Dilling. I’ve spoken about them previously; I love all their merino wool bits. I wear the women’s merino wool and silk pointelle top regularly under a jumper in the winter. It’s so cosy and comfortable that I don’t want to take it off at the end of the day. They have lots of pretty colours, too. I played safe with the black.

Posh Peanut is US-based and has a large selection of pointelle in many beautiful colours. I love the floral pink leggings; these are the kind of clothes that look great in winter and summer. The dusty blush is lovely, too! The Posh Peanut pointelle pieces mix viscose from bamboo, cotton and elastane.

More Pointelle Brands

4th and Reckless are taking it a step further with pointelle PJs! They are 100% made in their factory in Turkey. Treat Studio has a more traditional white pointelle PJ set, which is also 100% cotton and made in China. Six Stories has this beautiful set in either coconut or rose; it’s also 100% cotton.

The pointelle baby tee from Donni is beautiful in this cream colour. They have lots of lovely colours. The yellow gives a vintage feel, and the white would be great for layering. The whole pointelle collection is a beautiful page of pastels, and they even do scrunchies. The clothes are all made in Los Angeles; the pointelle is 100% organic cotton.

Patterned flowery pointelle pieces are great, especially the long-sleeved blue floral top from The Nap Co. They mainly sell sleepwear, but pointelle has gone beyond sleepwear and winter thermals into cosy workwear territory. The blue floral top could also be worn with jeans for the daytime too.

Etsy for Pointelle

After thoroughly perusing Etsy, I found some lovely pieces, including this cherry red set from a Turkish brand, and this black set is from the same seller. Etsy is great for finding handmade brands making pointelle pieces.

It’s also great if vintage is your thing. My fave is this yellow set from St Michael (vintage Marks and Spencer.) Which amused me, as I’ve mentioned above; I didn’t like the Marks and Spencer pointelle! This seller has a whole section that she describes as The Pointelles, and it’s well worth a look.

More on this topic

100 Ways to Embrace Sustainable Fashion

Subscribe for more

Subscribe to my Substack Newsletter for more sustainable tips, or follow me on Instagram.