Modal is the fibre we keep coming back to. Not because it reads well on a label — because of what it does on skin at seven in the morning.
What modal actually is
Modal is a fibre spun from cellulose, most often beech wood pulp. It belongs to a family called regenerated cellulosic fibres, alongside viscose and lyocell. TENCEL™ Modal is a branded version of it, made in a closed-loop process where the water and solvents used to produce the fibre are captured and used again.
So it isn’t plastic. And it isn’t quite cotton either. It begins as a plant and ends as something noticeably softer than the plant it came from.
Why it feels different on skin
Cotton is a short, slightly coarse staple fibre. Modal filaments are longer, rounder and smoother. Smooth fibres mean fewer tiny fibre ends standing up against your skin — which is most of what the word “soft” actually describes when you touch a fabric.
Three things follow from that:
- It stays soft. Modal resists the mineral build-up from hard water that makes cotton stiffen over time. It tends to get softer with washing, not scratchier.
- It moves. Modal drapes instead of holding a shape, so it follows the body rather than pressing a shape onto it.
- It breathes. Modal absorbs noticeably more moisture than cotton by weight, then releases it — which is everything in heat.
Good underwear should stop bothering you. Fibre choice is most of that.
Modal vs cotton: which is better?
Neither, honestly. They are good at different things.
Cotton is sturdy, familiar, easy to wash warm, and unbeatable as a gusset lining — which is why a breathable cotton gusset is standard in well-made underwear, ours included.
Modal is softer, more fluid, better at moving moisture and slower to fade. It also creases less, which is why it makes sense for pieces that live between the bed and the rest of the day.
In practice, the best pieces use both: modal for what touches most of you, cotton exactly where breathability matters most.
Is modal breathable enough for hot weather?
Yes — and it is one of the few genuinely soft fabrics that is. In humid air, moisture sits on skin instead of evaporating, so the job of the fabric is to move it away rather than hold it. Modal does that better than cotton, which absorbs and then stays wet. We wrote about this in more detail in underwear for hot and humid weather.
Is modal sustainable?
Partly — and it depends entirely on who makes it. Beech grows without irrigation and the closed-loop process used for TENCEL™ Modal recovers most of its water and solvent. That is meaningfully better than conventional viscose, and better than cotton on water use.
It is still a manufactured fibre with a footprint. We would rather say that plainly than call it a miracle. The most sustainable thing about a piece of underwear is usually how many years you keep wearing it.
How to care for modal
- Wash cold, 30°C or below.
- Gentle cycle. A mesh bag if you have one.
- Skip fabric softener — modal is already soft, and softener coats the fibre and reduces how well it absorbs.
- Lay flat to dry. Heat is the one thing modal doesn’t love.
- Avoid the tumble dryer where you can.
Do that, and modal outlasts the trend cycle by years.
Where we use it
Modal is the base of everything in the first drop: the Bandeau Bra and Boyshorts for the first layer, the Ribbed Set and Lounge Cover-Up for the slow part of the day.
Not because modal is fashionable. Because after a morning in it, you stop noticing what you’re wearing — which was the whole point.
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