Viscose is a manufactured fibre produced by the chemical processing of natural cellulose (most often from wood). It is therefore called semi-synthetic: the raw material is natural, the filament man-made. Viscose is soft, pleasantly cool, drapes well and takes rich dyes beautifully, visually echoing silk at a much lower price. It is widely used in dresses, blouses, linings and knitwear. Its weak points are that it loses strength when wet, can shrink and creases, so it needs careful laundering — ideally a delicate cycle or dry cleaning.
