Made to Order Plant Dyed Merino Wool Dress
A Thread Journeys original design, individually handmade and naturally dyed just for you.
Crafted from luxurious 100% New Zealand merino wool, this made to order long sleeve dress is thoughtfully created for those who appreciate natural fibres, timeless design and slow fashion. Each dress is handmade in New Zealand by a professional seamstress before being naturally plant dyed and eco printed using wild-foraged botanicals, resulting in a truly one of a kind piece of wearable art.
Please note that the design has been updated slightly from the first photograph. The dress is now made from a thicker 200 gsm merino jersey, with a slightly higher neckline. Please refer to the remaining images for the current design.
Designed to flatter, the dress features a beautifully fitted bodice, elegant long sleeves and a softly flared skirt that skims the body before flowing gracefully from the waist. It is feminine, comfortable and effortless to wear, whether paired with boots through winter or layered during the changing seasons.
Merino wool is one of nature's most remarkable fibres. Wonderfully soft against the skin, it is breathable, naturally temperature regulating and lightweight while still providing exceptional warmth. Unlike synthetic fabrics, pure merino allows your skin to breathe, making it comfortable to wear all day throughout both winter and spring.
Once your dress has been carefully sewn, it is transformed through the ancient art of botanical dyeing. Using sustainably foraged leaves and natural plant dyes, each garment is slowly dyed and eco printed by hand. The leaves release their own pigments directly into the cloth, leaving delicate botanical impressions in rich earthy tones. No two prints are ever the same, making every dress entirely unique. The photographs shown are examples only, as your dress will develop its own individual character through the natural dyeing process.
To wear this dress is to wear the wild. It carries the colours, shapes and quiet beauty of the natural world, bringing together traditional textile techniques, locally made craftsmanship and a deep respect for the land. Every stitch and every botanical print tells a story that cannot be mass produced.
This is slow fashion in its truest sense. A garment made with care, from natural materials, designed to be treasured for many years.
After placing your order, please email your sizing or measurements to felicity@wildbotanica.co.nz so your dress can be tailor made especially for you. If you have any special requests, I am always happy to discuss them. As every dress is individually hand dyed, the botanical prints will naturally differ from those pictured, ensuring your garment is completely one of a kind.
For centuries, wool has also been treasured for qualities beyond its beauty and practicality. Many traditional cultures regarded wool as a protective fibre, valued not only for its warmth and durability but also for the sense of comfort, grounding and connection it offers. Whether appreciated for these traditions or simply for its exceptional natural performance, pure merino remains one of the finest fibres to wear close to the skin.
~
The garment will take on a life of it’s own as it naturally ages, just like us, adding to it’s own uniqueness and individuality (just like you).
Created from natural fibres, at the end of it’s life this garment can be added to your compost heap to naturally decompose & feed the soil (very unlike synthetic clothing filled with chemicals).
Botanical Printing / Natural dyeing / Ecoprinting is a slow process where fabric is dyed and printed using the natural tannins, color & prints of botanicals (plants, leaves, roots, bark, flowers, lichens etc). Much like our ancestors did for generations, clothing can be colored using nature’s abundance without the use of synthetic, toxic & dangerous chemicals. The colors are truely natural (found in my garden or foraged around my neighborhood, not out of packets), depicting the colors of my local surroundings & the ever changing seasons.