Designed in Great Britain | Made in Italy
+ 44 (0) 1454 238940
Register as a Luella Stockist
Thank you for applying to become a Luella stockist. The information you have provided helps us to ensure that there is no conflict with any of our current stockists and that our brand is compatible with the other brands sold in your store.
It can take up to 48 hours to approve your application, and sometimes longer if your application is made over a weekend. However, we will endeavour to deal with your application as quickly as we can.
Once you are approved as a stockist, we will provide you with the requisite information to allow you to access trade prices on our website. In return all we ask is that your first order consists of a minimum of 2 items per style and is for a minimum of 10 pieces. Orders can be placed online or by e-mail to [email protected]. Please put your Trading Name in the subject line of the email.
Orders placed before 1pm are usually despatched the same day subject to payment on a proforma basis. Orders placed after 1pm are not guaranteed for next day delivery but will be despatched the following day, subject to payment.
Credit terms of 30 days net may be offered to customers after a period of 3 months and who are placing regular orders. Until credit terms are offered all orders will be on a proforma basis. All orders being despatched outside the UK (e.g. Eire, the EU, and the rest of the world) will be charged on a proforma basis.
By placing your first order with us you are agreeing to our Trading Terms & Conditions therefore please read the information below carefully.
Trading Terms & Conditions
By placing your first order with us you are agreeing to our Trading Terms & Conditions therefore please read the information below carefully.
“Luella”, “we”, “us” means Luella Fashion Limited
“You” “Your” “Yours” means the Trade Customer to whom each sale relates
“RRP” means Recommended Retail Price
Orders
After you have placed and paid for your first order with us there is no minimum order, either for quantity or value, for any subsequent and continuing orders.
Returns Policy
Our Returns Policy is set out on each proforma or invoice we send you and is as follows:
PLEASE INSPECT ALL GARMENTS IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR ORDER. ANY RETURNS MUST BE MADE WITHIN 7 DAYS FOR A FULL CREDIT OR REFUND. RETURNS AFTER THAT TIME WILL NOT QUALIFY FOR A CREDIT OR REFUND EXCEPT IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. WE CANNOT ACCEPT LIABILITY FOR ITEMS DAMAGED WHILST ON YOUR SHOP FLOOR NOR CAN WE ACCEPT LIABILITY FOR ITEMS AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN SOLD BY YOU.
All stockists are advised to read our Garment Care Guide and to ensure they are familiar with its contents when advising their customers about how to care for Luella products.
Please telephone us on 01454 238940 if you wish to make a return. We will provide you with a Returns Number and discuss with you the best method of returning the item(s) to us. We will refund standard second class postage (not signed for) charges only unless we have expressly agreed with you a return by an alternative method.
Please note: where non-fault returns are made without our express consent a re-stocking fee of 15% plus VAT of the value of the items returned will be (i) invoiced to you; or (ii) deducted from the value of any credit note(s) issued to you.
Credit Terms
Credit terms of 30 days net may be offered to customers after a period of 3 months and who are placing regular orders. Until credit terms are offered all orders will be on a proforma basis. All orders being despatched outside the UK (e.g. Eire, the EU, and the rest of the world) will always be charged on a proforma basis. For the purpose of this provision “regular” means at least every 30 days.
We undertake credit checks on all customers and reserve the right to refuse credit where a credit search indicates that offering credit may pose an unreasonable risk that we may not be paid within the requisite period or at all.
We reserve the right to withdraw credit terms where customers exceed the 30-day payment terms. Additionally, we reserve the right to charge interest on all late payments in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
Legal Title
Title in any goods supplied by Luella will remain with Luella until payment in full has been received by us.
Website Only Retailers
We may decline to trade with website only retailers at our sole discretion. Should we choose to trade with any website only retailers we reserve the right to set a minimum price for any Luella branded garments or accessories that appear on the website. Website only retailers who offer for sale Luella branded garments or accessories below the RRP that we have set will have their account closed. The purpose of this provision is to protect the trade of our Bricks & Mortar stockists, whose overheads are much higher than those of online only retailers.
Online Trading & E-Commerce – All Customers
You may not sell on eBay, Amazon or similar website or any discount website without our express written permission. Bricks and Mortar stockists with their own online trading/e-commerce platforms must adhere to any RRP that we set for any Luella branded garments or accessories.
Home Sellers, Pop Up Shops & Table Top Sellers
We may decline to trade with Home Sellers, Pop Up Shops & Table Top Sellers at our sole discretion. Home Sellers are defined as retailers who trade from residential or non-commercial premises.
Should we choose to trade with Home Sellers, Pop Up Shops & Table Top Sellers we reserve the right to set a minimum price for any Luella branded garments or accessories. Home Sellers, Pop Up Shops & Table Top Sellers who offer for sale Luella branded garments or accessories below the RRP that we have set will have their account closed.
All Pop Up Shops and Table Top Sellers with whom we agree to trade must obtain our express permission sell Luella in advance of advertising any event and venue where they intend to sell Luella branded garments and accessories. This is to avoid any conflict with current Bricks & Mortar stockists in commercial locations where those stockists have exclusivity. This applies to all one-off events including, but not limited to, Christmas markets, other seasonal fairs and sporting events, including horse trials.
Bricks & Mortar Retailers – Moving Premises
Where your trading address changes, and you wish to continue to sell Luella you must contact us before you move to ensure we can still supply you at your new premises. Please note we cannot guarantee that we will continue to trade with you if we have an existing customer in the area into which you will be moving.
Failure to Adhere to our Stockists’ Trading Terms & Conditions
We reserve the right to decline orders and/or withdraw credit terms without notice where trade customers have breached our Terms & Conditions.
Limitation of Liability
Luella shall not be liable for any damage or loss whatsoever and howsoever arising without our prior approval or consent. Such approval or consent shall not be unreasonably withheld provided we are notified of any loss or damage within 7 days of the provision of those goods or services and we are given an opportunity to rectify or make good any faults or defects.
Luella shall not be liable or in breach of contract for the provision of goods or services – or any failure to provide those goods or services - if the damage or default whether wilful or neglectful arises out of the negligence, dishonesty or deliberate breach by or on behalf of individuals, agents or third parties beyond our reasonable control. Similarly, where there has been a failure by you - or any party to whom you sell goods provided by us - to follow our reasonable instructions we will accept no liability for damage or wear and tear.
Force Majeure
Luella shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations where such failure or delay results from any cause that is beyond our reasonable control. Such causes include, but are not limited to: power failure, Internet Service Provider failure, industrial action, civil unrest, fire, flood, storms, earthquakes, acts of terrorism, acts of war, governmental action, including government mandated shutdowns or lockdowns in the event of a pandemic or similar risk to health event, or any other action that is beyond our control.
Governing Law
The laws of England & Wales will apply in our contract with you and in all cases and without exception.
These Terms & Conditions supplement the Terms & Conditions for use of our website which can be found here.
At Luella our Cashmere Blend knitwear is manufactured in Italy with Italian yarn. All of our yarns contain up to 30% cashmere, and are blended with either merino wool, or a blend of merino wool and bamboo. The bamboo blended yarn is manufactured especially for us and is exclusive to Luella in the UK.
To ensure our knitwear has a robustness and longevity that doesn’t always come with 100% cashmere, we add up to 10% synthetic fibre to our yarns, which might be polyamide or the metallic lurex yarn that features in many of our styles. Whatever the blend of the yarn, Luella cashmere blend knitwear always has a luxurious quality and feel.
In order to ensure a perfect wear each time it’s important to take care of your garment.
We recommend washing Luella knitwear by hand using a detergent designed for cashmere, wool or delicate fabrics. Baby shampoo can be a great, gentle alternative. You can also launder your Luella knitwear on a hand wash cycle in the washing machine at no more than 30 degrees. For best results place the knitwear in a laundry net and don’t spin at more than 700rpm. Never wring your cashmere garment – lay it out flat on a towel and gently ease it into shape before rolling it up in the towel to squeeze out any excess water. Then lay it out flat on a drying rack or a clean towel.
Whichever method you choose to wash your cashmere, it’s always a good idea to gently de-pill your garment with a cashmere comb before washing it. Cashmere and wool are always prone to pilling – this is nothing to do with the quality of the product, but more to do with wearing it. And if you love it, you’ll wear it often! Pilling is a natural process caused when the fibres in the yarn rub against each other and form small balls. De-pilling your garment regularly will improve its appearance and maintain its longevity. And to ensure your garment keeps it shape, it’s best to store it folded.
Whether you’ve purchased sequined knitwear or sequined linens or cottons, we advise that they should be washed inside out at no more than 30 degrees. If you’re putting them in the washing machine, we recommend using a laundry net to avoid any inadvertent snagging of the sequins on other items of clothing. These garments are made using recycled polyester sequins.
Linens and cottons are natural fibres and can have a tendency to shrink if washed in water that is too hot. We recommend machine washing at no more than 30 degrees with a gentle detergent. If your linen is either dark in colour, or bright and vibrant, a cold wash will ensure the colours don’t fade.
Viscose and rayon are natural fibres and can have a tendency to shrink if washed in water that is too hot. We recommend machine washing at no more than 30 degrees on a hand wash cycle with a gentle detergent. If your garment is delicate turn it inside out and place it in a laundry net.
There are dozens of natural and man-made fabrics that clothing is made of nowadays. Some can trace their history back millennia, and others have been developed in laboratories in our own lifetimes to meet specific technical needs.
In this piece, we’re going to focus on two of the former types – fabrics that are as old as the mountains, and in one case, that’s exactly where it originates.
We’re talking about cashmere and cotton – two options for anyone seeking warm, comfortable and stylish clothing – and looking at how they are different. If you’re weighing up items made from these two fabrics, this guide is for you.
Cashmere is a very high-quality wool, possibly the highest quality in the world. It has been prized for hundreds of years for its softness and warmth and was particularly valued in Victorian times in Europe, with the queen herself being one of its admirers. Fortunately for said queen, Kashmir, now an area under the control of India, Pakistan and China, was under British rule, so there was a ready supply of the wool.
What we know as cashmere wool evolved over millions of years on the goats native to the region. It’s mountainous and has incredibly cold winters, so it’s no surprise that Mother Nature gave this wool superior insulating properties.
But when you look at a cashmere goat, you’re not looking at the cashmere wool that’s used for clothing. The outer layer is pretty standard goat hair, and it is rather coarse, better suited to mats and stiffening components of clothes. The prized wool is an underlayer, designed to keep the animal warm. To add to its rarity, it’s mainly found on the underside, especially around the neck, and it’s seasonal, being shed in the spring. It’s better to think of it more as a down than a traditional wool.
The wool is collected and spun into lengths, and can then be knit into the clothes we love.
Cotton is also natural, but it comes from a plant rather than an animal. It’s actually a protective layer (known as a boll) for the seed of the cotton plant, again the result of millions of years of evolution.
Various species seem to have been used around the world for many thousands of years, which suggests its use has been developed independently several times by cultures without contact. That tells you all you need to know about how good a product it is – once used it was never forgotten.
The bolls are picked, separated from the plant and the seeds, and then spun. That’s the process of twisting the lengths around each other very tightly. A single staple, or strand of cotton fibre, is usually about 25–30 cm long, but by spinning them together, indefinitely long lengths can be made which are incredibly strong, just like rope. These lengths can then be woven into sheets of cloth for the clothing trade.
So we’ve got two incredible types of thread that go into some lovely clothing, but how do you tell them apart when you’re choosing which to buy? Here are the factors that might help you to make the decision … and there’s less in it than you might think!
If there’s one thing that cashmere wool is known for, it’s the price. There’s no denying that it’s one of the most expensive wools you can buy, so it shouldn't be too surprising to learn that jumpers, scarves and cardigans made of cashmere will also be a little more expensive than traditional wool. It’s partly down to the absolute sumptuousness of the fabric, but also because it’s quite rare.
However, there are some excellent compromise solutions available. For example, it can be blended with other wools, so it’s less expensive to produce, but still has supreme softness and warmth. At Luella, we blend cashmere with Merino, another luxuriously soft wool, and a small amount of polyamide to help keep shape and elasticity. Another option is to use pure cashmere in certain parts of the garment, typically where it touches the skin, and other wools elsewhere.
Cotton, on the other hand, is easy to mass-produce – indeed it was the spark for the Industrial Revolution. That’s why it’s possible to produce cotton clothing more economically. However, that’s not to say there isn’t a huge range of quality when it comes to cotton clothing. Look for higher thread counts and Egyptian cotton, as these are markers of better quality cotton fabrics, although as you’d expect, the price will be a little higher.
Cashmere’s role in nature is to provide warmth against the harsh climate, so naturally, it’s going to have incredible insulating properties. You know you’re wearing cashmere and not a lesser wool because you’ll be warm and yet you won’t feel clammy and overheated. That’s because it also has superb breathability, letting moisture out while trapping warmth.
Cotton’s natural purpose is to protect against predators, so warmth isn’t an inherent quality. However, a good weave of cotton fabric will help trap air between layers, so if you wear cotton as an underlayer, or wear a few layers of cotton fabric, for example, a T-shirt under a cotton knit sweater, you’ll be warm and fresh enough.
There isn’t much in it when you compare the softness of a good quality cashmere with a well-made cotton garment. Both will feel great against your skin – it’s no accident that bedsheets are made of cotton. Cashmere’s famed softness is more of a reference to how it compares with other wools rather than other fabrics in general. While many wools can be scratchy and itchy, that just isn’t the case with downy cashmere, thanks to its unique fibre structure at the microscopic level.
If you want woollen clothing to wear against the skin, cashmere is your natural choice. However, for underlayers or soft single-layer clothing, cotton will be just as comfortable.
Clearly, with cashmere coming from a goat, it will not be suitable for anyone who refuses to eat or wear animal products for ethical reasons. It’s worth noting that the best quality cashmere wool comes from the natural seasonal shedding of the lower layer of wool as winter turns to summer. As with any animal products, animal welfare should be top of the priority list for an ethical shopper, as should the carbon footprint of transportation and preparation of the fabric and yarn.
Any product, be it animal or plant originated, can be made with low or high ethical standards, so it’s up to the consumer to shop around to ensure they are buying their fashion products from manufacturers and suppliers who take such matters seriously. Read about our journey to sustainability for more information, and to reassure you that Luella is a company that’s working hard to minimise our impact on the planet.
Both cashmere and cotton are naturally tough, thanks to the structure of their fibres. When well-spun and woven or knitted into quality clothing, you shouldn’t have any problems with fraying or wearing out with either fabric. The biggest risks come from buying clothing that’s made cheaply, where corners will be cut, or from washing the clothes in the wrong way. Cashmere in particular is prone to shrinkage and damage if it’s thrown in the wash with all your other clothes – that’s why we recommend a methodical way to clean and dry your cashmere clothes. Take a look at our care guide here.
Cashmere lends itself to clothing that’s traditionally associated with knitwear – jumpers, shawls, scarves, hats, gloves and so on. It is a warm fabric, and although it can be worn throughout the seasons because of its breathability, it will never be a substitute for extremely fine knit or woven fabrics, like those used in underwear and underlayers. However if you’re looking for a sumptuously soft piece of knitwear, a good quality cashmere or cashmere blend should be top of your list.
Cotton, on the other hand, is much more versatile. It can be spun into heavy or extremely fine thread, and then woven or knit into the complete range of textures and patterns, from sheets and napkins to delicate vest tops and chunky knit sweaters. Denim, jersey, poplin, canvas, flannel, rib knit, muslin, towelling … the list goes on – all very different fabrics, all made from cotton.
Hopefully, this article has cleared up any questions you may have if you’re choosing between cotton and cashmere. Of course, every wardrobe should have both in abundance, because they’re quite different and are worn in different ways. But if you’re looking for a specific item, there are always very good reasons to choose one over the other. Now, why not check out our new range?
