What Is Modal Fabric? Modal vs Viscose, Tencel and Cotton

The Short Answer

Modal is a soft, smooth semi-synthetic fibre made from regenerated wood cellulose, most often beech. It belongs to the rayon family, alongside viscose and lyocell, and is a stronger version of viscose that holds its strength and shape better when wet. Modal fabric feels cool and silky, drapes well and is widely used for T-shirts, underwear, sleepwear and loungewear.

For a brand, modal is a trade-off. It gives a softer hand and better drape than most cotton, and it washes better than regular viscose. It also costs more than commodity fibres, shows sewing faults more easily and needs a controlled finish to stay stable. This guide explains how modal is made, how it compares with viscose, Tencel and cotton, and how to specify it for a factory.

What Is Modal Fabric Made Of?

Modal starts as wood pulp, which is mostly cellulose. The cellulose is dissolved, forced through fine holes and solidified into filament, which is then cut into staple fibre and spun into yarn. Because the fibre begins as a natural polymer but is reformed by an industrial chemical process, it is usually described as semi-synthetic or man-made cellulosic. It is not a natural fibre like cotton, and it is not an oil-based synthetic like polyester.

Beech is the wood most associated with modal, largely because of Lenzing, the Austrian producer whose branded modal is made from beech. Modal from other producers may use other pulp sources, so the origin of the pulp is something to ask about rather than assume.

How Modal Is Made

Modal uses a modified version of the viscose process:

1. Pulping. Wood is broken down and refined into dissolving pulp.

2. Steeping. The pulp is treated with sodium hydroxide.

3. Xanthation. Carbon disulfide converts the cellulose into a compound that dissolves into a thick spinning solution.

4. Spinning. The solution is extruded into an acid bath, where cellulose reforms as filament.

5. Stretching. The filament is stretched during spinning, which aligns the molecules and raises strength.

6. Cutting and washing. The filament is cut to staple length, washed and dried before going to the spinner.

The process conditions are what separate modal from regular viscose. Keeping the cellulose chains longer and stretching the fibre more gives a stronger fibre, particularly when wet. This is why modal is classed as a high-wet-modulus, or HWM, rayon.

Properties of Modal Fabric

Modal vs Viscose vs Tencel vs Cotton

The questions buyers ask most are comparisons. The key differences are below.

Modal vs Viscose

Both are regenerated cellulose made by a related chemical route. Modal is the upgraded version: stronger when wet, more dimensionally stable, and usually softer after repeated washing. Viscose is typically cheaper and is widely available in woven fashion fabrics. If a garment will be washed often, such as underwear or a T-shirt, modal is usually the better fit. If it is a woven dress washed occasionally, viscose may be enough.

Modal vs Tencel

Tencel is a Lenzing brand name, not a fibre type. Most Tencel fabric is lyocell, although Lenzing also sells Tencel-branded modal, so the label needs reading closely. Comparing modal with lyocell, modal tends to feel softer and more fluid, while lyocell is stronger and has a cleaner, slightly crisper hand. Lyocell's process is a closed-loop solvent system, which is the reason it is often preferred in sustainability-led collections.

Modal vs Cotton

Modal is softer, smoother and drapes more than cotton, and it holds colour with more lustre. Cotton is more structured, more tolerant of heat and generally lower in cost. Many brands use a cotton-modal blend to get some of the softness at a lower fibre cost, with a little more body than pure modal. The right blend depends on the handfeel target and the price the style has to hit.

What Is Micromodal?

Micromodal is modal spun as a finer fibre, at roughly 1 dtex compared with roughly 1.3 dtex for standard modal. Finer fibres mean more fibres in the same yarn, which gives a softer, lighter fabric that is often used for underwear, bras and thin base layers. The trade-off is cost, and thin fabrics made from it can be more delicate in sewing and in wear. Micromodal and similar names are often branded, so ask which fibre producer and which quality the mill is actually using.

Common Modal Fabrics and Blends

Most modal is knitted, because knits make the most of its softness and stretch. Common constructions and blends include:

Does Modal Shrink?

Modal shrinks less than regular viscose and is more stable than many unfinished cotton fabrics, but it can still shrink. The result depends on the knit, the finishing and the care it receives. Fabric that has been relaxed and compacted properly behaves far better than fabric that went straight from the dye house to the cutting table.

Treat shrinkage as a specification item and not a fibre promise. Set a maximum dimensional change, name the test method, and test the bulk fabric. Our guide to pre-shrunk cotton explains how those tests work, and the same logic applies to modal.

Is Modal Sustainable?

It depends on the producer. Modal starts from a renewable raw material, but the fibre route uses carbon disulfide, and the impact depends on how the producer handles chemicals, wastewater and pulp sourcing. Two modal fabrics can have very different footprints.

Useful questions for a mill include:

Avoid broad claims such as "eco-friendly" on product pages unless you can substantiate them. Environmental marketing claims need evidence, and a fibre name alone is not evidence.

Common Production Issues With Modal

Modal's softness is what makes it attractive and what makes it harder to handle.

How to Specify Modal Fabric for a Factory

"Soft modal tee" is not a specification. A useful tech pack line covers:

Labelling and Branding Modal

In the US, fibre content labels fall under the FTC's Textile Rules, and rayon is the generic term for regenerated cellulose fibres. Whether a label should read modal or rayon is worth confirming with your compliance adviser before labels are printed, along with the care and country-of-origin details.

TENCEL and LENZING are trademarks of Lenzing AG. If a brand wants to use those names on a hangtag or product page, it should check the brand owner's licensing or approval requirements first, and it needs documentation that the fibre is genuine. Do not use a branded fibre name on the strength of a mill's verbal description.

MOQ and Cost Factors

Modal programmes depend on the fabric as much as the garment. Factors that affect minimums and cost include:

Actual minimums and prices vary by factory and quality, so they should be confirmed in a written quote. Comparing quotes only works when the composition, GSM and finish are the same on each one.

Sourcing Modal Garments in Turkey

Turkey has a large knitting, dyeing and finishing base serving apparel brands, and its garment manufacturers regularly produce knit tops, underwear and loungewear. Which modal qualities and blends a factory can source, and whether they come from stock or through a partner mill, vary by factory, so they should be confirmed at the quote stage along with documentation of the fibre source.

SourceBridge responds to a textile brief within 24 hours with options from 2–3 pre-vetted Turkish factories. The published starting point for textiles is 300 units per style. Samples typically take 7–14 days, plus 5–7 days for international courier, and production typically runs 4–8 weeks depending on product complexity, with a pre-shipment inspection against the approved sample before goods leave the factory. Our guides on how to find a clothing manufacturer and clothing manufacturers for startups cover the steps before and after the specification.

FAQ: Modal Fabric

What is modal fabric?

Modal is a soft semi-synthetic fabric made from regenerated wood cellulose, often beech. It is a high-wet-modulus type of rayon: stronger when wet and more stable than regular viscose. It is widely used for T-shirts, underwear and sleepwear.

Is modal a natural fibre?

Not fully. Modal is made from natural cellulose, but that cellulose is dissolved and reformed in an industrial process. It is usually called semi-synthetic or man-made cellulosic, not natural like cotton and not fully synthetic like polyester.

Is modal better than cotton?

Neither is better in every case. Modal is softer, smoother and drapes more, while cotton is more structured, tolerates heat better and usually costs less. Many brands blend the two for softness with more body.

What is the difference between modal and viscose?

Both are regenerated cellulose fibres made by related processes. Modal is processed to be stronger when wet, so it tends to hold its shape and softness better through washing. Viscose is usually lower in cost and more common in woven fashion fabrics.

Is modal the same as Tencel?

Not exactly. Tencel is a Lenzing brand name used mainly for lyocell, which is made by a different solvent process. Lenzing also sells Tencel-branded modal, so check whether a label says Tencel Lyocell or Tencel Modal.

Does modal shrink?

It can, but usually less than regular viscose. Shrinkage depends on the knit, the finish and the care. Set a maximum dimensional change in the specification and test the bulk fabric.

Is modal breathable?

Generally yes. As a cellulosic fibre, modal absorbs moisture and is comfortable in warm weather, particularly in light knits. The fabric weight and construction matter as much as the fibre.

What is micromodal?

Micromodal is modal made from finer fibres, which gives a softer, lighter fabric often used for underwear and base layers. It usually costs more and can be more delicate to sew.