Linen from the looms of Yunnan
When Sandry Law travels through Yunnan for tea, he doesn’t just cup lots — he follows threads. On a sourcing trip to the mountains west of Kunming he stopped at a small mill where three generations have been weaving linen for local markets. The family still uses shuttle looms from the 1970s, and their undyed flax, imported from northern France but finished in Yunnan’s dry highland air, had a weight and memory unlike anything Sandry had found elsewhere.
He worked with the mill to adapt their fabric for a cha pao — a robe that had to breathe during long gongfu sessions, hide tea drips, and fold neatly into a travel trunk. The pattern was drafted by a Kunming tailor who specializes in traditional scholars’ robes, blending old‑world sleeves with modern, discreet pockets. Every seam is flat‑felled, no raw edges, and the belt loops are reinforced with hidden stitches so the robe stays secure when you lean forward to pour. Sandry insists that the robe be pre‑washed once before it reaches you: it ships soft, not stiff.
The large size (L) fits heights 175–185 cm with a generous sleeve drop. The cut remains unisex; the fabric, alive and changing. This isn’t a costume — it’s a tool for tea service, designed by people who actually pour.