From Yunnan flax to your tea room
Sandry Law first encountered the coarse, golden flax on a sourcing trip to the hills north of Dali. A small weaving cooperative — three generations of the same family — had been producing narrow-width linen for household use since the 1950s, but never for clothing. Sandry brought a sample back to Kunming and, together with a local tailor, worked over three months to translate the traditional cha pao silhouette into a pattern that could be cut from their hand-loomed cloth. The result is a robe that wears like a second skin: no darts, no buttons, just a single continuous piece folded and secured with side-knots. Every robe is cut to order, minimising waste, and each one passes through the same hands that wove the fabric. We chose medium weight linen — 680 grams — so it drapes well yet resists creasing during long sessions. The fit is designed for heights 165–175 cm, with an oversized cut that accommodates the forward lean of pouring. When you receive it, the robe is already pre-washed for softness; you need only to brew your first pot.