Open knots, and what goes underneath
Macrame clothing is knotted, not woven, so light passes through it by design. The honest answer to the question everyone asks: what you wear under it depends on how dense the knotting is. The cotton cover-up goes straight over a swimsuit and is meant to. A closer-knotted mini dress carries a slip or a bandeau underneath. The long cover-up dress works over a bikini at the water and over a plain slip dress at dinner, which is the reason a lot of people pack one.
Cotton in the heat
Natural cotton cord dries quickly and does not stick to damp skin the way a lined synthetic does, so air keeps moving through the knots. The open-front kimono is the least demanding piece in the group: it goes over jeans and a tank on a cool evening and over swimwear the rest of the time. Every product page lists chest, waist and full length in inches.
Washing it without losing the fit
Hand wash in cool water with a mild detergent, press the water out through a towel, then dry the garment flat and ease it back to length while it is damp. Wet knots stretch and set as they dry, which is why a piece left on a hanger grows at the shoulders. Heat does the opposite damage: a warm wash or a tumble dryer tightens the knotting and can take a size out of a piece. Salt and chlorine both leave cotton stiff, so rinse a cover-up in fresh water before it dries. Cotton earrings and bracelets from our macrame jewelry pick up the same knotwork.