Mark Alexander | Elegante

Elegante is a flat woven linen braid from the Accent II collection, made on a narrow loom so the edges finish clean without any heat-sealed selvedge. The face is a close, slightly ribbed weave that catches light only as texture, never as shine, and the hand is dry and a little papery in the way that good undyed linen usually is. It reads as a drawn line rather than a decorative flourish, which is why we reach for it when a curtain or a cushion needs definition but not ornament.

The composition is 100% linen and it is sold by the half metre. There are three colourways, Ecru, Silverbirch and Jasper White, and they sit within a hair's breadth of one another, so choose against the cloth you are trimming rather than in isolation. Ecru is the warmest of the three, Jasper White the coolest and cleanest, Silverbirch the grey-leaning middle. Linen takes dye unevenly by nature, and a faint variation along the length is part of how the braid is made.

We use it most often as a leading-edge trim on plain linen curtains, set back 2 or 3 centimetres from the edge so it draws the eye down the drop. It works equally well outlining a cushion face, or run along the top and bottom of a Roman blind to give the horizontal some weight. Against a heavier wool or a slubby hemp it holds its own without competing. Order a sample to see it in your own light.

For making up, we would hand-sew this one rather than glue it. A flat linen braid stitched down both edges with a matching thread stays flat over time, where adhesive can telegraph through and stiffen the hand. Mitre at corners on a cushion and ease it gently around a curve rather than stretching it. Allow an extra 10 centimetres on every run for returns and for turning the cut ends under.

• Composition: 100% LI (100% linen)
• Sold by: Half metre
• Suitable for: Curtain edges, cushions, blinds, upholstery detail
• Care: Dry clean recommended
• Collection: Accent II, Mark Alexander
• Colourways: 3 (Ecru, Silverbirch, Jasper White)