Dovetail Workwear partners with The LYCRA Company and Sapphire Finishing Mills to launch a cooler, lighter and more comfortable future for women’s workwear.
Rethinking Lightweight Workwear
For years, we’ve been trying to solve one very specific problem: hot-weather workwear that’s light and breathable while still holding up to the work you do.
We wanted to create gear you could comfortably wear all day, whether you’re gardening, hauling materials, traveling or working in the yard, without feeling overheated, restricted or weighed down by heavy fabric.
That challenge led us to COOLSWAP™.
Developed in collaboration with The LYCRA Company and Sapphire Finishing Mills, COOLSWAP™ combines lightweight ripstop construction with advanced stretch technology to create performance workwear built specifically for movement in warm conditions.
As our founder and product designer Sara DeLuca explains:
“One of the things we hear from women every day is that they cannot find viable, lightweight workwear options. Partnering with The LYCRA Company allowed us to go lighter than ever before without sacrificing durability and deliver a cooler, more comfortable collection made with sustainability in mind.”
So, what exactly is COOLSWAP™?
At its core, COOLSWAP™ is a next-generation performance fabric engineered for demanding, high-heat environments. It is made with LYCRA® EcoMade fiber, a partially recycled material designed to deliver cooling comfort, moisture management, durability and stretch all at once.
LYCRA® EcoMade fiber itself is produced with 70% plant-based content sourced from field corn grown in the U.S. Midwest. It is engineered to offer proven performance while integrating seamlessly into existing manufacturing processes.
The COOLSWAP™ collection also incorporates fabric containing 50% recycled PET diverted from landfills, along with 18% plant-based resources, further reducing environmental impact without compromising functionality.
Performance remains central to the design: COOLSWAP™ fabric wicks moisture, dries quickly, moves with the body, provides UPF 50 sun protection and is built to withstand repeated washing and real-world wear.
To bring this vision to life, Dovetail partnered with Sapphire Finishing Mills, a leading vertically integrated textile manufacturer in Pakistan known for its commitment to sustainable innovation and a workforce that is 90% women. Staying true to our “for women, by women, with women” mantra, the collaboration focused on creating workwear that performs as hard as the people who wear it.
“One of the biggest challenges in workwear is finding fabrics that can actually keep up with real work while minimizing environmental impact in the process,” says Sara DeLuca. “Partnering with LYCRA allowed us to do just that.”
Ebru Ozaydin, Global Product Director and Strategic Marketing Director for Denim, Wovens and Ready-to-Wear at The LYCRA Company, adds: “We are committed to developing resilient fibers that utilize fewer finite resources, provide durability, and advance circularity in fashion.”
Ultimately, COOLSWAP™ is about more than fabric innovation. It reflects our broader commitment to designing workwear that respects our customers while balancing performance, durability and sustainability. As DeLuca puts it, “...it’s about building trust, educating consumers and showing how sustainability can be both aspirational and accessible.”
What’s in the Collection?
The COOLSWAP™ collection includes five pieces:
The Day X COOLSWAP™ Pant
The Christa X DIY COOLSWAP™ Pant
The Compass COOLSWAP™ Cargo Short
The AJ COOLSWAP™ Work Shirt
The Compass COOLSWAP™ Cargo Skort — our first-ever skort!
Every piece was designed, tested and refined with feedback from real women working in the field.
One standout piece, the Compass COOLSWAP™ Cargo Skort, was inspired by our friend and wear-tester Kier Holmes, a gardener, writer, teacher, and photographer whose packed summer schedule demanded something versatile enough to move seamlessly from gardening to photo shoots and everywhere in between.
The collection’s thoughtful functionality comes through in every detail. Take the AJ COOLSWAP™ Work Shirt, which features a hidden chest snap to prevent gaping, armpit and back yoke vents for added breathability, reinforced elbows for durability, adjustable cuff tabs and even a microfiber glasses wipe tucked into the inner hem.
It’s these considered details that prioritize real-world use. The result is a collection built to support women through the pace and unpredictability of their workday.