FABRIC TALK
Roma Ponte
Roma ponte is a double-knit, structured and slightly dressier fabric than our comparative stretch jersey pieces.
A firm heavier weight stretch woven it is designed to keep you warm on cool winter days.
A firm stretch woven
The fabric
High quality stretch woven
Roma is a ponte di Roma double-knit. The name means Roman bridge, and it is earned in the construction: the interlocking loops are built like a bridge's arches, and that structure is what holds the cloth steady. It sits firmer and more stable than an ordinary jersey, and its edges hold flat rather than curling. The result is a fabric with a clean line, smooth to the hand, knitted to keep its composure. You put it on in the morning and it looks the same at dinner.
The magic is in the fabric.
PROPERTIES OF ROMA
Double-knit
A ponte di Roma, knitted in two layers for structure and stability. This double-knit construction creates a fabric with refined composure, holding its shape through years of wear while maintaining a luxurious hand-feel.
Holds its hue
Roma ponte retains its colour through countless washes and years of wear, resisting fade and maintaining its depth and richness season after season.
Structured, not stiff
A thicker, firmer weight than the jersey knits making it an exceptional fabric for blazers and pants.
BUILT to last
Thanks to it's firmness and stretch retension, Roma ponte is designed to l ast for years in your wardrobe - remining pill-free.
What the structure gives you
The qualities you feel in the wearing, morning to evening.
MADE TO FLATTER
Holds its shape
Roma holds its shape wear after wear. The elastane gives just enough stretch for comfort, with the recovery to spring back rather than bag out at the knee or seat. Comfort and a tidy silhouette in the same garment.
HOW IT LOOKS
A cleaner line
Roma is the more structured, slightly dressier member of the family. A cleaner line than the jersey knits, it still drapes smoothly over the body rather than clinging.
Warmth
Warmth without weight
Because Roma is knitted in two layers, it traps a little air between them, so it tends to give warmth without the bulk of a weighty garment.
Travel
Travels well
Roma keeps a neat, pressed look and tends to resist wrinkling, so it travels and wears through a long day without creasing out.
Roma, in wear
The structured one in the family
Most of what we make is knitted to feel soft and easy from the first wear. Roma is the piece you reach for when you want a little more line: a slim pant that reads dressier, a structured jacket that holds its shape, a piece that keeps its composure from morning to evening. It is the more tailored member of the wardrobe, made to the same standard as everything else we have made in Christchurch since 1998. The fabric comes first, then the garment, then the decade of wear we design it for. Roma's double-knit structure gives it a refined hand-feel and a subtle weight that distinguishes it from jersey. It suits a woman of 80 who wants to dress and forget about it, and a woman with a 6am flight who wants to arrive uncreased. The same garment serves both. This is what happens when structure meets intention: a piece that looks as carefully made as it feels.
FACT SHEET
The Magic of Roma Ponte
Paula Ryan was founded in 1998 by Paula Ryan, a former Fashion Quarterly editor and the daughter of a Canterbury sheep farmer. The brand has designed and made wardrobe essentials in New Zealand for more than 25 years.
What is ponte di Roma?
It is a thick double-knit fabric, knitted in two interlocking layers. The name means Roman bridge, after the way the loops interlock like a bridge's arches. That construction is what gives Roma its firm, stable structure and its flat, clean edges.
How is Roma different from your jersey pieces?
Roma ponte is more structured and slightly dressier thank our jersey knits. It gives a more tailored line and holds its shape through the day, while still draping smoothly rather than clinging. The firm stretch also pulls the wearer in making them feel pulled togther.
What is Roma made of?
Viscose, nylon, and a small share of elastane. The viscose gives the smooth hand, the nylon gives strength and body, and the elastane gives controlled stretch with good recovery.
Will it lose its shape?
Roma ponte holds its shape wear after wear. The elastane gives the recovery to spring back rather than bag out at the knee or seat. Pants will hold their shape from dawn until dusk.
Does Roma need ironing?
Roma tends to keep a neat, pressed look and to resist creasing through a long day, which is why it travels well. We suggest a light iron on the inside out after washing, when dry.
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