Friday, August 26, 2016

Serena Slings @ Gold Dust Baby - Review



I  am a total sucker for linen, and Serena Slings are using irish linen to fantastic effect in their beautiful, limited edition blends. Gold Dust Baby sent me a Tyger Breana in size 4 to road-test and report on. Here's what I found...


This wrap is a 55% linen and 45% cotton blend, made of Irish linen, and weighs about 290 GSM. This makes it truly supportive, so even your toddler can be carried with ease.
Due to the linen, this wrap is perfectly suited for those warmer days!


Fresh from the postpak, this wrap can nearly stand up by itself - so of course a wash and dry is the first order of the day. The color gradient absolutely pops, and at 290gsm I have high hopes for texture expanding into a bit of fluff. No disappointment! While the pattern didn't lift a lot, it gave a nice grip and certainly helped to fluff those fibres apart - and over a couple of weeks this REALLY came into it's own. 


The first couple times we used it there was a little crunch and stiffness, but that quickly settled and became much easier to tighten. Tying carries with a slipknot is certainly a speedy way to break in  wrap, and I'm sure nearly 20 kgs on board helped too! 

Why YES, I am rocking a single-shoulder carry. Getting a snug torso pass is a breeze with a mouldable wrap, and this was simply ACE.

Let's talk abut fibre - at 55/45 linen/cotton, we are talking breathable, quite thin in hand, dense and ideal for summer without losing an ounce of support. We rucked, shepherded, DH slung, and I think even FWCC tied in front one day.


High and tight, you say? No problem. Plenty of width to make a four-year-old a good seat, and no dig on the shoulders. 

I have no idea why, but irish linen tends to have a fluffier feel to it. It doesn't seem to flatten and compress so easily - which I think makes it friendlier toward hasty wrapping.
I would like to thank Gold Dust Baby for keeping much extra yarn out of my basket... by keeping small fingers up on my neck and out of all the pretty colors!


Verdict: Summer Stunner. Loved the wrapping qualities, LOVE the aesthetic, very much like the limited runs and Serena stands by single releases, so when Breana is gone, it's gone. (I think there's fifteen Tyger Breana in total, and if you want one you'd better hurry to Gold Dust Baby!)