There is a particular feeling — the one that comes from pulling on something so soft it barely registers against your skin — that is difficult to describe until you've experienced it. That feeling has a name: TENCEL™ Modal fabric. A wood-based fiber made from a natural, renewable raw material sourced from responsibly managed forests and produced by the Austrian company Lenzing AG, TENCEL™ Modal is the buttery soft, breathable fabric at the heart of Eberjey's Gisele pajamas. Made with highly resource-efficient technology, with high recovery rates of chemicals, and verified by OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 in Eberjey's Gisele TENCEL™ Modal Long PJ Set, it is the fabric Eberjey chose when it upgraded its Gisele pajamas, first released in modal in 2005. After two decades of making Gisele, we know why it feels different from everything else you own.
What Exactly Is TENCEL™ Modal, and Where Does It Come From?
Not all Modal fabric is the same. The TENCEL™ brand name belongs specifically to Lenzing AG, an Austrian fiber company known for its wood-based fibers. When you see "TENCEL™ Modal" on a garment label — as you do on Eberjey's hero product, the Gisele TENCEL™ Modal Long PJ Set (95% LENZING TENCEL™ Modal, 5% elastane) — it signals Lenzing's branded fiber, made from wood sourced from responsibly managed forests.
From Forest to Fabric
The journey begins with wood from responsibly managed forests, from FSC® or PEFC certified or controlled sources. The wood becomes dissolving wood pulp, which Lenzing turns into cellulosic fibers that are spun into yarn and knit into the fabric you eventually pull on before bed.
What separates Lenzing's process from generic modal production is its resource efficiency. Lenzing describes the process as highly resource-efficient technology with high recovery rates of chemicals. The result is a responsibly made fiber with a beautifully soft hand feel.
How Does TENCEL™ Modal Compare to Cotton, Silk, and Bamboo?
The short answer: TENCEL™ Modal has a smooth, buttery hand and a temperature-regulating feel, drapes beautifully, is machine washable, and comes from a branded fiber source.
TENCEL™ Modal vs. Cotton
Cotton is breathable and familiar. TENCEL™ Modal offers a different feel: Eberjey describes it as silky-smooth and breathable, in a temperature-regulating knit.
TENCEL™ Modal also has a notably soft hand. According to Lenzing, the fiber's cross-section and tenacity favor fabric softness.
TENCEL™ Modal vs. Silk
Silk has long been synonymous with luxury sleepwear — Eberjey's Washable Silk is 100% mulberry silk, described as thermoregulating, and it is made to be machine washable. TENCEL™ Modal is machine washable, its fibers withstand repeated washing and drying cycles, and it comes from a renewable raw material.
TENCEL™ Modal vs. Bamboo
According to the US Federal Trade Commission, most textiles marketed as bamboo are actually rayon and should be labeled as rayon made from bamboo, so it's worth reading the label and checking for independent certification. Eberjey's Gisele TENCEL™ Modal Long PJ Set is verified by OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, meaning it's dyed with safe and non-toxic dyes.
Why Is TENCEL™ Modal So Soft?
According to Lenzing, the softness starts with the fiber: the cross-section of TENCEL™ Modal fibers and their tenacity favor fabric softness.
The fibers are made to withstand repeated washing and drying, which is one reason a well-loved Gisele PJ Set can stay a favorite. The Gisele TENCEL™ Modal Long PJ Set has more than 1,400 five-star reviews.
Is TENCEL™ Modal Sustainable?
Sustainability claims in fashion are often vague. Lenzing publishes specific claims for TENCEL™ Modal.
The Raw Material
Wood for Lenzing's TENCEL™ Modal comes from FSC® or PEFC certified or controlled sources. It is a natural and renewable raw material, carefully sourced from responsibly managed forests.
The Manufacturing Process
Lenzing reports that carbon emissions and water consumption for TENCEL™ Modal are at least 50% lower compared to generic modal fibers. The Gisele TENCEL™ Modal Long PJ Set is verified by OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, meaning it's dyed with safe and non-toxic dyes.
Longevity as Sustainability
Caring for a garment well keeps it in your rotation longer, and Lenzing notes that TENCEL™ Modal fibers withstand repeated washing and drying cycles.
How Should You Care for TENCEL™ Modal Fabric?
A few simple habits help it last. The washing, drying and ironing steps come from the Gisele TENCEL™ Modal Long PJ Set care label.
Washing
Turn inside out and machine wash cold with like colors on a gentle cycle. Use only non-chlorine bleach when needed.
Drying
Tumble dry low.
Ironing
If needed, use a warm iron.
Storing
Store folded in a drawer.
Who Should Wear TENCEL™ Modal?
The honest answer: almost everyone. But certain sleepers find TENCEL™ Modal particularly transformative.
If you have sensitive skin, you may appreciate the smooth surface and the reassurance of fabric verified by OEKO-TEX® Standard 100.
Warm sleepers may like Eberjey's TENCEL™ Modal, which is described as breathable, in a temperature-regulating knit.
Those who care about the world they're dressing for can feel confident in a fiber made from wood from FSC® or PEFC certified or controlled sources, with a manufacturing process Lenzing describes as having high recovery rates of chemicals.
Those who want effortless everyday luxury — which is Eberjey's core woman — find that TENCEL™ Modal delivers the softness of considered, high-end fabric with the washability and durability of everyday wear. You simply wear it, wash it on a gentle cycle, and reach for it again tomorrow.
What Makes Eberjey's Use of TENCEL™ Modal Different?
TENCEL™ Modal is Lenzing's branded modal fiber, and Eberjey has built its best-selling Gisele collection around it.
Eberjey was founded in Miami in 1996 by Ali Mejia and Mariela Rovito as a response to a sleepwear and lingerie market that prioritized aesthetics over comfort. The Gisele PJ Set, now the brand's iconic enduring style, was designed to be the pajama you actually live in — not the one you fold neatly in a drawer. Gisele began in modal in 2005, and Eberjey has since upgraded it to TENCEL™ Modal, which the brand says comes from raw beech tree pulp.
The Gisele comes in a range of colorways and prints, made in TENCEL™ Modal, and the Gisele TENCEL™ Modal Long PJ Set is verified by OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. The Rosalia TENCEL™ Modal Bralette is made in TENCEL™ Modal too — it is not a single product decision, but a material philosophy that runs through much of what Eberjey makes.
The softer side of life is a choice. And it begins with what you wear to bed.
Frequently asked questions
What is TENCEL™ Modal fabric?
TENCEL™ Modal is a wood-based cellulosic fiber made by Lenzing from a natural, renewable raw material sourced from responsibly managed forests. It has a smooth, buttery hand and a breathable, temperature-regulating feel, and it is the fabric of Eberjey's Gisele pajamas.
Is TENCEL™ Modal the same as regular modal?
TENCEL™ Modal is Lenzing's branded modal fiber. Lenzing reports that its carbon emissions and water consumption are at least 50% lower compared to generic modal fibers, and the wood comes from FSC® or PEFC certified or controlled sources.
Is TENCEL™ Modal sustainable?
TENCEL™ Modal is made from a renewable raw material using highly resource-efficient technology with high recovery rates of chemicals. Because the fibers withstand repeated washing and drying, a well-made set also lasts, which is its own kind of sustainability.
How do you wash TENCEL™ Modal pajamas?
Turn them inside out and machine wash cold with like colors on a gentle cycle, using only non-chlorine bleach when needed. Tumble dry low and use a warm iron if needed.
What Eberjey pajamas are made from TENCEL™ Modal?
The Gisele, the PJ that started it all, is made from TENCEL™ Modal with a touch of elastane, verified by OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. Eberjey's men's William and Henry sets, kids' TENCEL™ Modal PJs and Gisele pet PJs are made in TENCEL™ Modal too.
