Q&A
Everything you might want to know about AWAN.
From fabric and fit to washing, shipping and why we design clothes differently.
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What is As We Are Now?
As We Are Now, or AWAN, is a fashion and wellness brand creating premium, exceptionally comfortable and versatile clothes for modern women.
We have created a modular wardrobe that flows and drapes effortlessly around the body, designed for freedom of shape and movement.
With radical sustainability in mind, we chose to build our entire core collection around one carefully selected fibre: TENCEL™ Lyocell. Designed in Norway. Made in Portugal.
Feels like skincare. Looks like fashion.
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What makes AWAN different?
AWAN might be the most uncompromising fashion you can put on your skin when it comes to mind, body and planet wellbeing.
Plastic-free. Highly breathable. Second-skin soft. Frictionless enough to sleep in. Polished enough to wear to a party.
We combine the ease we associate with loungewear and activewear with the polish of fashion, without relying on synthetic performance blends.
The result is a wardrobe designed around softness, movement, versatility and changing bodies. Wear the pieces separately or together. At home, to work, travelling, out for dinner, on the school run, to a meeting, after yoga or straight to a party.
Rest. Work. Play. Repeat.
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What are AWAN clothes made from?
Our core collection is made from 100% TENCEL™ Lyocell jersey, a cellulosic fibre made from wood pulp.
We chose TENCEL™ Lyocell because it delivers something rare: exceptional softness and fluidity alongside breathability, moisture management and beautiful drape.
And because our jersey performs without needing polyester, nylon or elastane, we can keep the fabric mono-material.
One fabric. One fibre. No compromise.
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What does TENCEL™ Lyocell feel like?
The short answer? Really, really good.
Silky, smooth, fluid and exceptionally soft against bare skin. It has weight without heaviness and drape without the cling of conventional stretch jersey.
Put AWAN on and you'll often notice that the fabric initially feels cool against the skin. TENCEL™ Lyocell is highly breathable and manages moisture effectively, helping create a comfortable microclimate next to the body.
That's what we mean by second-skin comfort.
A few reasons we're obsessed with it:
Breathable -The fibre's moisture-management properties help move moisture away from the skin.
Temperature regulating - Breathability and moisture management help the fabric feel comfortable across changing temperatures.
Exceptionally soft - A smooth fibre surface creates the silky, low-friction feel that makes AWAN feel so different against bare skin.
Moisture managing - TENCEL™ Lyocell absorbs and releases moisture efficiently, helping the fabric stay comfortable next to the body.
Plastic-free - Our core jersey is 100% TENCEL™ Lyocell, without polyester, nylon or elastane.
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Is AWAN plastic-free?
Our core fabric is.
AWAN's TENCEL™ Lyocell jersey contains no polyester, nylon or elastane. Instead of blending cellulosic fibres with plastic to create stretch and performance, we use the knitted construction of the jersey and the design of the garments themselves to create movement.
That also means our core fabric remains mono-material rather than becoming a difficult-to-separate fibre blend.
One fabric. One fibre. No compromise.
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Are AWAN clothes designed for changing bodies?
Absolutely. Because bodies change. All the time.
Across a day, a month, a pregnancy, menopause and a lifetime, women's bodies don't remain static. Yet most fashion is still designed as if they do.
We favour wrap constructions. Adjustable waists. Fluid silhouettes. Stretch created through knit rather than elastane. Generous shapes that can be belted, wrapped, layered and worn loose.
AWAN is designed to move with your body rather than asking your body to fit the clothes.
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Can I wear AWAN during pregnancy and postpartum?
Yes. In fact, this is where some of our designs really come into their own.
The Wrap Dress and Wrap Cardigans adjust with the body rather than closing at one fixed point, while our fluid tops, pants and kaftans leave space for bodies to change.
Wrap styles also give you easy access for breastfeeding, without needing clothes specifically designed as nursing wear.
And when you're holding a baby against your body for hours every day, what your clothes are made from suddenly matters even more. Our core TENCEL™ Lyocell jersey contains no polyester, nylon or elastane, so the fabric itself isn't a source of synthetic microplastic fibre shedding against your baby's skin.
The idea isn't to create clothes you need for one short life stage. It's to create clothes that can stay with you through it.
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What about perimenopause and menopause?
Although AWAN isn't specifically designed as “menopause clothing”, it is most definitely designed to be the clothes you reach for when comfort goes from being nice to have to need to have.
Breathability. Temperature comfort. Softness against increasingly sensitive skin. Nothing rigid digging into your waist. Layers you can put on and take off. Clothes that still make you feel beautifully dressed when your body doesn't feel quite like the one you knew.
That's AWAN territory.
The idea is to design clothes that move with you through every stage of life.
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How does AWAN fit?
Easy, fluid and forgiving.
AWAN isn't built around holding the body in. We design around movement and drape, with relaxed silhouettes and adjustable constructions throughout the collection.
That also means one AWAN size can often accommodate more variation in body shape than a conventionally tailored garment.
You'll find specific sizing information on each product page. And if you're between sizes, ask us. We'd much rather help you get it right the first time.
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What's the difference between AWAN 170, 200 and 250?
The numbers refer to the weight of our jersey, measured in grams per square metre or gsm. Same fibre, but a different weight, drape and feel.
AWAN 170 is our lightest jersey. Airy, fluid and exceptionally soft. It's the one for warmer days, layering and pieces where we want maximum lightness and movement.
AWAN 200 is our signature mid-weight jersey. Still beautifully fluid and second-skin soft, but with a little more weight and coverage. An easy year-round fabric.
AWAN 250 is our most substantial jersey. It has more weight, structure and coverage while keeping the softness, movement and beautiful drape that define AWAN.
Same fibre. Same philosophy. Three different weights.
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Where should I start with AWAN?
If you want to understand AWAN in one piece, start with The Wrap Dress.
It's our signature for a reason: adjustable, incredibly soft, fluid around the body, with pockets and enough polish to go almost anywhere.
Want separates? Start with Flow Pants + Flow Top for an effortless head-to-toe set, or throw a Wrap Cardigan over clothes you already own.
Discovering AWAN is about building a wardrobe with pieces that allow you to feel good about yourself.
As you are. Now.
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Is AWAN loungewear?
Yes. And soft activewear. And sleepwear. And workwear. And resort wear. And occasion wear.
The whole point is that you shouldn't need separate wardrobes for every occasion or activity.
If your clothes look chic, feel great on your body, allow freedom of movement and are made from a high-performance fabric, why shouldn't you be able to do almost anything in them?
We designed AWAN to blur the lines between all those traditional clothing categories. Wear the same Flow Pants curled up on the sofa, travelling, walking to yoga, working from a café or out for dinner. Wear the Wrap Dress barefoot at home and with heels to a party.
We call it wellness fashion. Clothes designed with your mind and body wellbeing in mind, without looking like wellness clothes.
Rest. Work. Play. Same wardrobe.
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Can I really sleep in it and wear it to a party?
That's kind of the point.
We've worn AWAN barefoot at home, on overnight flights, to meetings, through long dinners and dressed up for parties.
Change your shoes. Add jewellery. Wrap it differently. Layer it. Belt it. Don't belt it.
Same clothes. Different life.
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Is AWAN good for travel?
Very.
It's soft enough for the flight, polished enough when you land and versatile enough that you don't need to pack an outfit for every part of the day.
The jersey is relatively crease resistant, layers beautifully and can change character with very little styling.
Pack less. Wear more.
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How do I wash AWAN?
In the washing machine is fine. Who has time for handwash after all.
Just make sure to wash at a maximum of 30°C / 90°F on a delicate cycle, preferably with a gentle detergent. A mesh laundry bag gives the fabric some extra protection.
Skip the tumble dryer. Hang or lay flat to dry and steam lightly if needed.
But most importantly: don't overwash it.
TENCEL™ Lyocell is highly breathable and manages moisture extremely well, so AWAN often doesn't need washing simply because you've worn it a few times. Hang it up. Air it. Smell it. Then decide.
We've become so used to automatically throwing worn clothes into the laundry basket that we barely think about whether they're actually dirty.
Save yourself the laundry. Save water and energy. And help your clothes live longer.
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Where is AWAN made?
Designed in Norway. Made in Portugal.
Our core collection is produced in Portugal from TENCEL™ Lyocell jersey, working with specialist European manufacturers.
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Is AWAN sustainable?
We know sustainability is an overused word and has almost lost its meaning by now.
But we dare to say that few fashion brands take it as seriously as we do.
We use one core mono-material rather than complicated fibre blends. We don't use polyester, nylon or elastane in our core jersey. We design seasonless pieces intended to be worn frequently, styled differently and used across more parts of your life.
We produce in small batches and use on-demand production to avoid making clothes nobody asked for.
And increasingly, we're designing the business itself around circular principles, because we don't think the value of a garment should end with its first owner.
For us sustainability isn't a capsule collection, a recycled label or a marketing campaign. It's a design brief for the whole business.
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Why do you use preorders?
Because guessing how many clothes the world needs one year in advance is a pretty strange business model.
Preorder allows us to make more closely in response to actual demand instead of producing large quantities and hoping they sell.
Some AWAN pieces are available immediately from stock. Others are made on demand or available for preorder, with the expected delivery time shown on the product page.
Less overproduction. Less waste. More intention.
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Do you ship worldwide?
Yes.
UK and international orders are shipped from our UK warehouse partner. Norwegian orders are shipped locally from Oslo.
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Will I pay VAT or customs?
For UK and Norwegian orders, VAT is included and you shouldn't receive an additional VAT or customs charge on delivery.
For EU and other international destinations, local import VAT, customs duties or handling charges may apply.
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How much is shipping?
UK: £4.95 / free over £200
Norway: 99 NOK
EU including Nordics: £14.95
US + rest of world: £18
UK delivery is normally 2–5 business days after fulfilment. If you're ordering a preorder piece, you'll see its expected delivery time on the product page.
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What is your return policy?
You have 14 days from delivery to return eligible items.
They need to come back unworn, unwashed and in their original condition with tags attached. Return shipping is normally paid by the customer unless something is faulty.
Email support@aswearenow.co to arrange a return.
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I still don't know what to choose. Can I ask a human?
Please do.
We're founder-led, not a faceless fashion machine. If you're wondering about size, fit, fabric, what works for your body or whether you really need that second Wrap Dress, ask us.
We would much rather help you find something you'll wear again and again than sell you the wrong thing.