Fabrics that Help to Save the Earth (Part 1)
Image courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar.
It is almost commonplace for us to give our wardrobe a little update every season, or rather, whenever a major sale takes place. But the question is, have we ever stopped to think about whether our clothes were made at the expense of the environment? It seems like consumers generally focus on other factors when it comes to purchasing garments, like price, fit, and style. Here’s the thing: the fabric of which a garment is made matters more than we think. Every garment has cost the environment in one way or another, from the making of raw materials, to production, laundering, until the end of its life cycle.
As consumers, one of the ways we can make a positive impact on the planet is to shop responsibly and pick fabrics that are made of sustainable materials. Before we buy something new, let’s just take a couple of seconds to look at clothing labels.
What is the garment made of?
Which fabrics are truly sustainable?
Does naturally-derived fabrics always equal good and synthetic equal bad?
We’ve created a one-stop-shop guide on some of the most eco-friendly fabrics, so you can kickstart your sustainable fashion journey. If you haven’t read our article on which fabrics to avoid, check them out here.
Linen
From left to right: Image courtesy of Bo Carter, Vertbaudet, Banana Republic.
Linen has become an eco-friendly staple recently in fashion, and we can see why. Linen is derived from the flax plant, which is a very versatile crop that has been grown for centuries. It is an incredibly productive crop, yielding a substantial amount of fiber, yet requires far less water and minimal pesticides compared to cotton farming. On top of that, it can be cultivated on poor quality soil that’s unsuitable for food production.
Now let’s look at the numerous benefits of linen fabric:
All-natural fiber
Long-lasting and durable, in fact it gets stronger with every wash!
Lightweight, a great option for travel!
Softens and drapes beautifully with age
Breathable
Naturally moth resistant
Doesn’t require pesticides
Absorbent
Antimicrobial, it absorbs moisture without holding bacteria
Fantastic option for all seasons! As it cools you during warmer months, and vice versa, warms you during colder seasons
Fully biodegradable when it’s untreated or dyed
We’d recommend clothes made with organic linen, as they’re free from fertilizers and herbicide.
Hemp
Image courtesy of Ulule.
Hemp is grown from a versatile, yet low maintenance crop in the Cannabis sativa plant family. Now before you exit the blog, thinking hemp is a fabric for marijuana enthusiasts, it’s not! Allow us to dispel the misconceptions and confusions regarding the differences between hemp vs marijuana.
Hemp contains less than 0.3% of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is a psychoactive substance found in marijuana. On the other hand, marijuana contains about 5% - 20% of THC. In other words, hemp is marijuana’s non-psychoactive relative, and wearing garments made from hemp would not give you the “high” associated with marijuana.
Like linen, hemp is much less water-intensive and requires minimal chemical inputs during cultivation. In fact, the high-yield crop can often be grown with rain water, as it only uses about 5% the amount of water required to grow cotton. Hemp can be grown in various soil conditions for many seasons.
All-natural fiber
4x more durable than other natural fibres
Becomes softer with use and frequent wash, creating a fluid drape
Resistant to moths and other insects
Highly resistant to UV light. That means it protects your skin, retains its color better, and less likely to disintegrate in harsh sunlight.
Absorbent
Highly resistant to bacteria, rotting, mold, saltwater, and mildew
Biodegradable
Warms up in winter, and lowers the body’s temperature in summer months like linen!
Overall, it seems like there are many traits that linen and hemp fabric have in common. They’re both strong fibers, have antibacterial properties, are natural insulators, become softer and more lustrous with use, and so much more.
However hemp is a tad better than linen in some ways. Sources have shown that hemp is stronger than linen by up to 8 times! Besides, the moisture retention ability of hemp (12%) is just a smidge more than linen’s (10% - 12%). The lifespan of hemp fabric is the longest of all natural fibers, that makes hemp a truly remarkable fabric for everyday use.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series where we’ll provide you with another in-depth guide to earth-friendly fabrics!
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