Fabric

Bamboo

Bamboo is incredibly soft, making it ideal for baby clothes, snuggly fleece bathrobes, and knits worn right next to the skin. The finished fabric is silky and drapes beautifully. It doesn’t stick to the skin in hot weather. The fabric launders well in the washer and dryer. It’s naturally more wrinkle-resistant than cotton or hemp, and also warmer. Bamboo fibers do not need to be mercerized. Bamboo is good for all seasons: it’s breathable in warm weather and keeps the wearer warm in cool weather. For knitters, bamboo yarns are soft and luxurious to work with, and offer an affordable alternative to knitting with cashmere or other super-soft animal fibers. Summer knitting isn’t just the realm of cotton anymore.


bamboo and sustainability

The bamboo plant (technically a grass) is an excellent example of sustainability – bamboo grows tall and fast, requiring little water and no pesticides. Anyone who has ever tried to get rid of bamboo from their yard knows how resilient it can be! The plant doesn’t deplete the soil where it is grown, and it even absorbs more carbon dioxide than a tree of similar size. Bamboo is a real alternative to wood, and many producers now use bamboo for flooring, furniture, dishware, and other products as well as textiles.

In order to make bamboo into yarn, the stalks are liquefied and then extruded by machine through spinnerets into threads, which are then spun into yarn. The process is similar to how rayon is made, so sometimes bamboo textiles are referred to as “bamboo rayon” or “bamboo viscose”. Other cellulosics (fibers derived from cellulose) such as lyocell (made from wood pulp) and modal (made from beechwood) are processed this way also.

Some people are concerned about the production of bamboo textiles because the process uses caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), which is dangerous in large quantities. Our fabric suppliers work closely with manufacturers to ensure that the fabrics are made with minimal environmental impact. They use advanced wastewater treatment systems and have strict controls on exhaust emissions.

It is possible to make bamboo fibers from the plant’s stalk, rather than from pulp (the way hemp and linenare made), but currently few manufacturers are doing this, and true bamboo linen (as it would be called) is rare. Many people agree that right now, bamboo viscose is clearly a more sustainable choice than conventional cotton; we hope that market demand will lead to further research on cost-effective ways to process bamboo without chemicals, to fully harness the promise of this fast-growing crop.

Hemp

The beneficial qualities and uses of hemp have been widely documented: it’s a hardy and fast-growing plant, inexpensive to grow and beneficial for the land. Hemp fibers and seeds have thousands of uses, from textiles to building materials, bath and body products to nutritional supplements.

Unfortunately, because hemp is a variety of Cannabis sativa L., and a relative of marijuana, it is currently illegal to grow hemp in the US.

fiber characteristics

Hemp has a long and important role in the history of textiles. Because of its strength and durability, the fiber was primarily used for heavy-duty fabrics such as sails (the word “canvas” is derived from “cannabis”).

Today, hemp fabrics are as diverse as the people who wear them. Hemp fans love the fabric for many reasons: hemp fabrics soften with washing and wearing, becoming even more comfortable over time. hemp fiber is naturally mildew-resistant, antimicrobial, UV protecting and even fireproof! hemp fibers have exceptional durability and strength, so they won’t tear or abrade even with frequent use. modern hemp and hemp blend fabrics include linen, silk, jersey, denim, fleece, french terry, and of course, canvas hemp launders beautifully, with no special care required (go ahead, put it in the washer & dryer!) hemp is less prone to wrinkling than linen

naturally sustainable

Hemp plants grow extremely fast, and do well in almost any climate. The same components that make hemp fabrics anti-bacterial and mildew-resistant also make the crop naturally resistant to pests. Hemp requires no or very little use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or even fertilizer. It’s also resistant to weeds because it grows so fast and tall, blocking out sunlight to smaller plants.

Unlike more delicate fibers such as flax, hemp can be grown in the same field year after year with no negative impact on the land (flax crops must be rotated in order to prevent soil nutrient depletion). Its long root system aerates the soil and helps control topsoil erosion.

Industrial hemp is grown in over 30 countries, and the United States is the largest consumer market for its products.

Organic Linen

Linen fabric is made from the flax plant. Like hemp, linen is a bast fiber, derived from the inner bark of the plant stalk. The flax plant also produces flaxseed oil (a health supplement full of omega-3 fatty acids) and linseed oil.

Woven linen is crisp, flowing, and lightweight. The fibers are inelastic so the fiber doesn’t drape much, but the crispness is what makes it so elegant. Linen is absorbent, and it conducts heat away from the body, making it an ideal fabric for warm weather. Because of the length of the fibers, linen fabric is very strong (much stronger than cotton). Linen wrinkles easily, and creases can be hard to remove. It’s easier to iron when slightly damp. Linen fabrics are machine washable, and soften over time. Mildew and perspiration can damage the fabric, but it is resistant to moths.

conventional vs. organic linen

In order to remove the long flax fibers from the plant stalks, the stems are “retted” (rotted), which can be done with chemicals, in water, or with dew. After the fiber is retted from the stalk, a labor-intensive process of cleaning and straightening the fibers begins, and finally the fibers are spun into yarn.

The retting process is often done in rivers, lakes or man-made ponds, and is very environmentally damaging. If the leftover water is returned to rivers or the ground, it carries chemicals with it that contaminate the water and endanger wildlife. Western Europe now permits only dew-retting due to pollution.

Organic linen is dew-retted, using only moisture and sunlight. The process takes longer and is more labor-intensive, but it’s worth the effort.

In addition, organic linen doesn’t use herbicides to control weeds (flax is susceptible to weeds).

Soy

Soy is sometimes referred to as “vegetarian cashmere” because of its incredible softness and luxurious hand. Soy is softer than cotton and more durable, so it makes a great choice for garments that hug the skin (camisoles, yoga pants, undies, etc.). It’s also warm and absorbent, even though lightweight, so it makes a great all-season knitted sweater or fleece pullover.

In fabric, soy is often blended with other fibers to make linen weaves, jersey, french terry, and many other styles of fabric.

Soy yarns are also soft, luxurious feeling, and a joy to knit with.

made from tofu

Soy is the ultimate sustainable fiber — it’s made from discarded tofu! Leftovers from tofu manufacturing are gathered up, liquefied, and extruded through spinnerets to create filaments which are then spun into fine yarns. The process is very similar to how bamboo fibers are spun.

Interestingly, Henry Ford first investigated the use of soy in textiles for his automobiles in the 1940′s, but the arrival of synthetics on the scene caused this effort to fade away. Now, manufacturers and consumers are looking for more sustainable sources for their textiles, and soy has been “rediscovered.”

Organic Cotton

imported organic cotton products 

Organic cotton is an ecologically responsible fiber.

Unlike conventional cotton, which uses more chemicals than any other crop, it is never genetically modified and does not use polluting chemicals found in pesticides, herbicides and many fertilizers.

Integrated soil and pest management techniques—such as crop rotation and introducing natural predators of cotton pests—are also practiced in organic cotton cultivation.

All organic cotton producers must meet GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) standards in their cultivation and production practices. Both the land and crops must be inspected and certified each year.

The organic fabrics we use are certified by Control Union, IMO and NOP, to name a few.

local organic cotton products 

This fabric is produced in Australia from certified organic cotton imported from India and Turkey.

Each cotton bale is tested and classed by an independent body for its quality by the Australian Classing Services based in Narrabri, and the yarn is spun and certified by the the Control Union (formerly SKAL) based in Victoria.


Sourced from www.purepod.com.au/ethical-fashion/fabrics/