Given the current global climate situation, it has become incumbent on everyone to join in and help save the world from the brink of extinction. However large or small your contribution it all helps – together we are stronger. No one person can change the world but if every one of us starts with a small contribution such as just considering what we use, eat, even whatever we wear. All of these things require chemicals to give them a shape, size and taste whether it is pesticide, fertilizer or processing chemicals they all eventually find their way into our soil and waterways and cause untold damage to the environment. It is imperative that we stop, think and act when selecting our food, clothing and other goods and choose items that are better for our bodies, better for the environment and make a positive contribution to stopping and hopefully reversing the damage to our planet.
Starting with a look at synthetic fabrics – these provided a massive shift in fashion trends and were viewed as a technological breakthrough and have been used for decades in changing the shape of fashion across the world. We have moved from buying clothing that lasts for many years (in some cases, generations!) to clothing that is often worn once and then discarded. These discarded fabrics lie thick and still in our land fill sites and will take 1,000’s of years to even start to breakdown.
It is time we moved ‘back to the future’, re-adopting the natural fibres of old and developing these to be more appealing and fashion worthy. Large strides have been made in this direction with natural hemp – new hemp fabrics are as fine as linen and silk and are much stronger and more durable. Hemp is also beneficial for the land on which it is grown, reinvigorating the soil for future crops and requires zero (yes, zero!) chemicals – no pesticides, no fertilizer and about 1/3 of the water that cotton requires.
And to cap it all off, we can buy hemp fabrics and hemp clothing online from the comfort of our own armchair further reducing our carbon footprint. Fashion should not be about cheap, flashy synthetic clothing, it needs to be a life choice – make yours and change to natural fibre online shopping and make a lasting change that will benefit us all.
What Natural Fabrics really are?
Natural fabrics are textiles made out of natural fiber. These are mainly derived from plants but also from some animals (wool etc). Natural Fabrics have been made and used for thousands of years to make clothes, interiors, accessories, furnishings and many more.
The most commonly known natural fibers are:
Cotton – the world’s most popular natural fiber derived from the cotton plant
Bamboo – soft and moisture wicking fibre which is gaining popularity
Flax – a very sturdy vegetable fiber and is considered one of the oldest (Linen)
Jute – known for its strength is used to make sackcloth and rope.
Coir – coarse and short fiber from coconuts
Hemp – fiber from the cannabis sativa plant – the most up and coming of the natural fibres.
Manufacturing process
Every natural fabric is manufactured in a slightly different way. Usually, fibres are spun to make thread, filaments and rope. The next process involves weaving, knitting, bonding then and they become the natural materials that we are acquainted with. It all starts with how the fibre is extracted and treated to make it into a thread or yarn. However, the extraction process is different for plant derived and animal derived fiber. Plant fibres are the ones which are harvested form specific plant or crop and the process followed to obtain the fibre is as follows:
1. Fibres are initially spun to make yarns,
2. The yarns are weaved or knitted to transform it to textiles,
3. Textiles are given the finishing touch to make them more useful for their intended purpose.
Natural fibres have a myriad of properties and because they are produced sustainably, natural fibres are gaining recognition from all parts of the globe.
The major properties of natural fiber
Natural fibers have the following properties:
Tensile strength, Durability, Sustainability, Antibacterial, Biodegradable, Hypoallergenic, Versatility, Mould & Moisture resistant, Breathable, Absorbant.
These are the qualities which are not really present in synthetic fibres. The breathability of natural fibres make them a class apart when used in hot, wet, dry and cold climates. Natural fabrics are, at times blended with other fibres to bring out the characteristics of each fibre and enhance the quality of the finished fabric. On their own the natural fibres are an excellent choice, but when working together qualities are multiplied and the results are astonishing.
To conclude, switching to online natural fibre clothing is beneficial in a lot more ways than you can imagine. Once you shift to natural fabrics, you’ll change in the way you experience clothing for ever.
