Fabrics DNA

Let’s face it, as fashionistas we love keeping up with the colors, silhouettes and statement pieces of the season. But, how well do we know the building blocks of all the collections? Yes we are talking fabrics here.
Throughout the years the fashion industry has come up with more and more fabric alternatives which in a way have helped to tackle the issues related to sustainability in terms of the energy/water footprint that their production involves but also regarding their disposal.
However, it is important to be aware that although these are good attempts to find solutions, in the end, we as consumers have a very important role in making the industry much more sustainable with our habits. But more on that later.

In general terms we have two major groups of fabrics: natural and synthetics. Natural fabrics are typically harvested from plants or animals (such as cotton and wool) and are a 100% biodegrable. On the other hand, synthetics are a 20th century invention (like nylon or rayon) and are not biodegrable, hence the importance of recycling instead of merely throwing them away! Now, let’s go over some fabric examples in order to know their sustainability potential:

Cotton comes from a plant which produces little fluffy balls of fibers, it has been around for a long time and it is one of the most used fabrics- especially for denim. On the brightside cotton is breathable, can have a great feel and texture BUT it takes a huge amount of water to grow it. At the same time, pesticides and fertilizers might be used to grow this crop. However, as an alternative, organic cotton has come into scene where it is guaranteed not to use chemicals that will damage the environment. Although that’s certainly an improvement, either organic or not, the cotton production keeps requiring huge amounts of water and vast lands to grow (which could be used to harvest food instead).  This is definitely something to keep in mind as water and food are becoming more and more scarce.

Bamboo also comes from a plant which can be turned into fabric. Compared to cotton it doesn’t need a large area to grow, grows very quickly and requires very little water. Bamboo fabric is used for a range of clothing and because of its antimicrobial properties, is ideal for active wear.  It dries quite fast and it is very soft. Despite all these advantages, a lot of energy is employed in the production of the bamboo fibers.

Hemp comes from a cannabis plant. Like bamboo, hemp grows very quickly, requires little water and it is said to be stronger than cotton fiber; meaning that  when recycled it produces a better quality of recycled material .Hemp doesn’t attract insects so there is no need to use chemicals.

Nylon is a synthetic fabric made from petroleum products. It is light weight, has incredible tensile strength, durability, resistance to damage and takes dye easily. However, it has a very slow decay rate, which unfortunately results in the accumulation of unwanted products in landfills around the world. (So please, recycle!)

Polyester comes from polymers and includes naturally occurring chemicals, such as in the cutin of plant cuticles, as well as synthetics. Although polyester has improved wrinkle resistance, durability and high color retention, its main disadvantages are that polyester does not breathe and it is not environmentally friendly. As an attempt to minimize the impact of polyester, now fabric is made from recycled polyester (PET) which makes use of old plastic bottles and bags. (Once again, please recycle!)

Additionally to these fabrics, we have seen in past years more alternatives come into the market which seek to be environmentally friendly and have a much more sustainable approach. To mention some we have:
Seacell, made from seaweed and wood pulp -it is biodegradable and breathable fabric making it great for gym clothes.
Tencel, semi-synthetic fiber with properties almost identical to cotton manufactured from Eucalyptus trees -which grow fast and without pesticides or insecticides. Its production consumes 80% less water than cotton production!
Plus, fabrics are being developed from banana stems, pineapple leaves and coconut husks!

So there you have it! Next time you go shopping, just take a few minutes to check the label and make sure that your clothes will not end up in a landfill when you dispose of them!

//G.C.