What are the Most Sustainable Clothing Fabrics?

Raising awareness about the importance of eco-friendly behavior is one of the vital tasks we have today.

It doesn’t come as surprise that fashion industry is also trying to keep up with the global trends and contribute to the overall efforts to use more sustainable materials and adopt better business and production policies.

As we are a consumer society, buying clothes is one of our regular activities, even a daily one for some.

That’s why sustainable clothing fabrics represent the future of fashion.

And fashion is one of the greatest ways to reach millions of people and make a statement that won’t go unnoticed.

What is Sustainable Fashion?

Sustainable fashion starts long before the decision to reuse a dress or a pair of jeans.

It covers the whole process — from producing any kind of clothes or shoes as to make it as environmentally friendly as possible to rethinking our shopping habits and trying to adopt more sustainable ones.

This means that all along this journey we have to use natural resources carefully and efficiently so they’re not wasted.

It also means us trying to use renewable resources whenever possible.

In the end, it means not throwing away anything that can be recycled, reused, and repaired.

Many top brands are now working towards changing and adapting their business practices, from manufacturing to distribution and advertising of their goods, so they can contribute the overall level of sustainability in fashion.

What Fabrics are Considered Sustainable?

Sustainable fabrics will contribute to our health, make our clothes last longer, and reduce the waste that ends up in oceans.

Choosing naturally produced sustainable clothing fabrics is one of the ways in which we can deal with our insatiable desire for more and new in fashion.

These fabrics are made without adding chemicals and synthetic fibers, which are basically microplastics and harm our environment in many ways.

These are some of the most commonly used and most sustainable fabrics.

Organic Cotton

Cotton is made from plants so you can grow it in natural conditions and use renewable resources.

You don’t have to worry about this fabric contaminating the oceans because it’s biodegradable and doesn’t require much time to produce.

As growing cotton often means great quantities of water in order to maintain the crop, organic cotton can be a better option for fashion industries as it needs fewer pesticides and less water than conventional cotton.

According to some findings, a simple T-shirt made of organic cotton instead of the conventional one, saves almost 2,000 gallons of water.

Organic cotton is still underrated as a clothing fabric, but these are just some of the reasons why it is more recommended:

• The seed isn’t genetically modified
• The use of rainwater for the crops is efficient
• The crops need less additional watering
• No toxic chemicals
• It doesn’t impact the air as much

Some may consider the price of organic cotton clothes as a downside, as it usually costs more than clothes made of regular cotton.

But, in the long run, investing in eco-friendly clothes that will last longer is actually beneficial to your budget.

Health benefits should be mentioned as well, since clothes made of organic cotton in most cases doesn’t contain synthetic dyes.

Hemp

Hemp is another eco-friendly fabric, maybe even more so than organic cotton, although there have been some controversies around it in the past.

Just like cotton, hemp is biodegradable, but it needs less water and pesticides than usual crops, and its deep roots also benefit the soil greatly.

It grows rapidly and doesn’t take up much space, so it can easily satisfy the world’s demand.

One of the biggest advantages of this plant is the fact that you can use all its parts in different industries –oil is made of hemp seeds, and hemp clothes is made of fiber obtained from the stalks.

All of this contributes to a relatively low price of the hemp fabric and, therefore, clothes.

The fiber obtained from this plant is also very strong and not prone to mold, for example.

It’s also UV-resistant and can be more than adequate for outdoor clothes.

However, it’s used for making all kinds of jeans, dresses, hats, etc.

Some hemp products are even PETA certified and are considered vegan.

This, of course, stands only if the process of manufacturing is green.

Using chemicals can speed up the creation of fabric and it may be cheaper doing so.

However, the only green and eco-friendly way to obtain fiber out of hemp is to do it mechanically and without chemicals.

Bamboo

Saying there are baby diapers made of bamboo is almost enough to prove how beneficial bamboo can be for the human body.

But what about the planet?

Bamboo is considered one of the most sustainable clothing fabrics out there today.

The fabric is incredibly strong, but at the same time it’s soft and skin-friendly.

Growing bamboo doesn’t require much energy or water, and it helps the soil regenerate, just like hemp.

It’s biodegradable and can survive any weather conditions, which means almost zero-maintenance, with small amount of pesticides.

Bamboo fiber is very similar to cotton.

It’s in use for a wide variety of clothing, from socks to dresses and pillowcases.

The main advantages of bamboo clothing are:

• Softness that almost feels like satin
• Antimicrobial features, great for sporting clothes
• Contains UV protection
• Doesn’t irritate skin or worsen allergies
• Self-regulates the temperature (of the sheets, for example)
• Allows your skin to breathe
• Has great absorption power
• Clothes made of bamboo fiber dry faster and doesn’t require special care
• Usually doesn’t need ironing

However, producers of bamboo fabrics still have some work to do.

The greenest way to produce bamboo fiber is still the most expensive one so many companies still use harmful chemical processes.

Hopefully, natural ways to make bamboo fabric will become more affordable in the future.

Choose Sustainable Clothing Fabrics

Sustainable clothing fabrics don’t force us to compromise on our style and beauty and they can also be good for our health, environment, and sometimes even for our budget.

If anything, these fabrics and the wide range of new opportunities enhance the designers’ creativity and give them more space and means to experiment.

Not to mention how rewarding the fact that they know how much they’re doing for the planet is.