Why eco-fabrics? I’ll tell you why.
Obviously recycling or buying vintage is the most green way to shop. But if you jones for new clothes faster than Samantha Jones goes through condoms, eco-fabrics got you covered.
Bamboo
You’ve heard us wax rhapsodic about bamboo clothes before. No, they don’t come with a cute Panda bear – but they do have antimicrobial properties. Bamboo fabric is a natural textile made from the pulp of the bamboo grass. It feels like silk jersey – and is comfy beyond belief. Bamboo fabric has something in it called “Bamboo Kun” which means it’s naturally an antibiotic – even after 50 washes! Believe it or not, regular cotton is treated with pesticides and they do seep into your skin. Another cool fact about bamboo is it’s got mild UV blocking protection, so you don’t have to go too nutty with the SPF when you rock the ‘boo. So, I’m kinda in love with my Panda Snack tee shirts which are comfier than my 25-year-old nightie from Disneyworld.
Seaweed
Seaweed is something I wrap my salads in everyday. I’m obsessed with hunking sheets of Nori. And any other kind of seaweed. So much so that on a recent trip to Mexico, I pulled a big hunk of floating seaweed out of the Ocean and (much to my Fiance’s chagrin) stuffed it down my throat. Needless to say, my gag reflexes aren’t what they used to be. Blech. The newest eco lovechild is a fabric called SeaCell, a mixture of seaweed and wood pulp. The word on the street is that when you wear Seacell, your hotbod actually absorbs some of the delicious goodness found in seaweed; like calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E. Don’t believe our Girlie-typin’ fingers? Check out the 101 straight from the Professors themselves: www.smartfiber.de. All I know is when I eat Seaweed, I genuinely feel amazing.
Corn
What is more yum in the tum tum as BBQ’ed corn in the summer? Nothing. How about a corn dress nosh? Corn fabric, being sold as “Sorona” is touted as the new nylon. It’s a fabric that uses much less energy to create than traditional fabrics and is a renewable resource. I haven’t been able to find much made from Sorona just yet, but I know you guys like to be the first to know — so look out for it at your favorite Eco-Boutique.
Coconut
Nothing on this earth is more delicious than a fresh coconut water. It brings up the heady childhood smell of chocolate milk for me, for some odd reason. I always get bummed out throwing away the shells, wondering what I could have made out of it or how I could have reused it. Now I know someone is doing something tremendous with coconut leftovers; making wearable (though not yet gorgeous) clothes.
Soy
You will rarely hear us at GirlieGirl Army go bananas for byproducts, but in this case we are overjoyed! Soy fabric is created from leftovers in soybean and tofu production, and has all the great benefits of moisture wicking (which means it’ll help you out with your sweaty pits).
Silver
What’s up with all these natural fabrics that make us not smell? You’d think the earth was trying to tell us something! Could be! Go simple, get benefits? Silver fabric (yep, made from real silver) helps with that not-so-fresh feeling (that post-jog, pre-dog walk aroma) cuz it’s chock full of antimicrobial properties which expels any fungus or odors that come near it.
Thanks for the tips, Chloe Jo!
GirlieGirl Army
Originally published on March 19, 2009
9 Comments
I want to replace all of my sheets and towels with these types of fabrics. We spend so much of our lives sleeping and breathing in the chemicals that are in our sheets and mattresses, unless we choose organic alternative fabrics! I know it costs more, but isn’t it worth it?
Where did that hot dress in the pic come from? Is that eco. Because I want one.
Bamboo clothing is sooooo comfortable and soft. Batter than organic cotton. I found a sweet bamboo store in Scottsdale AZ this weekend and couldn’t keep my hands off the fabrics. Bamboo grows incredibly fast so there is no need for any pesticides or fertilizer. Hella good for the environment. I’m a bamboo fan.
mountainsofthemoon.com has incredible ecofashion for the ecofashionista. She has bamboo, hemp, OG cotton all in amazing designs. Check her out!
Thanks for sharing the resource, Darrylsmama!!
Hey Gals! Yep, the dress is eco and was from Kaight (kaightshop.com). :)) xo
love this post, thanks – I trained as a fabric designer and have spent many hours in Chinese factories and I KNOW what chemicals, dyes and processes go into regular fabric production. Not good for the environment or the skin.
One tip I have, if you buy eco clothes, do not then reverse all the good you have done by using commercial washing powder, it is just as deadly for the environment as regular clothing production effluent, try to source washing soda or flaked soap and wash everything at a higher temperature if you can. A low temperature wash using commercial detergent is a scam dreamt up by Unilever and other companies in order that you buy more of their products!
nothing wrong with good old fashioned soap!
Is the thread count in bamboo sheets similar to regular cotton sheets….or do 250 thread count bamboo sheets wear well? Do they pill like flannel sheets do?
I love my bamboo socks and bamboo/organic cotton sheets – comfy & good for the environment!
March 19, 2009