With the effects of climate change becoming increasingly apparent, more and more consumers are demanding sustainable options from the fashion industry. But while efforts have certainly been made to appeal to this audience, brands still have a long way to go – and making the switch to more sustainable materials is a great place to start.
Bamboo clothing, in particular, has been on the rise over the last couple of years. This innovative material offers plenty of benefits, both in terms of comfort as well as life expectancy and pollution levels. Read on to learn more about why we believe bamboo to be the sustainable material of the future.
Combating Overconsumption: Fewer Clothes of Higher Quality
One of the issues that the fashion industry has had the hardest time addressing is the fact that it produces way too much waste. Despite brands coming out with more sustainably produced, recyclable collections, fast fashion is still a huge market – with landfills all over the planet filling up as people buy and lose interest in microtrends and low-quality basics that disintegrate in no time.
Solving this issue will take a major shift in how consumers shop. Instead of going for these short-lived items, we should be emphasizing the need for classic basics that will last for a long time. Bamboo clothes are an excellent option for this: The material’s smooth, round fibers aren’t torn out or tangled nearly as easily as other types of fabric. This means that bamboo clothing not only stays soft, even after many washes – but also that it’ll take longer for the fabric to wear out, making it last longer than e.g. cotton.
Besides the quality, bamboo clothing is usually also very easy to style. Most bamboo clothing companies have chosen to focus on offering timeless basics that the buyer will be able to wear throughout changing trends –
and with casual, simple cuts becoming the norm, classic styles in black and white will be excellent investments.
Sustainably Made Clothing for Everyone
Another benefit of bamboo clothing is the way in which the fabric is made. While it isn’t yet possible to produce bamboo fabric completely without chemicals, the Lyocell method – used by e.g. bamboo companies like Copenhagen Bamboo – allows for about 99 % of the chemicals to be recycled in a closed circuit. This means that a significantly smaller amount of chemicals are necessary, and the process also requires a much smaller amount of water than most other manufacturing methods.
And finally, bamboo is also a huge step in the right direction when it comes to the overall health of the consumers. Since bamboo fabric has antibacterial properties, it’s also considered hypoallergenic, making it a great choice for people with allergies. The soft fibers won’t irritate sensitive skin the way many other materials will, and diabetics in particular will appreciate how gentle it is on sensitive feet. Bamboo is also UV resistant, as previously mentioned free of many of the typical chemicals – and when shopping basics, e.g. at the previously mentioned Copenhagen Bamboo, the prices will usually be very favorable. What’s not to like?