fabrics
ABOUT HEMP:
For thousands of years, hemp has been used as an industrial fiber. The Columbia History of the World notes that the oldest relic of human history is a bit of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC. Although hemp was historically the first choice for industry, the coarseness of the fiber restricted hemp from apparel and most home use. But, in the mid 1980's researchers developed an enzymatic process to successfully remove lignin from the hemp fiber without compromising it's strength. For the first time in history, de-gummed hemp fiber could be spun alone or with other fibers to produce textiles for apparel. The technological breakthrough has catapulted hemp to the forefront of modern textile design and fashion. Given hemp's superiority to other fibers, the benefits of this breakthrough are enormous.
We chose to use hemp and hemp blend fabrics for many of our clothes because of it's tremendous benefit to the planet and to you. Hemp is incredibly pest and disease resistant, and does not require the use of pesticides or herbicides. It also requires very little water to grow. Hemp cultivation actually improves the condition of the soil and had a reciprocally beneficial relationship to the earth. Hemp grows tall very quickly yielding high amounts of oxygen into the environment, it roots can be as long as 30 inches and after harvest, can be mulched into the soil replacing valuable nutrients and increasing soil health.
Hemp is one of the earth's longest and strongest fibers and is the most resistant to weather, mold, salt, and sunlight, making it incredibly durable. The fiber is both insulative and breathable, keeping you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It also softens over time and "wears in" (instead of wearing out). This fact is sure to make Tinctoria some of your favorite clothing.
Over 30 countries in the world grow hemp, yet here in the United States, it remains illegal. Though several states have passed legislation to legalize hemp cultivation, federal law classifying it as a Schedule I controlled substance keep those laws from going into effect. For more information about what you can do to help legalize industrial hemp, visit www.votehemp.com.
HEMP FABRICS WE USE:
ABOUT ORGANIC COTTON:
Almost one-half of the agricultural herbicides and pesticides used on U.S. crops are applied to industrial cotton, which is why we use only organic cotton in our products. Organic cotton has the same fiber strength, length, and other properties as conventional cotton, but without all the harmful chemicals.
Organic agriculture utilizes alternatives to conventional chemicals to control pests and disease. Some examples include inter-cropping and companion planting, where beneficial crops are grown next to each others. The quality of one plant provides nutrients, deters harmful; insects or attracts beneficial insects to the others. Cover crops are grown to build topsoil and replenish nutrients. Rather than destroying farmland as mono-cropping techniques (growing one crop over a large area), organic farming actually improves the overall quality of the land.
According to the Sustainable Crop Project, it takes one-third of a pound of pesticides to produce one non-organic cotton t-shirt. You do have a choice - buy organic!
ABOUT BAMBOO:
Bamboo is a high yield yield renewable resource. It is actually not a wood, but a grass, and unlike a tree, which can take decades to grow to maturity, bamboo grows quickly. It is ready to harvest in 4-5 years. Bamboo requires few farming inputs and no pesticides. When compared to other fibers such as cotton, it is far more sustainable. Cotton requires huge amounts of water and extensive use of pesticides that pollute the environment. Bamboo takes up more It does not need replanting or fertilizers and it's roots are very good at stabilizing erosion prone soil.
The process used to turn bamboo grass into fabric is similar to the process used for rayon or tencel. It is a nontoxic chemical process that can be done is a closed loop system with no environmental byproducts. It produces a textile that is sensually soft and highly breathable with anti-bacterial properties. More importantly, bamboo fiber is a unique biodegradable textile material. As a natural cellulose fiber, bamboo fiber can be 100% biodegraded in soil by microorganisms and sunlight. The decomposition process does not cause any pollution in the environment. "Bamboo fiber comes from nature and completely returns to nature in the end". Bamboo fiber is praised as "the natural, green and eco-friendly new type textile of the 21st century".
BAMBOO FABRICS WE USE:
Bamboo Stretch French Terry (9.5 oz) This fabulous fabric is a blend of 66% Rayon from Bamboo, 28% Organic Cotton, and 6% Spandex. This is honestly the softest fabric we have found yet! It's gorgeous. It has great drape and stretch with a slightly silky sheen on one side and is cozy and fuzzy on the other side. It wears beautifully and is a great warm fabric for cooler weather.