The fashion industry has long been criticized for its lack of sustainability. However, there are many sustainable fabrics and companies that can be found in the market today, offering a greener alternative! Before you head out for your next shipping trip, it's good to learn what sustainable fabrics you should look out for to ensure you're doing what's best for you, your health, and the environment.

In this blog post, we will go over 7 of the best sustainable fabrics that you should keep an eye out for when looking to add new clothes into your wardrobe.

  

Why Should You Choose Sustainable Material?

 

 

Sustainable clothes made with natural fabrics are more comfortable to wear, in addition to being better for your skin! Natural fibers allow the skin to breathe, which is great during hot summer days. The fabric also allows your body heat to be released when it's cold outside which reduces discomfort caused by overheating or chills that can occur with synthetic material.

Besides the way the fabric makes you feel, when you shop for clothing with sustainable material, you're investing in a product that is made to last for years and can be re-worn or recycled longer than traditional materials. Plus, these low-impact processes are typically made from recycled or sustainably grown materials, so you are not adding any extra strain to natural resources, which helps to protect our environment. 

 

 

Viscose is a fabric that has been in use since the 1800s. It's soft and lightweight, making it perfect for clothing items such as blouses or dresses. Viscose comes from wood pulp or cellulose from fast-growing trees such as pine, beech, or eucalyptus. It can also be derived from plants like sugar cane, soy, or bamboo. This material is dissolved using various chemicals and then spun into material that can be made into threads.

Viscose is a great sustainable material because it doesn't use bleach, which is harmful to the environment and originates from a natural source. In addition, this fabric can be easily recycled and turned into new textiles such as clothing or carpets.

 

Rayon

Rayon is well known as one of the most versatile fabrics because it's so good at imitating other fabrics such as cotton, silk, and wool, which allows it to easily be used for any clothing needs. Rayon derives from wood pulp or cellulose fibers that are purified and then created into threads that can be used to make clothing.

Rayon takes up fewer resources and materials to make clothing when compared to other sources such as polyester while still allowing you to create clothing that looks and feels incredible.

 

 

  

Tencel

Tencel is a material that is made using the cellulose of trees, making it an eco-friendly alternative to traditional cotton. Not only does Tencel provide a significant amount of comfort, but it also has anti-bacterial properties that reduce odor and minimize skin irritation!

 Tencel is derived from plants, meaning that not only is it not mixed with other synthetic fibers, but it's also biodegradable, which helps lessen the impact on the environment. In addition, even the amount of dyes used in Tencel is far less than other material options, which helps to reduce the amount of resources needed to produce clothing.

 

Cupro 

Cupro is a new type of fabric made from cotton waste that's environmentally friendly, sustainable, and soft to the touch. It feels like Tencel or Modal without any distasteful animal proteins so that you can wear it anywhere!

Cupro is made by using tiny silk cotton fibers that are too small to spin and stick out of the cottonseed. This is then dissolved into a mixture of ammonium and copper, otherwise known as a cuprammonium solution. From there, it is placed into caustic soda and then created into fibers to make clothing. Since it's a byproduct of cotton production, it's a recycled textile that ensures each bit of the cotton plant is used instead of discarded.

 

 

Polyester is one of the most common fabrics in clothing due to its durability, elasticity, and silk-like feel. However, this also contributes to a large amount of waste that can pollute our environment when it's produced. Polyester is considered one of the most polluting fabrics you can find because it's made from plastic materials from water, oil, and coal. In fact, creating polyester takes about 70 million barrels of oil, which is a ton of carbon.

While regular polyester is clearly not a sustainable fabric, using recycled polyester can help lessen the impacts of this material. Using recycled polyester not only helps give life to old clothes but helps to mitigate the damage that regular polyester contributes to our environment.

Recycled Polyester - Give Plastic a New Life

 

Linen is a popular fabric that is known for its strength, durability, and breathability. It's made from flax which requires little to no pesticides during the growing process. Flax also absorbs CO² as it grows which makes linen a great material in terms of being environmentally friendly.

Linen is resistant to wrinkling making it perfect for travel! This versatile fabric can be worn comfortably throughout all four seasons since it gives warmth in winter while keeping cool air off your skin when summertime heat kicks in.

 

In most stores, you'll find denim in jeans, skirts, jackets, tops, and even sneakers. Not only is this material so easy to wear, but there's so much of it available worldwide. Denim is a cotton fabric that is known for its durability. It's created using a twill weave, with either white, gray, or indigo yarn.

The best part is that authentic denim is actually a sustainable fabric because it's made to be durable, which means you won't have to buy new clothes as often. The most sustainable denim is made up of organic cotton, uses less water by using a closed-loop water system, and provides better strength.

If you're unsure if the fabric is sustainable, you can ask your sales associate or check the tag on the clothing to find out if it's made from sustainable material. If there are no tags or it's unclear, then you can email customer service for more information. Companies should be able to provide information on the materials used in creating their clothing if they are a reputable brand. If they cannot provide this information or won't respond, move on to the next brand.

Sustainable fabrics are the best way to lessen your impact on our environment while still providing comfort and style. They also allow you to feel good about wearing clothing that's not only made ethically but is eco-friendly as well!