In the fashion world, the runways are trending toward the ethical, organic, and sustainable  Previously thought to be a short-term trend, using sustainable fabrics is a practice that is here to stay  Just as the exposure of child labor and sweat shops for manufacturing clothes was revealed, so is the environmental devastation brought on by conventionally grown fabrics

In addition to the popularity of organic cotton, other sustainable fabrics are becoming more available  Hemp, bamboo, soy silk, and others, are all easy to manufacture into cloth while also being easy on the environment

Bamboo Fabric

This incredible grass is very versatile  Not only a material for floors and furniture, a yummy snack, a Panda bear staple, and a houseplant that even the most negligent of plant owners can’t kill, bamboo is fast becoming an easy fabric choice for fashion designers  Bamboo grows about a yard per day without the use of pesticides or fertilizers  Bamboo is rarely replanted, because it shoots back up after it’s cut down

As a fabric, bamboo has some wonderful natural properties  First of all, the feel of bamboo is amazing, like silk and cashmere combined  It’s also hypoallergenic and many people who typically experience allergies to fabric find bamboo to be a good solution  There are also natural properties in bamboo that make it resistant to bacteria, and therefore also resistant to bacteria-caused odor  The ultimate self-drying fabric, bamboo wicks away water faster than cotton  What other fabric can keep you so dry and sweet smelling?

Hemp Fabric

A couple years ago, donning hemp fabric would certainly earn you the label of “hippie”  Now, however, hemp fabric is being used to design dresses and blouses you wouldn’t associate with the burlap-sack stereotype  Hemp is naturally insect-resistant and quick-growing, making pesticides and fertilizers unnecessary  To top it all off, hemp is the most fiber-producing plant per acre, with a three times higher yield than cotton

As a fabric, hemp is quite breathable, due to its porous fibers, but it will adjust based on the temperature of your body and the outside  On colder days, hemp fabric will trap in the warm air produced by your body, but on warmer days, it will breathe to cool your body down  The fabric is quite durable and versatile  Unfortunately, the growth of hemp is currently illegal in the United States, making it necessary to import the fabric

Other Sustainable Materials

Designers of eco fashion are becoming increasingly creative in their choices of materials  Here are some of the fabric choices, from the more mainstream to the very strange:

• Soy silk This material feels just like it sounds, silky, and is derived from the waste used in making tofu  The soy protein is extracted and the fibers are forced out, then cut just as typical fabric would be  Soy silk is very receptive to dyes, requiring fewer chemicals
• Lyocell This diverse fabric is said to feel like silk, but with properties that cool and warm the body as needed  Made from the naturally-occurring cellulose in wood pulp, a material generally thrown out, lyocell is gaining popularity in the fashion world  ....read more