Sustainable textile: Five fabrics that make fashion 'greener'

Sustainable textiles are getting popular. More and better alternatives are becoming available on the market to make sustainable clothing.

Curious about the developments? House of U is happy to tell you more about fabrics that make "green" fashion possible. Five tips below.

Tip 1 in sustainable fabric: Hemp

Nothing is as versatile as hemp. The hemp plant has traditionally been used in the shipping industry, because the fibers are very suitable for making ropes, sails and nets. Hemp oil and hemp seed are packed with vitamins (B, C and E), fiber, proteins and essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6 and 9). That makes hemp a common ingredient in food (tea, cooking oil), but also in medicines.

Hemp fiber is used to make sustainable clothing. Characteristic for the fiber is the growth speed: it grow so fast that artificial methods and pesticides are not needed. This is also environmentally friendly!

Hemp clothing is flexible, durable and less sensitive to odors.

Tip 2 in sustainable fabric: Bamboo

Organic Bamboo is famous and notorious: once it grows, it is unstoppable. Shortly after harvesting, Bamboo shoots up again. Bamboo is a strong plant that does not need pesticides and extra water.

That combinations makes Organic Bamboo an ideal raw material for sustainable textiles. Bamboo clothing is soft and breathable, a nice combination.

Tip 3 in sustainable fabric: Nettles

Nettles are easy to grow and do not require any chemicals. However, Sustainable clothing based on nettle fibers is nothing new. Nettle clothing was common for centuries, until cotton and silk became cheaper in the sixteenth century.

The structure is typical for Nettles: they are hollow inside, which ensures natural insulation. That’s why clothing made out of Nettles stays warm in the winter and cool during the summer (and no! it does not sting!)

Tip 4 in sustainable fabric: Organic cotton

Open any wardrobe and you will almost certainly find cotton. Cotton is ubiquitous and will continue to be so, despite all the new sustainable fabrics that are emerging. Fortunately, there is a good alternative: Organic Cotton!

The biggest difference between ‘regular’ cotton  and Organic cotton is in the use of fertilizers and pesticides. This will not be used with Oganic cotton, which makes a huge difference in the ecological footprint.

Tip 5 in sustainable fabric: Tencel

Soft as silk, warm as wool and cool as linen: Tencel has it all. And all from wood pulp! Rest assured: the trees that are used are sustainably managed and this natural fiber is produced in a circular manner. It is not without reason that Tencel is increasingly used to make sustainable clothing.

Get to know more? Read our blog about Tencel. Or have a look at the producer’s website: Lenzing. You can read all about their sustainability strategy and how the fabric is produced.

Bonus: Recycled fabric

There are many misunderstandings about the recycling of collected clothing. This is understandable, because textile recycling is complex and constantly evolving.

Contrary to what most people think, it is certainly useful to collect clothing in a textile container (yes, even if it is broken or worn). Thanks to innovative techniques in textile recycling, it is also possible to extract reusable fibers from this clothing.

Design sustainable clothing

Are you interested in using sustainable fabrics when you are designing clothes? House of U can help you with this. We are a big supporter of sustainable clothing and that’s why we have various sustainable fabrics in our online collection!

Are you curious which sustainable fabrics we offer? Order our Eco Fabric Kit and receive 25 printed sustainable samples.

Sustainable textile printing

Do you want to print your unique design on sustainable fabrics? We can easily help you with that!

Have a look at our sustainable fabrics to decide on which you want to print your design on. Next you can upload your design into our design tool and order your design.

If you prefer a printed sample first, then that’s possible. You can order a printed sample of every fabric on our website. Contact us if you need any help with ordering.

Want to more about sustainable fabrics?

At House of U we like to contribute  to  sustainability. Our textile printing company is equipped to produce as environmentally friendly as possible.

House of U also has various sustainability certificates, such as EcoVero, tencel, Oekotex and Global Reycled Standard for Recycled Polyester.

At House of U we find it very important to share knowledge. That is why we regularly publish about sustainable fashion or our blog page. With our articles we share news, tips and techniques, especially for sustainable clothing designers and buyers.

Do you want to have some advice? Feel free to contact us. We like to help and support you.