Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Slow Series Part III ft. Textilehaus

Thrifted Shirt, Textilehaus Sack Pant, Intentionally Blank Temple Loafers

SLOW SERIES

-Part III-
Sustainable Vs. Unsustainable Fabrics.

      Today I am resuming my Slow Series and will be talking about sustainable and unsustainable fabrics. Growing up I've always been specific with fabrics I liked to wear. It was something my mom had trained me to do. When we went shopping, she would always make sure the fabric of a garment was made of one she liked, and it turns out that the fabrics she encouraged me to wear were natural ones. At some point, I was able to determine the content of a fabric solely from touching it. Now more than ever I am very particular with what fabrics I wear since I am aware of sustainable fashion. Below, I have created a list of textiles that I either do or do not consider sustainable.

Unsustainable Fabrics                                                                     Sustainable Fabrics
-       Cotton (Inorganic):
-       Uses pesticides and a lot of water due to poor soil quality
-       Can irritate skin from chemicals
-       Nylon:
-       Made from petrochemicals that pollute the environment
-       Non-biodegradable and releases nitrous oxide when manufactured
-       Poly Cotton:
-       Treated with toxic formaldehyde
-       Polyester:
-       Made from petrochemicals
-       Lasts long in landfills
-       Rayon:
-       Non-environmentally friendly manufacturing process (uses chemicals and heavy metals)
-       Viscose:
-       Made from wood pulp of eucalyptus trees but treated with chemicals
-       Wool (Inorganic):
-       Dipped in toxic chemicals to ward off ticks/lice
-       Alpaca:
-       Don't require insecticides/ antibiotic treatments
-       Long lasting, wrinkle resistant, durable
-       Warmer than wool, has no lanolin which makes it hypoallergenic
-       Bamboo:
-       Newer methods produced without toxic chemicals
-       Cashmere:
-       Truly green cashmere is lasting and durable
-       Cheap cashmere is produced with chemicals and carcinogenic dyes
-       Hemp:
-       Easily grown without chemical pesticides
-       Cotton (Organic):
-       Still use a lot of water but less than inorganic cotton
-       Safer for farmers because it does not use toxic chemical treatments
-       Maintains healthy soil
-       Linen:
-       From flax which doesn’t require pesticides
-       In its most green form when it's in a natural shade or dyed with natural dyes
-       Cheap linen is treated with chemicals in fast fashion retailers
-       Modal:
-       High yield cellulose biodegradable fiber from beech trees
-       High wet strength and extra soft
-       Machine washes and tumble dries without shrinking
-       Absorbs 50% more moisture than cotton which keeps it odor free and uses less energy from washing
-       Can be dyed with harsh chemicals
-       Lenzing modal is sustainable and bleached in an environmentally friendly way
-       Ramie:
-       Harvested 3-4 times/year
-       Less water than cotton
-       Naturally resistant to bacteria
-       Grows healthily without pesticides
-       One of the strongest natural fibers (8 times stronger than cotton)
-       Stain resistant
-       Silk:
-       It's a natural fabric because it's made by silk worms
-       Vegan silk uses worm casings after moths have emerged
-       Soy Fabric:
-       Made from byproducts of soy oil processing
-       Good for bras and panties because its soft and silky
-       Can be certified organic, sustainable, eco-friendly
-       Watch out for soy blends with polyester and inorganic cotton
-       Tencel/Lyocell:
-       Non-chemical alternative to viscose
-       Uses solvents that are 99.9% reclaimed and reused
-       Biodegradable and recyclable from eucalyptus trees (grow quickly without pesticides)
-       Production uses less energy, water, and fabric
-       Doesn't get bleached, manufacturing is environmentally friendly
-       Absorbs perspiration, doesn't allow bacteria growth, remains odor free
-       Fewer washes to save energy
-       Dye process can be with chemicals
-       Naturally wrinkle free
-       Wool (Organic):
-       Renewable and durable from sheep
-       Made according to Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS)

*Fabric information sourced from New Classic's The Ethics of Fabrics.   

       A few of my favorite fabrics include alpaca, organic cotton, linen, silk, and wool. I've always really liked alpacas and when I went to Portland, Oregon, I visited an alpaca farm. I was able to pet the alpacas and they were combed of their fur to spin into yarn. A few years after my visit, my boyfriend gifted me an alpaca sweater and I love it because it's so soft and not prickly. Organic cotton is also on my list of favorite fabrics because it can come woven or knit and casual or dressy. It's great that it's a comfortable fabric and also come in various textures! I love linen because it's a very wearable fabric year round. It's breathable for the summer and great for layering when it gets colder. Being the lazy person I am, I love that linen is machine washable and can be worn with wrinkles! Another fabric I love is silk because it feels so luxurious against the skin. Sometimes when I wear silk garments I forget that I'm even wearing anything! Lastly, wool gives me a nostalgic feeling because my grandma used to knit me wool sweaters when I was younger and they would keep me warm in the cold, San Francisco weather. Up until today, I still have the sweaters and wear it when the weather dips or when I visit home. Although I am not sure if they were made of organic wool, I am now aware that organic wool exists and will try to look for that option. Now that I've shared my favorite fabrics, I'd love to read what yours are and why? Also, are you interested in knowing which fabrics I personally don't like and why?

TEXTILE HAUS' STORY: Anastasiya Yatsuk is the founder Textilehaus, a women's clothing line that embraces timeless styles and exceptionally high quality. Anastasiya grew up in Russia where she was allowed to shop for new clothes twice a year for the winter and summer. Before she could buy anything, her mother had her create a sample of what she wanted to buy. From then, Anastasiya learned to appreciate the skills needed to make clothes and would choose to purchase pieces that would work with her existing wardrobe. Anastasiya studied fine arts in the US and then went on to start Textilehaus. This season, her pieces are made of responsibly imported fabrics from high quality factories in Japan. She specifically chose the raw silk fabric for this collection because of its soft touch. All of her pieces are designed and made in Cincinnati, Ohio where she works with local manufacturers to sew each garment. I love the fabric of the Sack Pants and the fact that they were sewn with french seams which makes them more durable!

No comments:

Post a Comment