Non-Animal Clothing Alternatives
So that ’ s the bad stuff . What about the good news ? Mainly , the good news is that the alternatives are better in every way . The only hitch at the moment is the lack of variety and current availability .
There are many alternatives for clothing materials like polyester , for example , but polyester isn ’ t very environmentally friendly . We all know about the problems plastics are causing to the environment and plastic clothing is the worst offender because it sheds tiny fragments of plastic as it wears . These plastic fragments have been found in the sea and in the life within it .
Plants then . There are two distinct approaches . The first is to use a fibre from a plant as the actual fibre . Cotton needs no introduction , but my personal favourite is hemp . It ’ s an astonishingly useful material , you can make both milk and car glove boxes out of it . Try that with wool . Actually , don ’ t try that with wool . Cotton is also a natural plant fibre but it requires a great deal of pesticide coverage and also does not degrade quickly , so while it has many advantages , it must be treated with caution .
The second approach is to extract cellulose from the plant and make that into fibres of various types . This means that more varieties of fabric can be manufactured . This is being discussed extensively in the media . The Discerning Brute , a vegan clothing blog by Joshua Katcher who also runs the label Brave Gentle Man , has written in detail about the moral and ethical matters I have discussed here .
Modal is a fibre made from plant cellulose . Cellulose is the key here and many plants can be used in its production . Tencel ( also known as Lycocel ) is a common fabric , often used in suits . I have a Tencel suit and jolly good it is too , although it makes me look like an 80s architect . It ’ s the design that ’ s at fault here , not the fabric . US fashion giant Nordstrom uses Tencel extensively .
I ’ m fascinated by bamboo . I ’ m wearing bamboo undergarments as I type this and they are excellent . Soft , stretchy , colourfast , absorbent . Bamboo grows very quickly and can grow in poor conditions . Speaking of undies , Australian company MeUndies makes a feature of their Micro-modal drawers , claiming them to be superior to conventional skivvies .
8
FEATURED GENTLEMAN
Non-Animal Clothing Alternatives
So that’s the bad stuff. What about the good news?
Mainly, the good news is that the alternatives are
better in every way. The only hitch at the
moment is the lack of variety and current
availability.
There are many alternatives for clothing
materials like polyester, for example, but
polyester isn’t very environmentally friendly. We
all know about the problems plastics are causing
to the environment and plastic clothing is the
worst offender because it sheds tiny fragments of
plastic as it wears. These plastic fragments have
been found in the sea and in the life within it.
Plants then. There are two distinct approaches.
The first is to use a fibre from a plant as the actual
fibre. Cotton needs no introduction, but my
personal favourite is hemp. It’s an astonishingly
useful material, you can make both milk and car
glove boxes out of it. Try that with wool. Actually,
don’t try that with wool. Cotton is also a natural
plant fibre but it requires a great deal of pesticide
coverage and also does not degrade quickly, so
while it has many advantages, it must be treated
with caution.
8
The second approach is to extract cellulose from
the plant and make that into fibres of various
types. This means that more varieties of fabric
can be manufactured. This is being discussed
extensively in the media. The Discerning Brute,
a vegan clothing blog by Joshua Katcher who
also runs the label Brave Gentle Man, has written
in detail about the moral and ethical matters I
have discussed here.
Modal is a fibre made from plant cellulose.
Cellulose is the key here and many plants can be
used in its production. Tencel (also known as
Lycocel) is a common fabric, often used in suits.
I have a Tencel suit and jolly good it is too,
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