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 .
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