3 MORE Eco-Friendly Fabrics You Need to Know

Eco-friendly material options are growing every day. As a follow up to the 4 Eco-Friendly Fabrics You Need to Know: Non-organic linen production processes may surprise you article, I wanted to further explore three additional options.

Seaweed: Not a lot of verifiable information exists about exactly what seaweed linens are created from. There are many products that say they include seaweed fabrics, such as the Seaweed Fabric Main Street Chair and Seaweed Fabric Main Street Loveseat, but additional information is hard to come by.

In clothing, some controversy surrounds some the Lululemon Athletica brand regarding whether or not their products (marketed as containing seaweed) actually contain any. (Source.)

Soy: Soy is softer than cotton and more durable, so it makes a great choice for garments that hug the skin (camisoles, yoga pants, undies, etc.). It’s also warm and absorbent, even though lightweight, so it makes a great all-season knitted sweater or fleece pullover.

Soy is the ultimate sustainable fiber, as it’s made from discarded tofu! It’s for this reason soy is sometimes referred to as “vegetarian cashmere”; “cashmere” due to its incredible softness and luxurious appeal. Leftovers from tofu manufacturing are gathered up, liquefied, and extruded through spinnerets to create filaments that are spun into fine yarns. The process is very similar to how bamboo fibers are spun.

Interestingly, Henry Ford first investigated the use of soy in textiles for his automobiles in the 1940’s, but the arrival of synthetics on the scene caused this effort to fade away. Now, manufacturers and consumers are looking for more sustainable sources for their textiles, and soy has been rediscovered.

Bamboo: Many agree bamboo viscose is a more sustainable choice than conventional cotton. Unfortunately, it is more expensive to process and requires chemicals; however, market demand increases are helping to fund alterative processing research. It is possible to make bamboo fibers from the plant’s stalk, rather than from pulp (the way hemp and linen are made), but currently few manufacturers are doing this, and true bamboo linen (as it would be called) is rare.

Bamboo is incredibly soft, making it ideal for linens close to bare skin. The finished fabric feels silky to the touch and is a good option for drapery. It’s naturally more wrinkle-resistant than cotton or hemp, and also warmer.
Great news: The fabric does well in conventional home washer and dryers.

4 Eco-Friendly Fabrics You Need to Know: Non-organic linen production processes may surprise you

What you don’t know about most fabrics will probably surprise you. Not only are there chemicals in the foods we eat, they are also found in our upholsteries, blankets, and clothes.

“Green fabric” includes any fabric made from sustainable or organic natural materials. Green fabric is also used to describe both recycled and fabric created using natural products and organic processes.

Organic cotton: Traditional cotton covers 5% of the world’s cultivated land, yet uses it uses 25% of the world’s insecticides and 10% of world pesticides (including probable carcinogens).

Organic cotton is weaved from non-genetically modified plants. It is certified as grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals, such as fertilizers or pesticides that damage not only the integrity of the cotton but the land and surrounding ecology.

Organic linen (Flax Fiber): Though many use “organic linen” to describe all organically (grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides) produced linen, true organic linen is created with flax fibers – the oldest crop in the world! Linen is naturally creamy white to light tan in color, pure white is only achieved through bleaching. It is notorious for wrinkling, but linen lovers just accept that as part of its charm. It is a great hot-weather fabric because it absorbs a lot of moisture (e.g. sweat) without feeling damp and dries quickly, which cools the skin.

Flax fiber is extracted from the skin of the stem of the flax plant. Flax fiber is incredibly soft, shiny and flexible (often resembling blonde human hair). Though flax fiber is stronger than cotton fiber, it is less elastic. The best grades are used for linen fabrics such as damasks, lace and sheeting. Coarser grades are often used for the manufacturing of twine and rope.

Organic wool: Traditional methods for producing wool have an adverse impact on the environment and livestock welfare. During the production of non-organic wool, livestock is often subject to synthetic pesticides, non-organic feed, and possibly even synthetic hormones and/or genetic engineering. The livestock could also be subject to substandard health management, and live in substandard conditions.

Organic Wool During the production of organic wool, sheep/livestock are raised and treated in a different way to those which produce non-organic wool. The above treatment and conditions should not be present during the production of organic wool.

Hemp: Because of its biological association with marijuana, hemp is still illegal to grow industrial hemp within the United States. Legislation is being worked on to change this, but as of now, hemp needs to be grown elsewhere in the world (which causes it’s carbon footprint to increase). Hemp products can be manufactured in the US, though, and there are now on the market a wide variety of clothes that use hemp as the green fabric in their manufacture.

Hemp grows easily and is environmentally friendly. Hemp fiber is naturally mildew-resistant, antimicrobial, UV protecting and even fireproof! This makes it an ideal candidate for household pieces that get a lot of use, but isn’t the softest option around.

Color Psychology: Can Color strike the same chord twice or is it truly ambiguous?

Have you ever had one of those days where every flip of the radio station creates another trip down memory lane? You could be minding your own business and all of the sudden you are thrown into a totally different mindset or mood by what you are hearing. Well, color can have this same type of affect on you only through sight instead of sound. Advertisers can even use color as a form of subliminal messaging. Here are a few examples of different colors attributes that can have a direct impact on your subconscious and decision making.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you see or think of the color RED?? Passion, anger, heat or maybe … cheeseburger? I know, I know, red is the color of passion, but did you know that shades of red can entice hunger? Next time you are out and about, count how many of your favorite restaurants include RED in their motif or logo in some way.

Now what about black? Black is a color that has a special ability to be completely versatile. One minute black can symbolize death, now picture a black power suit – all of the sudden it becomes a symbol of rigidity and strength. Lastly, in regards to black, have you ever attempted to paint a room or accent wall black? I know it sounds outrageous. However, we use black as a great accent color so why not reverse the roles? When a room is painted black it can feel more cozy, not necessarily scary or overly dark. This technique works really well with stark white trim – the bigger the better. When you use black as an accent wall, it can make a space feel larger. As if you have painted a black hole on a wall. Combine black on the opposite wall from a large mirror and you are set!

Finally, I want to talk about green. Believe it or not, green is the ultimate neutral. Because green is the color most commonly associated with nature, it had an ability to fit in anywhere. Also, in my opinion, I think green is the most versatile because you can make green neon to dark hunter (almost black) green. It has a lot of variety and depth.

So these are just a few ways in which color can be ambiguous.