Why Bamboo Fabric?

Today, we have nearly infinite choices when it comes to buying apparel. 

(Yay for internet shopping and globalization!)

But more options sometimes makes for a more difficult choice, and price competition can distract us from other important product features.

So, what are the advantages of choosing apparel, particularly loungewear or sleepwear, made out of bamboo fabric?

Bamboo betty olive front-pleat Jia Loungewear tank top with text reading Why sleep and lounge in bamboo?

 

1.  Bamboo fabric feels amazingly soft! One snuggle with your Jia+Kate top and you’ll feel that it’s softer than your highest thread-count cotton and feels much more rich and luxe than popular synthetics like polyester. Feeling is believing!

2.  Bamboo fabric is temperature-regulating by being breathable and absorbent. Gaps in the microscopic structure of the bamboo fibers keep sweat wicked away from the body, much like the bamboo plant sequesters moisture from the environment.* This is ideal for all apparel, but particularly for sleepwear, loungewear, and bedding.

3.  Bamboo is incredibly durable. Thus, it will last through repeated washes without warping, unraveling, or piling due to the high strength integrity of the fibers. It also holds dye better*, so the color won’t fade with washing. All this makes for a top that does not have to be replaced as often (which is better for you, your wallet, and the environment!)

4.  Bamboo fabric has been shown to have anti-microbial and hypo-allergenic properties.* With less bacterial and fungal growth potential on the fabric, bamboo has less potential for odors and discoloration as well*—perfect for your high-usage, everyday-wear clothing items.

5.  Bamboo is eco-friendly! As a crop, bamboo releases 35% more oxygen into the environment than equivalent areas of trees*,** yields 50 times as much fiber per acre as cotton*, and can be sustainably maintained on sloping lands, reducing soil erosion and delivering sustainable farming systems**. Bamboo’s rapid growth rate (up to 1 meter per day) and the fact that it can be harvested without killing the root system (in contrast to replant requirements for cotton or hemp) makes it more efficient than other crops*,**. It takes much less water; it can be competitively produced with just rain water and without the use of fertilizers and pesticides*. It also needs less dye in the textile manufacturing process, so this makes it more sustainable, too.* Talk about efficiency!

Are you convinced yet that bamboo is the best choice for your skin, your wallet, and the planet? If not yet, go ahead and try on a Jia+Kate top and you will be ;)

 

*Sustainable Textiles: The role of Bamboo and a Comparison of Bamboo Textile Properties. Marilyn Waite. Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management. Vol. 6, Issue 2, Fall 2009. 1-21.

**Review of Bamboo Value Chain in Ethiopia. Teshome Kassahun. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online) Vol.4, No.27, 2014.