Did you know that hemp can now be as soft as cotton? As unbelievable as it sounds, it’s true. And hemp is also a more sustainable, eco-friendly solution than cotton, linen or other types of fabrics. In this article we’ll cover the amazing ecological benefits of using hemp fabric for clothing, plus a few cool innovations.
What Is Hemp?
We’ve already discussed at length what hemp is, what its uses and benefits are, and what types of jobs it encompasses in the cannabis industry. To sum it up: hemp is a plant, a member of the cannabis family, but it’s not the same as marijuana. Hemp concentrates on minimizing THC, while marijuana concentrates on increasing the THC content. To be considered hemp, a cannabis plant needs to have less than 0.3% of THC. Hemp can be used to produce paper, beer, building materials, sunscreen, rope, hempcrete, and of course, textiles.
Hemp Fabric
Hemp fabric is a “sustainable textile made of fibres of a very high-yielding crop in the cannabis sativa plant family”. Because of its industrial use, hemp is known as a durable and versatile natural fiber. Same as any other crop, industrial hemp is planted in a field. But unlike cotton, it uses much less water and doesn’t require use of pesticides. To top it off, it helps the soil while it grows, making sure that another crop can be planted as soon as the first is harvested.
However, one of the main drawbacks for hemp fabric – other than its illegal status in previous years – has been its roughness on the skin. Cotton is softer, which makes it feel nicer when worn. But those days may be over. Levi’s has found a way to make hemp feel as soft as cotton thanks to a breakthrough technology now dubbed cottonized hemp. It’s now offering hemp clothing such as embroidered trucker jackets, western shirts, and slim fit jeans.
Their eco-friendly collection features this text:
“The introduction of cottonized hemp is huge. Not just for this collection but for the entire industry. While hemp crops use significantly less water than conventionally grown cotton – and the rain-fed crops we use in Wellthread™ use even less – until now it’s delivered a rough texture. To solve this, we partnered with fiber technology specialists to create a “cottonization” process that softens the fiber — using very little energy or chemical processing — to make it look, and more importantly feel, almost indistinguishable from cotton.”
Benefits of Using Hemp Fabric
As well as being an eco-friendly approach for the crop fields, hemp is also a great sustainability option for different clothing brands and consumers. Here are a few of its benefits:
Antimicrobial
“Hemp also has natural anti-microbial properties that can keep bacteria from replicating, which can keep the bodies natural body odor at a tolerable level when worn for a long period or on hot days. It also tends to soften as it is washed and used. Hemp clothing can become one of your favorite goto clothing items in your wardrobe.”
– Cree Crawford, President. &COO, Green Ocean Sciences, Inc./Ionization Labs
Same as the plant where it’s made from, hemp fabric is antimicrobial by nature. This means that it can help maintain BO under control, so you can sweat away on a hot day or wear the same garment for a long period of time. If you live in humid weather, hemp will also ward off mold and other bacteria from replicating on the fabric itself.
Absorbency
“Hemp is stronger, durable, and more absorbent than cotton. Additionally, it is very breathable and it makes it a good clothing choice for hot environments. Its high absorption allows it to retain dyes longer and its durability allows it to outlast cotton making hemp a good choice if you want a piece of clothing you can wear for a long time.”
– Keith Myers, Founder & Editor in Chief of The Hempire
One more point for hemp. It will help absorb sweat while maintaining breathability. It’s also a great insulator, which means that it helps keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. With this, we believe hemp may be the new fabric option for any sports garments in the future.
Sun Protection
“The potential for hemp to be naturally sun protective is based on the stitch density of the fabric. Studies evaluating the natural UPF of 100% hemp varies from 5.8 to 50+ depending on the stitch density. There are natural pigmented within the hemp textile that add to its ability to protect from the sun.”
– Erum Ilyas, M.D., President & Founder of Montgomery Dermatology
Softer After Each Use
“Hemp fabrics are a true boon to sustainable textiles. Straightforward in their properties with such varied applications. They behave perfectly during production while cutting and stitching then once worn, get softer with every wash.
– Zaina Niyaz, Co-Founder and Createive Head of zy-lk
Even though hemp is considered a rough type of fabric, it has a great advantage. It gets softer every time you wash it, which means the more you wear it, the softer it will feel.
Durable
Hemp’s rough fiber is extremely durable. This is good from a sustainable fashion standpoint because one hemp garment will last a lot longer than its cotton counterparts. And it’ll do so without losing its color or vibrancy.
Longer Lasting Color
“Added bonus is good absorbency of dye with resistance to UV rays meaning they don’t fade in sunlight.”
– Zaina Niyaz, Co-Founder and Createive Head of zy-lk
Both its durability and UV protection will help keep your hemp clothes as good as new.
Biodegradable & Recyclable
This is by far our favorite benefit. Hemp is easier to recycle than cotton or linen, and it’s biodegradable. Game, set and match for hemp.
Conclusion
Hemp fabric is versatile, durable, eco-friendly, and with its recent innovations, even luxurious. It’s a fantastic option for the environment, the world, and your wardrobe. So if you see a garment made with hemp, don’t discard it thinking it will be rough on your skin: it can be soft on both your body and the environment. If you want to learn more about hemp, its uses & benefits, our industrial Hemp & CBD course is exactly what you need! In this program, you’ll learn the history of cannabis, get an introduction to horticulture, and comprehensive studies of both industrial hemp and CBD. Learn more about our courses, programs and certifications here!