The Magic of Hemp
Ever wonder why your favourite t-shirt feels so good? It might seem like magic, but it’s really the fabric. The material a shirt is made from significantly impacts how it feels on your skin, plus how it drapes and fits on your body.
When we set out to create the perfect sustainable Indigowares t-shirt, we knew that we needed a breathable fabric that is gentle on you and the planet. That’s why we landed on a hemp blend, an ethical fabric that feels amazing to wear.
WHY IS HEMP ECO FRIENDLY
Let’s zoom in on our blend of hemp and cotton that makes up our classic sustainable shirt. The best place to start is with the actual farming of hemp, which is at the heart of what makes it so sustainable.
A LAID-BACK CROP
Hemp is a hugely sustainable crop to grow. It requires minimal water and pesticides, which drastically reduces waste and the release of chemicals and pollutants associated with pesticides. It also grows quickly, allowing for frequent harvests – talk about low maintenance and high yield!
REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
Hemp is a carbon-negative crop, which means it absorbs more carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere than is released during its growth and processing. This effectively offsets human activity that releases CO₂ into the atmosphere, making hemp a very environmentally friendly choice.
A GREAT USE OF SPACE
Hemp requires a very small amount of land to cultivate. This translates to nearly double the fibre yield per hectare compared to a more common fibre crop like cotton.
How Hemp fabric is made
Farming hemp utilises almost the entire plant, making it incredibly versatile.
Hemp fabric is made from the long fibres in the stalk. These fibres are separated from the woody core (known as the hurd) through a process called ‘retting’. In this process, the plant is left in the field to allow the materials that bind the fibres to the hurd to decompose naturally.
Once separated, the fibres are spun together to create a continuous thread. From here, the process becomes more familiar, as these threads are woven or knitted into fabric, similar to how other fabrics are made.
AFTER THE FARM
t’s important to remember that sustainability doesn’t end with the soil. A truly eco-friendly garment should be designed to last in your wardrobe, reducing the need to replace and remake clothes. Hemp is a perfect example of this, and here’s why:
HEMP STANDS THE TEST OF TIME
You may be fooled by how soft the fabric is, but hemp is incredibly durable. Despite its durability, Hemp is incredibly soft. This means that your most comfortable tee will also last twice as long as ones made from just cotton or synthetics
HEMP WILL AGE WELL
Hemp is not susceptible to shrinkage and it pills less than other fabrics too.
HEMP TAKES CARE OF YOUR SKIN
Hemp has excellent breathability, which helps keep you comfortable and allows the fabric to dry quickly. This breathability also makes it easier to launder, as sweat and odours don’t linger in the fibres. Some studies also suggest that hemp may have natural antibacterial properties.
THE CHALLENGES OF HEMP
The popularity of hemp being used to create clothing has seen a huge uptick in recent years. With all of the benefits in mind, you may start wondering why hemp isn’t the most popular fabric on the market. Here are a few challenges that hemp fabric faces in becoming as popular as others:
- There’s no escaping the fact that hemp is associated with cannabis, which might give it a bad reputation with some people.
- If you look back on hemp garments of the past, they’re often associated with the boho aesthetic. Of course this isn’t a negative, but it does narrow the versatility of the fabric down to one style in the consumer’s mind.
- Hemp production can be expensive and involve a lot of transportation between processing steps if companies aren’t careful. To keep hemp truly earth friendly, extra care should be put into keeping supply chains as local as possible.
- To cut costs, some companies might resort to growing hemp with harsh chemicals that it doesn’t require. Labels like “hemp-viscose” or blends with synthetic elements could be a sign that your hemp garment might not be as sustainable as you’d hope.
OUR INDIGO TOUCH
Our hemp t-shirts are available on a few different cuts and colours. You can choose between the classic tee or our shorter boxy fit, great to pair with our pull on trousers to show off a bit more of the waistband detail. Each fit is available in a classic undyed natural white, or our signature natural hand dyed indigo.
If you didn’t already guess from our brand’s name, a love of indigo dye and natural dye processes is at the heart of everything that we do.
If you’re interested in reading more on the process of farming and extracting indigo, click here.
Or you could browse our blog for tons of resources on the natural and ethical processes that make your eco friendly clothes.
BROWSE HEMP COLLECTION
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Boxy T Shirt – Un-dyed hemp Cotton Blend
£49.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Boxy T Shirt – Hand dyed hemp cotton blend
£55.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Un-dyed Unisex T Shirt – Hemp cotton blend
£49.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Naturally Dyed T Shirt – Hand dyed Indigo hemp cotton blend
£55.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
