Cotton, wool, silk, and rayon are all fabrics which we are accustomed to seeing on our clothing labels. A new material, though less common but quickly increasing in popularity, is bamboo.
A lot of people are wary of buying and wearing clothing made of bamboo simply because they do not know much about it. Some surprising facts about this fabric include:
Bamboo Is Exceptionally Soft
When most of us picture bamboo, we think of a stiff and sturdy plant. How is it possible for a hardwood plant to be transformed into an enviably soft fabric?
The bamboo goes through a process which turns it into a fabric which is not only soft, but that is also luxuriously silky. Those who make the switch to bamboo clothing often claim that they will never again wear cotton or any other type of fabric because it is just that much more comfortable.
Bamboo Can Absorb Moisture
Another reason why fabric made from bamboo is more comfortable than other materials is because it is naturally moisture absorbent. The fabric will wick away moisture from your skin, keeping you drier and more comfortable. Bamboo also has antibacterial properties, meaning that it will not produce an odour like other fabrics will.
Bamboo Does Not Irritate the Skin
The very same anti-bacterial agent which prevents odour is what also makes bamboo fabric non-irritating to the skin. It is also hypo-allergenic and anti-static, which again adds to the comfort of wearing this soft, lightweight fabric.
Bamboo Is Organic
Unlike many other plants on the planet today, bamboo does not need to be treated with pesticides, irrigation, or fertilisers in order to enhance its growth. Bamboo is extremely hardy and can grow in even the worst conditions. It grows like a weed, being able to shoot up over a metre in a twenty-four hour period!
Bamboo Is Sustainable
With this plant being so robust and able to grow so quickly within a day, it is arguably the most sustainable fabric available on the planet today. Bamboo fabric is also made of natural fibres, meaning that clothing made of bamboo will decompose naturally unlike clothing made of synthetic fibres which will be sitting in a landfill for hundreds of years.
Bamboo Is Less Toxic Than Synthetic Fibres
In addition to being naturally organic, this type of fabric is less toxic than its synthetic brethren. For example, polyester is made from synthetic polymers which are concocted out of terephthalic acid and esters of dihydric alcohol. These chemicals are left sitting on our skin, day after day, and it is possible that they are being absorbed into our bloodstream.
Fabrics which are “stain resistant”, “wrinkle-free” or “static resistant” are also worrisome. Many of these fabrics are treated with chemicals like Teflon. Finally, beware of fabrics made of acrylic. Acrylic fabrics are polyacrylonitriles which are known to be carcinogenic.
Bamboo Clothing Lasts Longer
Those who love to wear natural fibres swear that fabrics like bamboo last significantly longer than cotton clothing. They maintain their shape for longer, do not “pill” like other materials do and the fabric does not break down and wear out nearly as quickly.
