Today, we often question what is in our food or how it was grown, but it’s less common to ask about the ingredients that were used in our clothing.
What fiber was used to make the fabric? Where was it knit? Where was it dyed?
Considering that our skin is our largest organ, as well as the most absorptive, it’s key to dig a little deeper, especially when you realize that we wear clothes on a pretty constant basis.
One pillar we’ve focused on from the start is prioritizing natural fibers. For us, it was about comfort first, but turns out, there are so many other reasons that add to our love for natural fibers.
Natural fibers come from the earth, meaning that they come from plants or animals, and they boast an array of pros. Here are some of the reasons why we love and reach for natural fibers:
- Comfort – a primary pillar of our brand is ensuring that everything we make has comfort at its core. The cotton fabrics we buy are made to be super soft.
- Breathability – cotton is specifically known for its breathability and its natural hypo-allergenic and anti-bacterial qualities. It helps your skin breathe, and helps you regulate your body temperature.
- Safer For Sensitive Skin – for those with sensitive skin, natural fibers are always a great place to start, since they are less likely to cause a reaction than synthetic materials.
- Biodegradability – from an environmental lens, when we think about the end-of-life of garments, natural fibers such as cotton have the potential to biodegrade over time, allowing them to return to the earth naturally.
- Moisture Absorbing – natural fibers are very absorbent, and they help wick sweat away in warm weather. Unlike synthetic fibers, natural fibers absorb water to help keep your skin dry.
Currently, about 54.6% of our fabrics are made of natural fibers – specifically cotton – that was knit and dyed in Los Angeles. Our dye partners use low-impact Azo-free reactive dyes that contain no carcinogens or teratogens, and are CalProp65 compliant. They do not spray any additional treatments on our fabrics.
When we’re creating a product, nothing is 100 percent perfect, but we are working to continue to better our practices and offerings. One way we’re doing that is by continuing to prioritize and expand our natural fibers offering in future collections.
What are your favorite natural fibers?
Written by: Kestrel Jenkins, responsibility consultant & host of the Conscious Chatter podcast.