Our Favorite Sustainable and Long-Lasting Fabrics.
Every day, we choose what type of clothes to put on our bodies. We consider the style, comfort level, fit, fabric, and color. However, another important consideration is almost always forgotten: are the fabrics we use sustainable? According to the EPA, every year, around 16 million tons of textile waste is produced in America alone. With only about 700,000 tons of clothing being recycled, the types of fabrics you choose to splurge on should be considered.
At JULIETTE, environmental sustainability is a fundamental pillar of our business. We try and do our part each and every day by using recyclable materials and processes. We want to help you do your part to help the environment, so we have listed some of our favorite sustainable fabrics with a variety of different prices below.
ORGANIC/RECYCLED COTTON
Although many clothes are made out of cotton, look specifically on clothing tags for organic or recycled cotton. This fabric is grown without the harmful pesticides and chemicals that are used to make regular cotton. Compared to regular cotton, organic cotton uses far less energy and water to make, so it is definitely a more sustainable option.
PRICE: $
ORGANIC LINEN
Linen is a gorgeous lightweight fabric that is perfect for the summer season. Linen is made from flax, a plant that sprouts charming purple blooms. The plant itself requires a very minimal amount of water and little to no pesticides, which is a huge thumbs up! The flax plant is able to grow fairly quickly and the process to make linen consistently yields high amounts of product.
PRICE: $$
ORGANIC HEMP
Hemp is a versatile material that makes clothes, rope, paper, and even insulation! Similar to linen, hemp plants require a minimal amount of water to grow and it is a resilient plant. Amazingly, there is a symbiotic relationship between the hemp plant and the soil it grows in; the plant returns around 60-70% of nutrients to the soil. Another benefit of organic hemp material is after every wash, the fabric gets softer and softer. Sounds like a great choice to us!
PRICE: $$$
TENCEL
Tencel is a pretty new fabric made out of wood pulp! Because this fabric is made out of plant-based material, it is biodegradable. Tencel is similar to the semi-synthetic fabric “rayon”, but it is a better alternative because it uses only a third of the water that is required to produce rayon. Even better, over 99% of the various solvents and water that is used to produce the material are recyclable, which means fewer toxic chemicals will be released into the environment when the clothes are eventually thrown away.
PRICE: $$$$