Hemp Fabric
Did you know that hemp has been cultivated for thousands of years? In fact, one of the oldest relics of human activity is a piece of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC. It’s highly absorbent and can be blended with other natural fibres like cotton to create a soft but far more durable fabric. In this guide, we walk through the properties of this highly versatile fabric...
What is Hemp fabric?
Hemp clothing is a textile made using fibres from the stalks of the Cannabis Sativa plant. Textile harvesters have, over the centuries, perfected a method for breeding Cannabis Sativa so that it is low in THC (the famously psychoactive chemical) and instead made up of stronger, more malleable fibres for fabric making.
How is Hemp clothing produced?
Once the Cannabis Sativa plant is harvested, the fibres are separated from the bark and softened in a process called 'retting'. They are then turned to strands, pulped and spun into yarn, ready to be woven into your favourite hemp clothing.
The impact of Hemp
Hemp is stronger than traditional cotton and far less resource intensive to cultivate. It is one of the highest yielding crops on the planet, but requires very little maintenance. It even blocks weeds from growing, making it a great option for farmers to improve soil quality, and all hemp fibre by-products can be used, so waste is minimal.
Benefits of Hemp clothing
We love Hemp clothing because it is...
1. Incredibly breathable
2. Does not shrink or degrade when washed
3. Resistant to pilling
4. Perfect balance of softness and durability
5. Super absorbable - great for hot climates
6. Resistant to mold and potentially harmful microbes
Regenerating soil and aiding biodiversity
The cultivation of hemp is hugely more beneficial to biodiversity than most mono crops, and it aids soil regeneration wherever it is grown. The Hemp sourced from our parters at Egidenez in Turkey is already grown using regenerative practices and we are currently working to extend this across all the Hemp we use in our range.
Traditional farming methods focus on short-term returns whilst stripping the soil of its nutrients and organic compounds. Conversely, regenerative agriculture is a way of farming to build and improve soil fertility, whilst sequestering and storing atmospheric CO2, increasing diversity and improving water and energy management.
It's a holistic solution that represents a first step towards a wider set of economic, environmental, and social benefits. Farms using regenerative practises can benefit from higher and more stable yields, lower input costs and the development of natural capital and ecosystem services whilst building agricultural resilience.