For the environmentally conscious, selecting clothing that is eco-friendly and sustainable clothing isn’t an option; it’s a necessity. However, there are some who claim that even though they would love to leave less of a carbon footprint and purchase clothing that is sustainable, chemical-free, and environmentally friendly, the available options fail to meet the demands they place on their clothing. This is especially true of performance wear. When we consider what to wear for athletics, working out, running, hiking, or extreme outdoor activity, we consider clothing that is performance-driven and will be able to keep up with our need for adventure and adrenaline.
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This passion for clothing that is durable and out-performs the basic t-shirt can lead us to buy every manner of chemical-laden, synthetic fabric available. Most of the time, we don’t even realize the fabrics we are purchasing take such a large toll on the environment. Consider, for instance, the purchase of a moisture-wicking performance tank top. Most fabric that is considered “moisture wicking” is only able to effectively remove moisture from your body because it has been chemically treated.
Chemically treated clothing is not only bad for the environment; it’s bad for our bodies. The process by which clothing is treated involves the use of textiles that are not naturally occurring. Synthetic fabrics are essentially created in a lab by mixing chemicals that eventually produce fibers. These fibers are woven into clothing that is then treated with a chemical spray that allows them to remove moisture from your skin.
The factories that produce chemically treated clothing have byproducts of this treatment process. Those byproducts are released either into the air or the water supply, damaging the environment and putting the surrounding ecosystem at risk.
Once the clothing arrives at your doorstep, you’re unknowingly placing fabric directly onto your skin that has been treated with chemicals. If you have sensitive skin, you may notice that some fabrics irritate your skin more than others. This is likely due to the chemical treatment of the fabric. Additionally, once you’ve washed and dried the article of clothing a few times, the performance-enhanced wicking property begins to dissipate, which can lead you to buy, you guessed it, another chemically-laden shirt.
There’s a better option for performance-driven clothing, and it’s found in bamboo fabric. Bamboo viscose, the material created from bamboo fibers, is some of the hardest working, most durable fabric available, and it’s environmentally friendly, too. Here are six advantages of bamboo fabric that make it the superior choice for clothing that must endure everything you do.
We need our workout wear to be durable, comfortable, moveable, and attractive. While many will settle for some of the chemical creations referenced above, many of us feel there’s a real danger in settling for something that is so harsh on the environments and our bodies. Is it possible for us to find clothing that can perform for us without harming the environment? The answer is yes, absolutely.
1. Bamboo clothing is a moisture wicking hero. No chemically treated garment can out-perform a bamboo piece. Bamboo is naturally moisture-wicking because of the natural bamboo fibers. Because bamboo grows in climates that are hot and moist, the plant can soak up moisture and retain it to help it grow. Bamboo is the fastest growing tree on the planet, and in order to grow that fast, it requires a lot of water.
The process we at tasc Performance use to create bamboo viscose fabric ensures that the properties of the bamboo tree make it through to the bamboo clothing fibers. This way, you can trust that the bamboo shirt you buy will keep you drier than any synthetic piece you might find at the sporting goods store.
2. Bamboo fabric is naturally odor-resistant. You may have heard of odor-absorbing fabric, and quite honestly, that sounds horrendous. No fabric should absorb and trap odors, but that’s just what many synthetic performance-grade fabrics do. Because of the nature of the synthetic fibers and their chemical treatment, many articles of clothing designs designed for sweat-related activities absorb and trap odor in the fabric fibers that can be almost impossible to remove.
If you’ve ever thrown on a shirt and smelled a dingy odor the second you start sweating, chances are you are experiencing this phenomenon.
Bamboo fabric is naturally odor-resistant. Because it isn’t treated with chemicals, the natural fibers can resist odor. Bamboo has antibacterial properties, which also allow it to resist mold and mildew, which can otherwise ruin a piece of clothing. Your bamboo fabric clothing will always smell fresh and clean no matter what kind of workout you expose it to.
3. Bamboo fabric is naturally UV protectant. We all know skin cancer is a real and prevalent issue. With so many of us being passionate about nature and all things outdoors, it is important we wear UV protectant clothing. Most UV protectant clothing is able to block the sun’s harmful rays through the use of, you guessed it, more chemical coating.
This chemical coating allows the garment to have UV protection, but because the UV protection comes in the form of a chemical finish, it is likely the UV protection won’t last after a few washes.
Bamboo fabric is naturally UV protectant and has a protection rating of 50+ without the use of chemicals, and that protection lasts no matter how many times you wash your clothing.
4. Bamboo fabric is hypoallergenic. When we create fabric from bamboo, we don’t have to use chemicals or blend it with large amounts of heavy synthetic fibers to create the performance capabilities you demand from your clothing. As such, you won’t find ingredients in bamboo fabric that will irritate your sensitive skin. Instead, you’ll find super soft, luxe cotton/bamboo blended fabric that is gentle on your skin as it feels, but tough as nails when it comes to performance capabilities.
5. Bamboo fabric is a climate control wonder. Bamboo fiber is naturally very porous, and the fibers themselves have tiny gaps in them that allow for air to flow freely in and out. This natural ventilation system allows bamboo fabric to be some of the world’s best thermal regulating fabric.
When the air is cold, bamboo fabric traps body heat and keeps you warm without trapping sweat against your skin, which can make you feel damp and cold. When the air is hot, bamboo fabric wicks away moisture that can leave you feeling “humid” and allows for air to flow in and out of the garment to keep you cool. Bamboo fabric can do this only when it is processed in such a way that the natural benefits of the bamboo fiber make it into the fabric, a patent-pending process that tasc Performance developed.
6. Bamboo fabric is the ultimate in easy care. With all these benefits, it would be easy to assume that bamboo fabric clothing would carry a one-way ticket to the dry cleaner, but surprisingly, bamboo fabrics are some of the most easily cared for textiles available.
Not only can your bamboo fabric performance wear be tossed directly into your washer and dryer, but you will also never have to worry about ironing, which is awesome because with so many exquisite designs available, you’ll definitely want to wear some of your gear to places other than the gym.
One of the most significant advantages of seeking out bamboo fabric products is that it is environmentally friendly. Worldwide, bamboo production is extremely sustainable, which means that every time bamboo is cut for production, it is replanted on the same soil and regrown. Because bamboo is so quickly grown, it can be grown and harvested in as little as a year’s time.
It’s not only sustainable for the environment; it is sustainable for humans. From the farmers who grow the bamboo to the workers who turn it into fiber in the factory, bamboo provides employment to individuals at a fair and just wage. In fact, positions at bamboo factories are some of the higher-paying jobs in the areas where they are located, and offer access to health insurance and even college and career advancement to their employees, who might otherwise be unable to further themselves.
Bamboo is an incredibly high performing fabric that is a great alternative to synthetic, chemically-laden workout wear. Bamboo consistently outperforms other materials in terms of moisture-wicking capabilities, odor resistance, UV protection, comfort, and composition. You simply cannot find another textile that performs as well as naturally as bamboo fabric does. You can depend on bamboo to be easy to wear, supremely comfortable, and superior in function compared to its synthetically derived counterparts. Bamboo is environmentally friendly and sustainable for not only the planet but for the people who work to produce bamboo fabric as well. Choosing bamboo fabric is a choice that promotes the environment and helps us reduce waste and end the global cycle of abused natural resources.
Sources:
https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/knitting-apparel/2016/05/performance-apparel-in-the-making/#
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233402754_UV_absorption_property_of_bamboo
https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-ethical-fashion#
Bamboo has grown in Alabama for hundreds of years
Have you ever noticed the groves of bamboo growing alongside Highway 85 on the way to Auburn? Maybe you have noticed it along many of the back-roads of southeast Alabama. What you are seeing is an economic boom for bamboo cultivators in the State.
Almost every retail outlet has "wicking" shirts. Most buyers are seeking natural fiber wicking shirt brands like TASC, Free Fly or NxtStop. In the Gulf Shores area these soft, wicking shirts are sold at numerous outlets. They are very popular with boater, surfers and anyone who spends time outdoors. The one thing these brands have in common is they are made from bamboo fiber.
Bamboo is a highly breathable fabric, making it ideal for athletes or activewear and athletic apparel. The hollow structure of bamboo fibers allows air to circulate more freely through the fabric, which helps to regulate body temperature by wicking away moisture and keeping you cool.
Here Are The Top 10 Reason To Own Bamboo Shirts:
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10 advantages of bamboo fabric:
1. Bamboo is an ultra-soft fabric
Bamboo fabric is luxuriously soft, so soft that it feels like it lightly floats on your skin. This is due to the smooth round structure of the bamboo fiber, which has no sharp or rough elements that could cause irritation.
2. Bamboo clothing is breathable
Bamboo fabric offers excellent ventilation thanks to microscopic holes in the fiber. This keeps you feeling fresh for longer, meaning you have to wash your clothes less. Ultimately, less washing helps clothes last longer, key to a sustainable wardrobe.
3. Bamboo is good for hot weather
The thermoregulatory properties of bamboo fabric helps keep you cool when the weather gets hot. The breathable and moisture wicking nature of the material allows for ultimate comfort on hot days. So yes, that bamboo shirt will keep you cooler than a cotton alternative.
4. Powerful insulating
These same thermoregulatory properties of bamboo fabric also helps keep you warmer in winter, making bamboo a performance material for any weather. This is due to its cross sectional fibers which helps keep heat in on colder days, ensuring bamboo is warmer than cotton when the temperature drops.
5. Bamboo fabric is moisture wicking
Bamboo fabric actually helps to keep your skin comfortable and dry by wicking moisture from your skin more quickly. This makes bamboo perfect for sports clothing or more intimate clothing, as it is much more breathable than cotton. In fact, bamboo clothes dry twice as fast as cotton (although can absorb more water, see point 3 from the disadvantages list below).
6. Bamboo is anti-bacterial
Bamboo fabric is supposedly anti-bacterial, meaning that your top will stay fresh for longer as the fibre helps fight odours. As we well know, less washing helps your clothes last longer, making your closet more eco-friendly.
7. Bamboo offers UV protection
Bamboo fabric offers natural protection from the sun’s harmful rays, filtering up to 97.5% of UV radiation.
8. Bamboo is good for sensitive skin
Natural bamboo is hypoallergenic, making it perfect for sensitive skin as it does not cause allergic reactions. As a rule of thumb for those prone to sensitive skin, you should always look for the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 label which ensures no trace harmful materials are left in the fabric.
9. Bamboo fabric prevents wrinkles
An amazing fact about bamboo is that it does not wrinkle easily, even after frequent washing. This makes it perfect for those of us less keen on our iron, plus makes it more sustainable as we need to use less energy to maintain our bamboo clothes.
10. Bamboo is a sustainably grown crop - and this is where Alabama farmers have been making great strides.
Alabamboo, Inc., an Alabama company that aims to help farmers discover the benefits of growing and selling bamboo as a crop, has advised many local farmers about the product's cultivation. Director of Sales Cedric Coley said “Bamboo is a $72 billion industry worldwide,” Coley said. “China and other Asian countries have been growing bamboo for thousands of years. Most of their construction and their food is based on bamboo. Most of the world considers it a superfood.”
According to Coley, rich Blackbelt soil is well-suited for growing and maximizing bamboo crops. Alabamboo was founded by farmers who came from a lineage of third and fourth generation farmers who understand potential bamboo growers need information and education about the benefits of bamboo farming. “This is generational wealth,” Coley said. “Once you go through a series of steps, maintaining it like a well-groomed garden, most of your labor is downhill. From there, the bamboo will last for at least 80 years.”
In our coastal community you can find TASC and other bamboo brands at popular locations: Orange Beach Marina, Flora-Bama, COASTAL, The Orange Beach Store and more.
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