Hemp Fabric: An Eco-Friendly Choice

Hemp has been grown for over 12,000 years to provide both food and fabric. The textile is naturally organic, and is made from cannabis sativa fiber, or industrial fiber. It has proven to be a reliable and comfortable textile, and its use is growing in the eco-fashion world. Pure hemp feels similar to linen, making in an ideal summer fabric.

Raw Hemp Fiber

Raw Hemp Fiber (Source: Hemp Traders)

Hemp is a great fiber because it can be blended with other fabrics to create different textures and feels. While there are several 100% pure hemp items at Jute & Jackfruit, such as Earth Creations wrap shown below, many items are made from hemp blends. The featured Feral Childe skirt is made from a hemp cotton blend, but other popular varieties include blends with wool and silk.

Because of the luxurious nature of silk, hemp silk blends create beautiful fabrics and are ideal for special items, such as wedding dresses. Conscious Clothing has been making environmentally-friendly hemp silk wedding attire since 1995. The company believes that by wearing the fabric on her wedding day, “a woman is honoring not only the sacredness of her commitment to her partner, but also the very sacred connection that we all share with our planet.” We couldn’t agree more with this statement, and find their commitment to eco-friendly practices — not to mention their beautiful dresses — something to celebrate!

Hemp has proven to require less energy and resources than other fabrics, including organic cotton. Hemp is very fast growing, and produces high yields: the plant is thought to produce 250% more fiber than cotton using the same amount of land (ecogreen4us). In fact, according to Beyond Organic: Innovations in Sustainable Apparel by Mark Heiman, “Evaluating cotton across its complete production cycle makes it clear that when compared with alternatives, such as hemp, bamboo, or other growth crops, it is a highly energy and resource intensive process.”

So given the environmental benefits of hemp, what are some other great options for summer? We love Feral Childe’s Fornasetti Pinafore, made from hemp and organic cotton. This versatile, lightweight piece looks great over Stewart + Brown’s Cropped Cinch Leggings (made from a hemp spandex blend) or on its own. Thankfully, they are perfect for any season, because you’ll never want to take these incredibly comfortable leggings off!