Buy Better: Eco-Friendly Fabrics
French Linen Sheet Set in Nautical Blue by Sunday Bedding.
There are many factors to consider when determining whether a fabric can be considered sustainable — from the amount of water and energy required in the production process, to the use of chemicals in the cultivation of crops for plant-based fibres, to how a fabric is treated or its biodegradability. Although there is no perfectly sustainable option in the world of eco-friendly fabrics yet, that doesn’t mean we can’t work towards lowering our fashion-related carbon footprint.
To aid you in your journey of becoming a more conscious shopper, we’ve drawn up a list of eight commonly available sustainable fabrics.
1. Linen
One of the more obvious choices when it comes to shopping sustainable fabrics is linen. Created from the fibres of the flax plant, linen is light, breathable, and dries quickly — which makes it a great fabric to wear in Singapore’s unpredictable, humid weather. Despite its lightweight properties, linen is very durable, and is even naturally moth-resistant.
The flax plant is also rather low-maintenance, thriving in any temperate climate and requiring little water to grow. Though pesticides are used, little to none is needed, making the fabric a sustainable option in both its organic and commercial forms. If undyed, organic linen is also biodegradable, and can be identified by the little green Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) label.
Linen is widely recognisable by its rumpled nature, which lends the fabric a signature relaxed vibe. It can also be used to tell 100% linen and imitation linen blends! If a brand claims to use 100% linen, but the fabric remains relatively wrinkle-free after being scrunched, it’s a sign that the fabric label might not be entirely truthful. Another way to distinguish 100% linen is the presence of slubs — small, soft, naturally occurring lumps along the fabric that can be found in unadulterated linen.
Check out these linen products from our community of vendors:
Wrapped Button Kimono
Perfect on its own or layered, this lightweight outerwear is made with 100% German Linen.
Linen Lounge Shorts in Oatmeal
An ultra-comfortable, 100% linen bottom that you’ll love slipping into after a long day.
2. Organic cotton
Another popular choice in natural fibres is organic cotton, not to be confused with conventional cotton, which is one of the least sustainable fabrics used in fashion. Unlike conventional cotton, organic cotton plants are grown from non-GMO seeds without the use of pesticides and fertilisers, and also require less water to grow.
Compared to conventional cotton, organic cotton is more breathable, and is gentler on the skin. It’s also produced from more stable cotton fibres, making the fabric more durable than its commercial counterpart, and is especially suited for younger children or individuals with sensitive skin. Also, like organic linen, organic cotton is biodegradable, and can be recycled to produce other items and materials.
One way to differentiate organic cotton from conventional cotton is through the certification tags from organisations such as GOTS, USDA-NOP, Organic Content Standards, IVN, and Naturland. The presence of the Fairtrade Cotton Mark can also show that the cotton used is organic, though it can also be found on products made from cotton blends.
Check out these organic cotton products from our community of vendors:
Moki Kids PJ Set In Spiral Blush
Dress your little ones in this adorable, block-printed PJ set made with the softest 100% organic cotton, as well as eco-friendly and azo-free dyes.
Personalised Organic Cotton Blanket in Blue
Warm and snuggle-ready, this blanket knitted from 100% organic cotton ticks all the boxes for a thoughtful baby shower gift.
3. Lyocell/Tencel
Though it isn’t a very widely known textile, lyocell is one of the more sustainable semi-synthetic fabrics in the market. Made by dissolving wood pulp and using a drying process called spinning, lyocell, more commonly known as Tencel, is a cellulose fibre. While harmful petrochemicals are typically used as a solvent for wood pulp, this fabric is made in a closed loop production process. This means the solvent is recycled many times with multiple batches of the fibre, which greatly reduces the amount of chemical waste produced in the process.
A soft, smooth material, lyocell drapes and flatters every figure when worn. It is breathable and moisture-wicking, making it a good alternative to use in activewear. Lyocell is often regarded as a low-maintenance fabric to work with as well because of its lightweight and generally crease-resistant properties. The material is also hypoallergenic, making it a safe choice for babies and individuals with sensitive skin.
You may find, however, that lyocell is not as commonly used in the market at present, though it is certainly growing in popularity.
Check out these Tencel products from our community of vendors:
TENCEL™ Micromodal Boxer Brief
An incredibly soft and highly breathable wardrobe staple that feels finer than silk against the skin.
Sleeveless Wrap Dress With Slanted Sash in Mao Shan Wang
Food meets fashion in this elegant wrap dress that features an eye-catching Mao Shan Wang-inspired printed sash.
4. Bamboo fabric
Soft, antibacterial, hypoallergenic, absorbent, and quick-drying, bamboo fabric is made from a high-yielding plant and has been rapidly gaining popularity. Bamboo linen can also be made from bamboo fibres, though that material is slightly coarser, and the process much more labour-intensive.
The softer, more commonly seen bamboo fabric is created through a process that is similar to the one used to create lyocell, which means that chemicals are used to dissolve the cellulose in the bamboo plant before it is spun into fibres. Unlike lyocell, however, this manufacturing cycle may not be a closed one, meaning that material waste could be generated. There are various certifications you can look out for when shopping bamboo textiles to ensure that the production process has minimised the release of harmful chemicals.One is the OEDKO-TEX certification, which indicates that water released from production is potable.
Though bamboo fabric is not always a perfect solution when it comes to sustainable fabrics, bamboo is still considered a sustainable crop as it requires far less water and thrives without pesticide, unlike most other crops like conventional cotton.
Check out this bamboo product from our community of vendors:
Drizzling Rain Bamboo Sheet Set
Made from 100% Bamboo Rayon, these sheets keep you cool as you snooze with their silkiness. They also give off a luxurious sheen.
5. Silk and Peace silk
While conventional silk, a renewable protein fibre spun from silkworms, is already considered a sustainable fabric, Peace Silk takes that sustainability up a notch in its production process. Unlike the traditional fabric, where silkworm cocoons are boiled to produce silk fibres, Peace Silk fibres are extracted from empty cocoons, after the silkworms have emerged from them, allowing these silkworms to complete their natural life cycle.
The resulting fabric is rather similar to silk in its textural properties, though it feels slightly warmer and softer than conventional silk.
Both conventional silk and Peace Silk are hypoallergenic and biodegradable. The production processes for both also require little water and are considered low impact as the silkworms only feed on the leaves of mulberry trees, which are easy to grow.
Check out these silk products from our community vendors:
Hearts Silk Cushion
Spruce up your home with the eclectic prints of this reversible, 100% silk cushion.
Nyonya Blossom Silk Cuff in Rhodium
Inspired by the floral patterns of traditional Peranakan-style tiles, this sleek cuff features a removable silk slide available in a range of vibrant colours.
6. Recycled nylon
Recycled nylon, diverts waste from landfills to process into textiles, closing the loop of consumption and waste. Though this process typically costs more than it does to create virgin nylon, it uses far less resources, and produces a fabric that is of a similar quality to virgin nylon.
One of the more well-known recycled nylon textiles in the market is Econyl, a fabric made out of waste like fishing nets, carpet flooring, and industrial plastic. Through a radical regeneration and purification process, these waste materials are recycled back to their original purity, before being distributed in the fashion and homeware industries.
At Boutiques, you’ll also find recycled products made from other materials like plastic bottles.
Check out some of our picks:
Men's Swim Shorts in Perfect Peranakan
An eye-catching, eco-friendly pair of swim shorts crafted from fabric made with recycled plastic bottles.
Bikini Timothy in Navy
Get in the mood for summer with this cowrie-shell-lined swimsuit made predominantly from recycled materials.
7. Hemp
Though hemp has been used to create all sorts of industrial goods for years, its popularity in the fashion scene has only recently started to grow. Made from the fibres of the stalks of the Cannabis sativa plant, a very high-yielding crop, hemp is one of the most versatile and sustainable fabrics among the natural fabrics available commercially.
Hemp and linen share very similar qualities and textures. Like linen, hemp is lightweight and breathable, making it a great fabric for warmer climates. Hemp is also biodegradable and vegan, since its natural ability to ward of pests and even resist mould means it doesn’t need to be treated with chemicals.
Hemp purportedly provides effective sun protection as well due to its ability to block out a high amount of UV rays. The durable, hardy material is able to carry heavy weights and withstand tough conditions, making it ideal not just for apparel, but other accessories like backpacks.
8. Alpaca wool
Though not as common as other animal-based fibres, alpaca wool is created from the fleece of the herbivorous animal of the same name. Alpacas are considered more environmentally friendly to rear as compared to cashmere goats, as they cut the grass when they graze, instead of pulling it out like cashmere goats do. Alpacas also have padded feet instead of hooves, which are gentler on the soil. They require little food and water to survive, and each alpaca can produce sufficient wool and fibres to create 4 sweaters a year, as opposed to a single cashmere goat needing 4 years to produce enough wool for just one sweater.
Alpaca yarn is considered to be more luxurious than traditional wool because of its longer fibres, which also makes the resulting wool warmer and lighter. It is also softer and naturally hypoallergenic, making it much gentler on skin. Don’t like the way conventional wool pills? You’ll be happy to know alpaca wool pills less than conventional wool or cashmere.
By KIMBERLY NG of Public Culture, an editorial experience studio that believes in connection over communication.