1 week Ago By Dee Pignéguy
Can we grow our own clothes? People have been growing plants to make clothes forever, making sturdy fabrics that provide protection from weather and insects. Plants don’t grow fabric, but the fibres produced can be made into fabrics once we do the weaving. Plant fibres used for making a variety of products include stem fibre, leaf fibres, seed hair fibres, jute, hemp and bamboo.
Textiles made from leaves, fruits and nuts may sound strange now, but as researchers and entrepreneurs experiment with a wide range of plant fibres, alternative materials will become increasingly available. For instance, pineapple fibre, also known as pina cloth, is a natural textile extracted from pineapple leaves that are discarded at harvest time. It is lightweight, breathable and has a luxurious appearance.
Orange peel becomes a natural fibre once the cellulose is removed, providing a yarn similar to silk. Bananatex, made from banana fibre, is claimed to be nearly carbon neutral and its soft texture is likened to hemp and bamboo. Hemp needs little water and has no need for pesticides.
The fibre is antibacterial, breathable and protects against ultraviolet rays. Soy fabrics are derived from the hulls of soybeans – a manufacturing by-product and is known as the vegetable cashmere for its light and silky sensation. Tencel is made from the pulp of eucalyptus wood, requiring little water for extraction and it is biodegradable.
While tapa cloth, not a woven material, is made from the bark from several types of trees, often fig and mulberry, and is softened through a process of soaking and beating. Lotus flower fibre, from the root of the lotus plant, has been used for centuries to produce rare fabrics use in hand-spun scarves. The process produces a luxurious fabric that feels like a combination of silk and raw linen.
Linen fabric, a natural textile, is made from the cellulose fibres from inside the stalks of the flax plant. It is one of the oldest human cultivated plants, is biodegradable and doesn’t require irrigation or pesticides for cultivation. Forget the coffee grounds for deterring snails, fabric made using discarded coffee grounds is an interesting and new textile innovation.
Our fashion addiction supporting the mass production of clothing is the second biggest industrial pollution on the planet. So, this Christmas, embrace being out of fashion, help make the fashion industry green and shop at your local op shop..
