Benefits of Organic Clothes

Even with our understanding of the negative impact that a modern lifestyle has on the earth, making a move to commit to sustainable living choices is not the easiest thing to do. Although, a larger number of communities and organizations are trying hard to become more eco-friendly. For example, wind power is getting to be more common-place. If you think about it, there are many simple things that ordinary people can adopt to benefit the environment. One possible thing is to purchase organic clothing.

There is a chance that you are familiar with the concept of organic food, but you are not so exposed to organic clothing. What do we mean by it? When we think about organic crops, we mean those that don’t add chemical pesticides to the soil and water. This helps maintain biodiversity within the ecosystem.

Cotton is the most common clothing fiber, and it also happens to be the crop with the biggest environmental footprint. Did you know that one quarter of pesticides used globally are used for growing cotton?

On the other hand, organic cotton is harvested without using chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Rather, the cotton is grown through natural methods. More organic fabrics such as soy and bamboo are also good natural fibers for organic clothing.

An important benefit of organic clothing should be the fact that it is very easy on your skin. Since the clothing fibers are lacking any traces of dangerous chemicals, they won’t trigger skin reactions. Furthermore, bamboo fabric is naturally resistant to bacteria.

 Organic cotton yarn. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When we support organic clothing, we reduce the amount of pollutants finding their way into the environment. Unsustainable farming causes untold amounts of harmful chemicals to penetrate the earth and pass along to the water. This is a growing source of health problems in these times. But if we opt for organic apparel, we will be helping the efforts of organic agriculture which don’t damage the environment.

Some organic clothing fabrics such as bamboo and hemp are very durable. They still look great after numerous wash cycles and last longer than chemically-grown fibers.

Anytime we decide to wear environmentally responsible clothes, we are helping make life better for all the farmers who grow textile crops. Their homes and families are free from an exposure to a dangerous build up of chemicals that originates from non-organic farming practices.

Considering all of these advantages, we can expect to see more and more clothing manufacturers are shifting over to producing organic clothing.

Top 10 Reasons Why the Best Organic Yoga Clothing is Made From Bamboo

Organic yoga clothing comes in a variety of natural materials. We think it’s great that today’s consumers have so many options that are in tune with mother nature. Of all the eco-friendly fabrics used to make yoga clothes, we feel bamboo is the best. Here are 10 reasons why.

1. Cloth produced from bamboo fiber is undeniably smooth. Many people compare it even to cashmere or silk. The reason for this is because the bamboo fibers naturally possess a round surface. It makes bamboo clothes very soft to the touch, even for people with skin allergies.

2. Bamboo fabric is extremely moisture absorbing. This means that when you get sweaty the fabric will remove the sweat from the surface of your skin. You will feel more dry wearing bamboo activewear for yoga and any other physical activities.

3. Bamboo clothing breathes well. Because of this you’ll stay cooler in the summer when you wear bamboo clothes. And it also makes a good insulating layer to wear during the winter.

4. Bamboo fabric blocks up to 98% of UV rays. You can help protect your skin from damage coming from the sun by wearing bamboo clothing.

5. Bamboo fabric has anti-bacterial properties. The astonishing bamboo plant has a natural anti-microbial agent called “bamboo kun”.  The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal abilities of the bamboo kun are still present in bamboo cloth. You are going to notice that bamboo clothing, towels, and sheets prevent the growth of fungus and bacteria. Your bamboo clothing can smell fresher for a longer time than garments made of other fabrics. This makes organic yoga clothing from bamboo such a wonderful selection. Many people like bamboo sleepwear and bath towels for this reason.

6. Bamboo is a sustainable resource. Bamboo is definitely one of the most rapid growing plants there is, but did you also know that bamboo is actually a kind of giant grass and not a tree? This means  all the distinct bamboo culms are connected by a system of roots under the earth. Only those culms that have grown for a few years are cut down, while the rest are left until they are ready. This way bamboo stalks can continually be harvested sustainably in the same locality every year.

7. Bamboo is grown organically. Bamboo has its own natural protection from pests. Therefore it can easily grow in an organic process without the need for harsh pesticides and herbicides that cause damage to the  soil and waterways.

8. Bamboo traps greenhouse gases as it grows. All plants convert carbon dioxide to oxygen through photosynthesis. But bamboo does this more efficiently than trees. Each acre of bamboo changes a larger amount of CO2 into breathable oxygen than a similar sized forest of hardwood trees.

9. Bamboo prevents soil erosion. Bamboo can be grown on sloping hills where other crops are not able to grow. It also has a large, complex network of roots underground because it is a type of grass. When bamboo is harvested, only the culms are cut down, while the roots stay in place. This helps prevent soil erosion and keeps a larger amount of water in the earth.

10. Bamboo requires no irrigation. Bamboo is one of the hardiest plant species on the planet. And the type of bamboo harvested for clothing grows excellently with only rain water. By comparison, cotton is one of the biggest users of irrigation water. It requires  several tons of precious water just to obtain one pound of cotton.

These are just a few of the many reasons why bamboo clothing is the best type of organic yoga wear. Try it yourself and see how you like it. We’re sure you won’t be disappointed.

The Best Bamboo Yoga Pants

There are many types of organic yoga clothes on the market today. We like organic bamboo clothing the most, and here is a run-down of some of the best organic bamboo yoga pants available.

Ari Bamboo Yoga Pants

Ari Bamboo Yoga Pants from Jonano have a nice relaxed fit. They are perfect for eco-conscious women who don’t feel comfortable wearing super-tight yoga pants. These pants are made from a blend of 70% bamboo with organic cotton. It’s a really soft fabric blend that doesn’t wrinkle easily. The tan color shown here is lovely for women looking for yoga pants in an earth tone fabric, but they come in many other colors as well.

Essential Balance Fitted Yoga Flare

Essential Balance Fitted Flare Yoga Pants from Green Apple are a classic black yoga pants. These are tight fitting and snug around your hips and thighs, and then they widen out into a flare around your shins and ankles. They come in a 33′ inseam which can be cut shorter to fit your height perfectly. We love these for their durability and versatility. If you didn’t already know by now, black goes great with everything.

Balance Fitted Micro Flare Yoga Pants, also from Green Apple, are really cute and sexy. If you’ve been working real hard to get your body into shape and want to show it off, then these are the yoga pants for you. They come in two different fun color patterns, a twilight blue shown here and a black as well. We love these because they are fun and sporty, hold up to many yoga workouts and machine washings, and are extremely practical and affordable. Yes, you can get fashionable eco-chic yoga pants for less than half the price of Lululemon!

Balance Fitted Micro Flare Yoga Pants

Australian Researchers Investigate Bamboo Clothing’s Ability to Block UV Rays

Researchers from Deakin University investigate the ability of bamboo clothing to block UV radiation from the sun. It was found that bamboo fabric was able to block out 60% more UV rays than cotton fabric. They said that this was especially important for residents of Australia, where skin cancer is becoming more and more common. The researchers also noted that clothing made from bamboo had anti-bacterial properties and it is excellent at absorbing moisture from the skin. These last two features make bamboo an ideal material for eco-friendly yoga clothing because of the amount of sweating that one usually goes through during and after a yoga class.

Bamboo is a Hot New Fabric

Jonano founder Bonnie Siefers talks about the wonderful benefits of bamboo clothing. It’s great for designer clothes and yoga wear. Bamboo also travels well because it doesn’t wrinkle. You can find a large selection of eco-friendly, bamboo clothing for women available to purchase from online retailers. It’s also showing up in more and more shops and boutiques these days.