If you love the world we live in, choose natural fibers over synthetic fibers.

Why? For so many reasons, but let's dive into this matter, right this instance!

 

In the last century, natural fibers have been replaced by synthetics to a great extent. Although attractive because of their low price, mass production, and customization, synthetic fibers are petroleum-based, non-biodegradable, non-renewable, and result in toxic waste products. While they may be cheap to produce, there are hidden costs to both our health and our Earth.

The fastest growing segment of synthetic fiber consumption is polyester, with a recorded demand of 55.2 million tons in 2014. The production and disposal of it contributes to an array of environmental problems. Perhaps worst of all, petrochemical textiles have hurt hard-working American farmers. Unlike natural fibers, synthetics are not grown, they're extracted from deep in the Earth, removing the farmer from the equation.

Go ahead, check that label right now. On the back side of all those symbols that we always forget to read, is the fiber content of your garment. If you’re wearing polyester, rayon, acrylic, spandex, nylon or some other synthetic fiber or synthetic blend — you are, in fact, wearing a garment made from plastic. All materials shed fibers, especially during a wash. Estimates vary, but it’s possible that a single load of laundry could release hundreds of thousands of fibers from our clothes into the water supply. Unlike hemp and linen however, plastic microfibers from synthetic materials (like those listed above) don’t biodegrade. Instead, they lose structural integrity and break down into even smaller microscopic pieces too small to be caught by any filtration process and eventually making their way into our waterways.

Conversely, hemp is renewable, biodegradable, and beneficial to the environment. Hemp fibers have some of the strongest mechanical properties of all natural fibers. Additionally, hemp materials can be used in thousands of applications, ranging from incredibly strong ropes to luxuriously comfortable fabrics, from bottles to building materials. Hemp can even be converted into biofuels to power the mills that use it.

As people turn away from synthetics, their first inclination is to turn to cotton. Although we support all natural fibers over synthetics, we stand by our assertions that hemp is superior to cotton and trust that one day hemp will be the fabric of the future.

 

Look for fabrics that are:

Naturally derived and biodegradable

Made using a low impact process to manufacture

 

Extremely durable that can with-stand many washes so you can wear them for a long time.

Fabrics like organic cotton, linen, silk, wool, and cashmere are great choices but hemp is at the top of our list for many reasons.

Hemp is a durable natural fiber that’s cultivated with low impact on the environment.

Once woven, it has a beautiful drape that is comparable to linen. We love the way it softens with every wash but still retains its strength. It’s more porous than cotton so it breathes better helping you keep your cool. The only real way to describe it is magic. If you’ve worn it, you know what we mean and if you haven’t, we really think you should.

 

If you’re fed up with plastic pollution in our waterways, make a conscious decision to swap synthetics for naturals. This is what De IONESCU is all about, besides making you look and feel amazing. We stand for protecting our environment and we strongly think that fashion can be both sustainable as well as charming, vivid, conceptual or urban. Fashion is the area we all embrace on our daily basis, because let's be honest: clothes are a big part of our lives. Be the little change, the brick that starts a foundation to this sustainable area we are talking about and help us spread the news!

If we would ask you again: "Hemp versus Synthetic Fibers" would you choose differently?

We can only hope the answer is yes!

 

For there can only be on place we call Home and that place is Earth.