If you're looking for a cool, breathable, durable and eco-friendly option to wear this summer, hemp clothing is the ideal answer, although you may not know it yet.
Today we're talking about hemp fabric, an ancient textile that in recent decades has caught the attention of fashion designers and of shoppers who care about the environment. Hemp garments are known for their strength and breathability, but there's much more to discover. What is less well known is that it is hypoallergenic, that it can be made into soft garments, and that it is extremely durable. What's more, producing it takes less water and fewer pesticides than other textiles, which makes it one of the most sustainable fabrics there is. Without a doubt, the ideal choice for everyday clothing. Join us as we take a look at the benefits of hemp fabric.
What is hemp fabric?
Hemp fabric is a high-quality, highly durable textile made from the fibres of the industrial hemp plant. These fibres are mainly extracted from the stems of the plant, which are processed to create soft, durable and hard-wearing yarns and fabrics.
Hemp fabric is known for being breathable, moisture-wicking and hard-wearing. It is also hypoallergenic, which makes it suitable for people with sensitive skin.
Hemp is also valued for its sustainability, as the plant grows quickly and needs less water and fewer pesticides than other textile crops.
Discovering hemp fabric: characteristics
Hemp fabric has several distinctive characteristics. If it is known for one thing, it's for being very durable, hard-wearing and long-lasting. Hemp fibres are stronger than cotton fibres, which makes hemp fabrics resistant to wear and tearing.
Hemp fabric is also breathable and has good moisture-wicking properties, which makes it suitable for summer clothing and sportswear.
Some of the garments we have at Cannactiva are:
Hemp also has hypoallergenic properties, which means it is less likely to cause allergic reactions than other textiles. This makes it a good choice for people with sensitive skin.
What hemp fabric is made of
Hemp fibre is 70–80% cellulose (the main component of cotton), which is needed to make the fabric, and it also contains hemicellulose, pectin and lignin.
Hemicellulose helps to strengthen the structure of the fibres, while pectin provides some flexibility. Lignin, on the other hand, is what makes it hard for hemp to end up as fine as cotton, but it is excellent for uses that call for durability and strength.
You should also bear in mind that hemp fabric becomes softer and more comfortable with every wash.
Uses of hemp fabric
Although using hemp for textiles may seem like something new, it's not new at all: hemp textiles have been used for thousands of years!
We need to banish the idea of hemp fabric as coarse, heavy and rough. While it's true that one of the uses of hemp is making rope, that doesn't mean it isn't suitable for other kinds of textiles and styles.
It is a very versatile fabric and that's why so many products are made from hemp: clothing, sheets, towels, trainers, rugs, bags, rucksacks… These products offer a combination of softness and strength.
With the right processing, soft hemp fibres can be produced, as in the case of hemp bed sheets and clothing, which, as well as being hard-wearing, are breathable and pleasant to the touch. Hemp fabric can be dyed in a wide range of colours and can be blended with other materials such as cotton and linen to create a softer fabric.
Advantages of hemp fabric
Another strong point that is putting hemp fabric in the spotlight is its sustainability. As we mentioned on a previous occasion when talking about the benefits of hemp for the environment, this plant is easy to grow and doesn't need pesticides or herbicides to thrive.
Growing hemp has environmental benefits, such as absorbing CO2, improving soil quality and promoting biodiversity.
What's more, it is a fast-growing crop that can be harvested several times a year, which makes it a more sustainable alternative to cotton and other traditional textiles.
Another added advantage is that it doesn't shed microplastics when washed. Fabrics made from synthetic fibres, such as polyester, nylon and acrylic, are derived from petroleum and are made up of tiny plastic particles. These fibres come loose when clothes are washed and are released into the wastewater. As these synthetic fibres break down, they turn into microplastics, which pollute rivers and oceans. In that respect, natural fibres such as hemp are once again the most eco-friendly alternative.
Disadvantages of hemp fabric
But if hemp fabric is so good, why is it so hard to find? One of the reasons is that the plant has been unfairly censored, in many respects, over the last few centuries. And this has held back the advances that would allow every part of it to be put to use. Textiles among them.
One of the challenges of hemp fabric is that its composition varies slightly depending on the variety and the climate. For us to see hemp fabric in many more products, fibre extraction methods adapted to it need to be developed, along with spinning technologies for the complete “cottonisation” of the fabric.
With its growing popularity and its sustainability, we're likely to see more hemp fabric products in the coming years. A natural, durable and environmentally friendly option. A true textile revolution!
We hope you've found the potential of hemp for developing a sustainable textile bioproducts sector as interesting as we do. At Cannactiva we're committed to bringing you the very best of hemp, which is why you'll find cool hemp T-shirts and trousers for the summer in our shops in Spain, at Cannactiva CBD Barcelona and Cannactiva CBD Madrid. Add hemp clothing to your wardrobe and set the trend!
Further information
- Zimniewska M. Hemp Fibre Properties and Processing Target Textile: A Review. Materials (Basel). 2022 Mar 3;15(5):1901. doi: 10.3390/ma15051901. PMID: 35269132.
Frequently asked questions
Does hemp clothing contain cannabinoids?
No, hemp clothing doesn't contain CBD or THC, because these cannabinoids are found mainly in the flowers and are absent from the fibrous stems of the plant that are used to make fabric.
Where does hemp fabric come from?
Hemp fabric is made from the fibres of the plant, which are concentrated in the stem. The Cannabis sativa plant is very fibrous (typical of textile plants), and it's precisely these fibres that give it the qualities it's known for: it's easy to grow (because the fibres protect the stem from moisture loss and changes in temperature) and robust (because they make it rigid).
When is hemp harvested for textile use?
There are hybrid hemp varieties that have a high cannabidiol (CBD) content along with a good fibre yield for textile use. In these varieties, the harvest takes place around three or four months after sowing, with slight variations depending on the weather conditions. As a rule, the harvest falls between the flowering stage and seed formation. That way, the CBD flower can be harvested to extract CBD while waiting for the plant's fibres to reach maturity.
How is hemp fabric made?
The process of making hemp fabric begins with extracting the fibre from the plant. After the harvest, various methods are used to extract the fibre from the stem, such as retting, decortication or mechanical extraction. The aim of these methods is to separate the hemp fibres from the woody, non-cellulosic parts of the stem. Retting is the most commonly used method to biologically break down the substances that bind the hemp fibres to other parts of the stem, such as pectin, hemicellulose and lignin. This process can be carried out in different ways, such as water retting, enzymatic retting or chemical retting. After retting, mechanical processes are used to separate the fibres from the woody parts and to split the technical fibres into smaller fibre bundles. Once separated, the hemp fibres can be processed on carding machines to produce hemp fibres similar to cotton or wool in terms of dimensions and end uses. It is also possible to carry out processes such as decortication followed by degumming and carding, or retting followed by decortication and carding. The type of hemp fibre extraction process affects the chemical composition and the resulting properties of the fibres. Retting methods are especially important, as they determine the quality of the fibres. Water retting is the most effective method for removing non-cellulosic substances from hemp biomass, and water-retted fibres, thanks to their high cellulose content, are the most suitable for textile purposes.
