Why Organic?

Hemp 

FAST FACTS ABOUT HEMP CLOTHING

1. Hemp protects your skin by naturally filtering UV light.
2. Hemp resists bacterial growth and breathes excellently, preventing odors.
3. Hemp has four times the strength of cotton; It won't weaken when washed.
4. Hemp retains color better than any other fabric.
5. It saves Water! Hemp uses only 1/20th the amount of water as regular cotton to grow and process.
6. Also, Hemp uses almost no water to grow and can usually be rain-fed.
7. It saves Jobs! Hemp is harvested and processed by hand, keeping people employed.
8. Unlike cotton which depletes the soil of nutrients, hemp can be grown consecutively for over twenty years without the soil being affected.
9. Hemp is deliciously soft on the skin, more and more with each wear.

More About Hemp

We're bringing this great fabric back into the awareness of the public.

Because hemp is more water-absorbent than cotton, it will retain dye better than any other fabric, keeping your colors from fading better than Tide can. Hemp also has a porous personality that allows it to breathe, keeping you cool in the summer. And like bamboo and wool, hemp is warmer in cooler weather. This makes a more durable and longer lasting fabric. Hemp can be bleached with hydrogen peroxide rather than chlorine, which is better for the environment. Like our friend bamboo, hemp can grow almost anywhere.

Our friend hemp is a versatile plant and it also has a few heavy-weight titles. Hemp is the longest and strongest plant fiber. Because we are very concerned about our natural resource, water, it is heart-warming to know that hemp only uses 1/20th the amount of water to grow and process as regular cotton. Hemp is naturally less vulnerable to insects and crowds out other weeds so pesticides and fertilizers become obsolete when we deal with hemp. Spread the word!

 

Organic Bamboo

Environmental Benefits of Bamboo

Cleans the Air

Bamboo gives us clean air to breathe, consumes carbon dioxide and because bamboo forests are so dense, returns 30% more oxygen to the atmosphere than trees. Some bamboo sequesters up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide from the air per hectare.

Requires Less Energy and Water

It takes much less energy to grow and sustain bamboo than other similar trees and plants used for fiber production. Bamboo plantations require very little maintenance. Bamboo also requires very little water and can survive drought conditions as well as flooding.

Reclaims Land

Because of its rapid growth and root structure, bamboo can, in a very short time, reclaim land destroyed by overgrazing and over-building and clean the soil of toxins.

Can Be Grown Without Pesticides

Bamboo can be grown without pesticides or chemicals because of its own antibacterial agent.

Can Be Harvested Sustainably

Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet, making it a high yield renewable resource. It can be selectively harvested annually and is capable of complete regeneration without need to replant.

100% Biodegradable

Unlike synthetic fibers which incorporate petroleum additives, bamboo clothing is safe for municipal disposal programs, whether by landfill or incineration. 

Organic Cotton

Organic cotton is pesticide free! With the amount of pesticides used in mainstream cotton production, it would seem impossible to grow cotton without it. Not so! Organic cotton farms use healthy resilient soil to bolster crop health. If they need to bring in the big guns, they use vinegar, garlic, neem oil, and hydrogen peroxide…really. Organic cotton has all the benefits of mainstream cotton, and GMO cotton, without the serious downfalls.

Less potable water use. Organic gardening practices use less “blue water” in their crop growth, relying more on grey water, and water recycling. In 2013-2014 organic production of cotton found a 91% reduction in blue water use, saving the equivalent of nearly 95,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools of fresh water compared to non-organic production according to the Soil Association.

Genetic diversity

 With organic gardening practices, seeds are developed slightly differently in every region. Seeds are collected and stored, and the strongest strains continue to develop and grow. With GMO production, more of the world uses only ONE type of seed. That means that if that crop ever fails, for any reason, including some kind of pest or disease that has yet to develop, it could be a disaster. The more genetic diversity the better…for everyone.

Fair trade. With organic cotton there are far more options for fair trade directly paid to smaller local farms. At Nomads we know where our cotton comes from, and that we are creating a sustainable local economy for that community.

Conventional cotton used for clothing and textiles is usually combined with synthetic fabrics such as acrylic, fleece and polyester. Research shows that during washing, these synthetic fibers are released into our waterways, in the form of microfibers. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources estimates that around 1.7 million tons of microfibers enter the ocean each year, threatening marine species and sensitive coral reef ecosystems. Protect the oceans from microfiber pollution!

Don’t want to contribute to the problem? Avoid synthetic fabrics altogether, including conventional cotton blends. Instead, choose clothing and textiles made from 100 percent pure and organic cotton. Conventionally grown GMO cotton is one of the most toxic crops in the world. It makes up only 2.5 percent of global cropland, and yet it accounts for up to 25 percent of the world’s use of insecticides. Cotton – either 100% or as a blend- is the most produced, and used fabric on the planet today. Along with hemp, cotton is one of the oldest plant-to-fabric crops in the world. The first sign of cotton use was found in India around 6,000 B.C. Like hemp, the widespread use of cotton stems from its easy transition from plant to fabric – it needs no processing or chemicals, and can go from the stem to a spinning wheel. Organic cotton fabrics and organic clothing are made from natural fibers grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides and other toxic chemicals, and are then manufactured without toxic chemicals.