Silk: A Guide To One Of The Eco-Friendly Fabrics

On the past, clothes were designed and manufactured to last, and supplies and consumers were taught towards quality rather than quantity. But today things are different. The trend now, for the most part, is to produce big quantities and consume products that will be disposed of in a matter of months and not years.

To make things worse, the clothes we wear and the textiles are made from substances that can actually damage the environment and make us sick. But is not all bad news. There are some Eco-friendly alternatives that can reduce the carbon footprint of both the textile industry and the consumer.

One of the best Eco-friendly fabrics available out there is silk. So, if you want to go green, next time when shopping online, make sure to look for pieces made from silk. There are a bunch of super stylish blouses, dresses and accessories, such as silk scarves online that make the perfect pieces in any wardrobe.

Silk is genetically natural because it's made by silk worms and not chemical-based synthetic processing. But there's a downside: vegans don't wear silk because to obtain the silk fibres, the silk worms are thrown in a container of boiling water once their hard work is done. If you are a vegan person, look for a new generation of the fabric such as vegan silk – it is clearly labeled, so accept no others.

Vegan silk is made from the worm casings accumulated only after the moths have emerged and moved on. You can also look for local silk that's been dyed naturally.

The most important thing when shopping for silk blouses, dresses or silk scarves online is to do your homework or shop at a reputable Eco-friendly store or online supplier who will provide the facts for you in advance. Ask questions such as if the trim is certified or if the thread is certified.

In addition to silk, there is also other Eco-Friendly fabrics including organic cotton, bamboo, polyester, lyocell, soy fabrics, hemp, cashmere, linen, alpaca and ingeo. If you've really decided to go green with your fabrics, here are some shopping tips to keep in mind.

Look for fabrics that carry the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS). If GOTS-certified products are not available, look for Oeko-Tex, which is a little less demanding but ensures that any chemicals are used in dyeing or finishing the fabric.

Look for heavy-metal- free and vegetable-based dyes.

Give preference  for recycled fibers whenever possible.

Choose cotton that is either unbleached or bleached with hydrogen peroxide rather than with chlorine bleach.

Source: Royal Hamam, a prominent retailer of bohemian fashion online.

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