When I heard bamboo was the hottest material in natural organic clothing, I had difficulty imagining what it would feel like. I have a bamboo walking stick, bamboo patio furniture, and a friend just put in a bamboo floor - but I just couldn鈥檛 imagine wearing it. Then I met a designer from a bamboo clothing manufacturing company. She assured me that if I tried it out, I鈥檇 be hooked. So, I tried it out, and she was right. I鈥檓 hooked.
Bamboo is a soft, light, comfortable fabric with many unique qualities. There have been those times when my bamboo T-shirt has become my nightshirt, my get-up-in-the-morning-and-jog-shirt (along with my bamboo/hemp blend drawstring pants) and then my off-to-run-errands shirt. Fortunately, most days I have the 鈥榳ear-withal鈥 to put on my bamboo/organic cotton blend tank top and matching shorts before heading out for the day. In the nighttime I slip into the bamboo/cashmere slinky dress and it鈥檚 out dancing I go.
The fabric also has memory - one woman I know wore her size small draw-string pants through her entire pregnancy. It stretched along with her tummy, then went back to its original shape after each wash. She鈥檚 now back to being a size small and so are her pants. A big plus for those that like to hold on to their favorite clothes is that the strength of the bamboo fiber increases the life of the garment.
Also, bamboo has antimicrobial, anti-odor and wicking properties, which means it pulls the perspiration from your skin, minimizing body odor and allowing you to feel cooler in hot weather. This makes it a big draw for joggers, athletes, campers.
Making products from bamboo is not a new concept. China has been using it for thousands of years for items ranging from textiles to building materials. In fact, there are more than one thousand uses for bamboo. It鈥檚 even a food source.
The environmental perks are many. The fast-growing bamboo variety used for fabric can reach a mature height of 75 feet in 45 to 60 days, and the stems can get to 8 to 10 feet thick. This isn鈥檛 a tree-it鈥檚 actually classified as grass. It does not need pesticides, does not require much in the way of irrigation, and its self-generating root system sends out shoots that more than replenish the harvested canes. Adding to the 鈥淕鈥 factor is the fact that the end result products are bio-degradable. The plant prefers a damp subtropical environment. China has been the major producer so far, but bamboo plantations have begun to spring up in the southern United States. In Savannah, Georgia, there鈥檚 an experimental bamboo grove maintained by The United States Department of Agriculture. International corporations are even utilizing bamboo as an ethanol and electrical energy.
