PuffPants

History of Hemp Fabric

While many people think the rising use of hemp fabric is purely a byproduct of the CBD trend, it’s one of the oldest agricultural crops and was first cultivated around 10,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Over the millennia it was widely grown for its uses as a food and a strong textile.

There were even incentives over the last several hundred years by monarchs and governments in Europe and North America to get farmers and migrants to grow industrial hemp because of its many uses – i.e. hemp clothing, rope, sails, baskets, netting, snares, and more.

However, by the 1930’s when rich petroleum-based synthetic textile companies, and newspaper/lumber barons saw hemp as their biggest threat, it was politicized for its connection to marijuana and eventually banned.

Luckily, we’ve now seen a turning point with hemp production becoming federally legal in the US as of 2018 when the Farm Bill was signed, as well as legalized in other parts of the world.

Our hope for sustainable and eco-friendly hemp clothing has once again become a reality.

Benefits of Hemp Clothing

• Strong & Durable: If you hate it when one of your favorite garments gets a hole or stretched, switching over to hemp is a solution. Hemp has 4-5x the tensile strength of cotton and is around 3x more durable.

• Antibacterial and Antifungal: Hemp clothing is antimicrobial which means that you will have to worry less about unpleasant odors, have less chance of infections, and not be concerned about mold or mildew.

• Thermodynamic: Hemp clothing is insulating and can trap body heat which makes it great for winter, but it’s also light and breathable which can help keep you cool in summer.

• Wears In: Hemp softens with every wash which makes the clothing better with time. It’s also structurally strong so doesn’t lose its shape and doesn’t crease as much as other fabrics.

• Hypoallergenic: It can be highly beneficial to wear hemp clothing as it's hypoallergenic and won’t irritate your skin if you're sensitive. Hemp clothing is also free of toxic and unnatural chemicals that are prevalent in other fabrics.

• Highly Absorbent: The moisture-wicking properties are just one of the many reasons it’s a joy to wear hemp clothing, especially if you’re prone to sweating a lot. The absorbent quality also means it's able to retain the quality and color of dyes.