Bamboo: Cool, Fresh Fashion

Bamboo: it’s not a tree; it’s a woody grass. It’s also one of nature’s most abundant renewable resources. Cut it down, it grows back – and quickly. A 60 foot bamboo tree cut down for market will renew itself in 59 days. Cut down a regular 60 foot tree for market it takes 60 years to replace and requires the replacement tree to be planted.

There are some 1,400 known species of bamboo. The most abundant resources are found in India and China. The amazing thing about bamboo is that it can and is used for thousands of things from food, to framing houses, to furniture, to paper, to clothing. And its demand is growing rapidly.

Bamboo Cool
Fabric made from bamboo is incredibly soft and luxurious and remarkably breathable. It’s also very cool – in both the fashion and temperature sense. Some call it “air conditioned clothing.” In the heat and its natural state, bamboo is naturally cool and this property is maintained in the fabric form. Bamboo fabric stays around two (2) degrees cooler in hot weather.

Bamboo holds an unparalleled natural micro-structure that absorbs and evaporates human sweat instantaneously. It is because of this that bamboo clothing makes people feel cooler and more comfortable in hot weather. It’s the perfect fabric for Arizona’s hot, hot summer days and nights and those muggy summer nights experienced in other parts of the country. It will never stick to your skin.

Bamboo also has the reverse affect. Not only does it keep you cooler in the summer months, it will keep you warmer in the cooler months.

Bamboo Fresh
What makes bamboo so fresh? Bamboo is a naturally wild resource. It grows without the aid of pesticides or fertilizers and owns its own unique anti-bacterial and bacteriostasis bio-agent called “bamboo kun.” Not the most pleasantly sounding word, but it keeps the bamboo pleasantly fresh and free from bacteria. Organic clothing made from bamboo maintains the natural anti-bacterial function derived from nature. Even after dozens of washings, bamboo fabric maintains these functions.

Ever leave a load of clothing in the wash machine for a day or two? When you open the lid you can smell the mildew that has formed within the fibers of the clothing. It always requires another run through the machine. Leave bamboo clothing in the wash and forget about it for a few days – no mildew! It’s the natural make-up of the fiber.

Bamboo clothing is guaranteed to be odor resistant and maintains freshness because it naturally stops bacteria from spreading; thus, it’s healthier and more hygienic than cotton and other man-made fabrics. It’s the perfect option for those whose skin is sensitive to chemically treated and processed fabrics.

Bamboo Fashion
You don’t have to have sensitive skin to enjoy the luxurious benefits of bamboo clothing; and no sacrifice to style is necessary to enjoy its benefits. Designers around the globe are introducing bamboo clothing options into their lines. The fabric is as soft as cashmere and as flowing as silk – and incredibly durable. Its comfort and quality are unparalleled. Odds are when you put on something bamboo you’re not going to want to take it off.

It also comes in a range of brilliant colors (environmentally friendly dyes) and styles from dresses, to tees, to socks, to towels. The possibilities are limitless.

Google “bamboo clothing” and you’ll receive 2,150,000 listings on where to purchase this luxurious fabric in a variety of styles to fit your personality and personal style. And you can always feel good about wearing a stylish, renewable resource that works to eliminate the need to use the 600,000 lbs of pesticides and the hundreds of known cancer causing agents used to process non-organic cottons and synthetic fibers annually in the US alone. Only good things can come from that.

For more information on bamboo and its myriad of uses, please visit www.americanbamboo.org.