Why Khullu Clothing Belongs In A Plastic-Free Wardrobe
What synthetic clothes cost the planet, what to wear instead, and five ways to start.
Why Choose Natural Fabrics Over Synthetics?
Because the most common synthetic fabrics are plastics, made from oil and coal.
Some of the most common clothing fabrics are polyester, nylon, and acrylic.
- Polyester: Made from PET plastic. PET is polyethylene terephthalate, a synthetic polymer. For reference, PET plastics can also be found in packaging.
- Nylon: Processed from crude oil and goes through a long drawn-out process to become your stockings.
- Acrylic: Synthetic fiber developed from coal and petroleum. A chemical process turns it into plastic fibers.
The reason these fabrics are cheap is because their raw material sources are inexpensive and manufactured quickly.
Sure, prices are lower and this type of clothing is accessible, but what’s the catch?
All three of these fabrics require chemical processing at the expense of pollution on our planet.
Though natural fabrics may use more resources like water, synthetic fibers emit more greenhouse gases per kilogram, contributing to our current climate crisis.
Synthetic fibers depend on fossil fuels for production, leading to air pollution. At the very source, natural resources, like crude oil, require drilling for extraction.
These things are taken without a plan for reciprocation back to the Earth.
Did you know that clothing is one of the top contributors to pollution?
Do Synthetic Clothes Shed Microplastics?
Yes, every time they are washed.
Do not even get me started on microplastics. These are the result of plastics breaking down over long periods of time. They are found in all sorts of household and beauty products. They are also leaching from synthetic clothing.
Microplastics are everywhere, even in our drinking water, which is a scary motivator to cut down your use of plastic and plastic-containing products.
Microplastic fibers have been popping up across the board due to trashed clothing, and a lot of it.
A 2011 study in Environmental Science & Technology found that a single synthetic garment can shed more than 1,900 plastic microfibers in one wash, which eventually can end up virtually anywhere on the planet.
The problem with this is that these fibers cannot break down completely. They end up in our bellies and those of wildlife.
A study on microfiber pollution displayed that textile fibers were found in human lungs way back in 1998!
Is Recycled Polyester Fabric Eco-Friendly?
No. It is still plastic, so it sheds microfibers like any polyester, and it keeps synthetic production going.
An article in Vogue Business had a good point about the use of recycled synthetics.
Companies claiming that they’re helping the environment by using these recycled synthetics are contributing by making it okay for the production of synthetic fabrics to stick around.
It isn’t a solution.
Which Natural Fabrics Should You Wear?
My favorite natural fabrics are SeaCell, cotton, linen, and wool. Hemp is another environmentally friendly choice too.
Linen, cotton, and hemp are made from plant material. While linen is made from the flax plant, cotton and hemp are self-explanatory.
Linen and hemp are the most sustainable plant-based options because they don’t require as much water to grow as cotton does.
Wool can be made from various animals: sheep, llamas, alpacas, etc.
Khullu comes from yaks. What’s so special about yak wool is that it has been worn for centuries and still is by nomadic tribes.
We look to natural fibers to align ourselves with the natural world because our ancestors didn’t have the means to create all these fancy synthetic materials.
What they had were the plants and their animals to help protect and shield their bodies. When things got old or ripped, they were repaired or reused.
It wasn’t trendy to be sustainable; it was just their way of life. There is something to be learned in that.
With natural fibers, you don’t have to worry about things like microplastic pollution, but it’s important to acknowledge that there are issues with companies manufacturing natural fabrics as well.
There can be problems with pollution due to improper dumping of chemicals and pollution in waterways, use of pesticides, and slave labor.
That is why I’d like to emphasize that you should always buy from trustworthy companies and choose the organic, fair-trade fabric option when possible.
What Makes Natural Fibers Better To Wear?
Natural fibers have many desirable qualities: warmth, moisture-wicking, durability, versatility, thermoregulation, and antimicrobial properties.
These fibers are high quality, durable, and last a long time. They allow your skin to breathe. One of the issues with synthetic fabrics is that they prevent your skin from breathing.
If there is airflow, it allows sweat to evaporate instead of hanging around on the skin.
And natural just plain looks good! Earthy colors go with everything. I’m beaming with excitement over the undyed sweaters Oliver Charles makes.
I truly value the thought and care that goes into the production of their sweaters. I find peace of mind in the sourcing of the wool and the truth in how excellently khullu performs in my daily life, whether that be road-tripping on the weekends or snuggling in bed during the week.
Khullu is self-cleaning and can be worn repeatedly. Fewer washes mean less water usage and less environmental impact.
Which Khullu Sweaters Do We Make?
Two lines, both knit from khullu.
The All-Season Sweaters are knit light enough for most of the year and are machine washable, and they also come undyed, in the natural color of the fiber. The Winter Sweaters are 100% yak wool, the warmest we make, and are hand wash.
Warm
Warmth without weight, so a thin sweater does the job of a bulky one.
Soft
Fine enough for bare skin, with nothing needed underneath.
Odor-Resistant
Holds far less odor than polyester. It can be worn again tomorrow.
Breathable
Lets sweat evaporate through the knit, which keeps your skin dry.
Plastic-Free
Nothing synthetic in the yarn, so washing it puts no plastic down the drain.
Biodegradable
Breaks down in soil at the end of its life. Nothing is left behind.
5 Ways To Make Your Wardrobe Eco-Friendly
Buy from companies with morals: You can do this by seeking transparency from the companies you buy from. If they’re being unclear about where they source and how they do business, then that’s an indicator that something’s not right.
Trustworthy companies are ones that are cruelty-free, have a low carbon footprint, and treat their workers well. Even companies that sell natural fabrics have had an overwhelming issue with slave labor and with sourcing responsibly.
Keep a lookout for greenwashing: Greenwashing is a term used to describe the marketing a company does to make the consumer believe their product is eco-friendly or natural when in reality, it’s not.
Walmart was called out in April 2022 for claiming their rayon products were made using “eco-friendly processes” when in actuality, rayon requires the use of toxic chemicals to produce.
This leaves us with a good example of why we should be concerned about the fabrics we wear and not just our beauty products. Doing your research and checking your facts is the best way to avoid false claims about popular eco-friendly products.
Shop clothes that last decades: This is part of the reason you want to choose fabrics like cotton, linen, and wool. They are made of hardier materials that don’t break down easily.
Spending $5 on a cheap shirt that’s going to fall apart and you’ll have to replace will cost you more in the long run than spending $20+ on a high-quality shirt (or sweater). Invest in versatile pieces you love.
Shop at small businesses: Minimize your impact on the environment by buying from small businesses. It helps improve the local economy and gives you the opportunity to ask those important questions, like where they source from. It’s another way you can help lift other people up and support them.
Repair what you already own and love: my very old, favorite pair of jean shorts are finally falling apart. There are holes and rips all over the place.
I tried sewing them, but I’m not great at it. No fear though, for those of you who can’t hand sew like me, there are sticky patches!
I refuse to get rid of them, so I repaired them that way. You can do something like this with your own old clothes and get crafty to dress it up.
Or you can go all the way and upcycle it into something completely new! And if you own or are thinking of getting one of the undyed sweaters, I was scrolling through the Oliver Charles website and I noticed the lifetime guarantee on their sweaters.
If your sweater has nicks or holes, they will repair it for you. You don’t even have to do it yourself.
Eco-Friendly Wardrobes Bring Us To Our Roots
An eco-friendly wardrobe brings us back to our roots. This is part of helping to reduce the impact we humans have on the planet. Searching for clothing that’s well-made is so easy to do.
And also, doesn’t it just suck when you buy a cheap shirt, wash it, and it’s all pilly already?
Let’s start creating a wardrobe we can feel good in and know that we are doing good.
What we seek with an eco-conscious wardrobe is to protect the world around us.
This includes our fellow humans, plants, and the animals involved in the entire process of making textiles.
Khullu Clothing FAQ
Is Khullu A Plastic-Free Fiber?
Khullu is the fine down a yak grows under its coarse outer coat to get through a Himalayan winter. It is combed out by hand as the animal sheds each spring, and each fiber measures around 17.5 microns, which is why it does not itch.
Is Khullu Sustainable?
Yes. No animal is shorn for it, since the down is gathered as the yak sheds, and when a sweater is finally worn out, it returns to the soil.
Does Khullu Shed Microplastics?
No. Khullu is a natural protein fiber, so there is no plastic in it to shed. About a third of the plastic microfibers polluting the ocean come from washing synthetic clothes, so every synthetic you replace with a natural fiber is plastic that never reaches the water.
How Often Do You Need To Wash Khullu Clothing?
Much less often than polyester, which usually needs a wash after every wear. Khullu moves sweat away from your skin before it can turn to odor, so a sweater can go several days between washes, and fewer washes use less water.
Every good wardrobe starts with owning less and owning better.
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