{"id":83060,"date":"2019-09-20T14:04:52","date_gmt":"2019-09-20T21:04:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=83060"},"modified":"2019-10-01T18:47:15","modified_gmt":"2019-10-02T01:47:15","slug":"get-ready-to-wear-hemp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/get-ready-to-wear-hemp","title":{"rendered":"Get Ready To Wear Hemp"},"content":{"rendered":"

Move over, cotton: Hemp is here to challenge your throne. Now that hemp is\u00a0<\/span>no longer considered an illicit drug<\/span><\/a>, fabric manufacturers are figuring out how to turn this notoriously scratchy fiber into soft, ultracomfy clothing. It\u2019s showing up in <\/span>T-shirts, shorts, fleeces, jackets, hats and even shoes<\/span><\/a>. Even better? Hemp\u2019s sustainability scorecard makes it one of the most environmentally friendly options for apparel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Until recently, U.S. laws complicated the use of hemp\u2014which, like marijuana, is a <\/span>cannabis<\/span><\/i> plant. But hemp contains no more than\u00a0<\/span>0.3 percent of the psychoactive THC<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that gets people high (marijuana, meanwhile, contains five to 20 percent THC). So after a long time coming, the <\/span>Agriculture Improvement Act<\/span><\/a>\u00a0finally removed hemp from the <\/span>Controlled Substances Act<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in December 2018, opening up its use in everything from animal feed to textiles.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a good thing for apparel brands because the plant grows fast (requiring as few as\u00a0<\/span>108 days to harvest<\/span><\/a>, compared to\u00a0<\/span>150 to 180 days<\/span><\/a> for cotton). It also\u00a0needs relatively little water\u2014so while cotton demands abundant irrigation, hemp can get by on rainwater alone.\u00a0Moreover, hemp requires very few pesticides and fertilizers, yet yields\u00a0<\/span>250 percent more fiber per acre than cotton<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIts deep root system has even been credited with being restorative, bringing minerals and nutrients up from deep in the ground,\u201d says John Rapp, senior clothing designer for Patagonia. \u201cHemp is much less taxing on the topsoil and environment as compared to other popular crops that are grown for apparel use. If more manufacturers adopt this fiber, our footprint will continue to decrease.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, many manufacturers are. For spring 2019, <\/span>Toad&Co<\/span><\/a> used hemp in 15 percent of its line. <\/span>REI Co-op<\/span><\/a> featured it in 20 percent of its sportswear, including the new natural-fibers\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Westerlands<\/span><\/a> pieces. <\/span>prAna<\/span><\/a> had hemp in 61 styles. <\/span>Patagonia<\/span><\/a> debuted an expansive hemp collection that includes breezy sundresses as well as burly coveralls. And after dabbling with hemp in fall 2017, <\/span>Astral<\/span><\/a> expanded its line of hemp-based water shoes with three new spring 2019 models.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Hemp

Looking to upgrade your wardrobe with hemp? Check out the prAna Kickin It Jogger Pants<\/a>, the Patagonia The Forge Hat<\/a>, the prAna Lenny Overshirt<\/a>, the Toad&Co Epique Hoody<\/a>\u00a0and the REI Co-op\u00a0Westerlands 3\/4-Sleeve Knit Shirt<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

New manufacturing techniques are even allowing brands\u00a0to turn hemp\u2019s stiff, fibrous stalks into something soft enough for human hides. In March 2019, Levi\u2019s debuted a buttery\u00a0<\/span>denim<\/span><\/a> made of hemp and cotton, and the company is aiming for an all-hemp version within five years. prAna\u2019s Cardiff fabric (which blends hemp with recycled polyester and Tencel) is soft enough to sleep on, and the fleece version (used in the <\/span>Norcross Crew Fleece Sweater<\/span><\/a>) is as fluffy-cozy as any classic sweatshirt.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hemp is also antimicrobial\u2014resistant to odors\u2014and more durable than other alternatives, so it will be popping up in heavier-duty work wear and trail clothes. (Autumn Clark, a product designer for the Co-op, says REI will look into introducing the fiber into its trail collections in future seasons.) Still, even basic T-shirts benefit from hemp\u2019s longer lifespan, since garments that stay wearable stay out of landfills.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus, it has a distinctive\u00a0slubbed texture that apparel designers love. \u201cIt adds an interesting visual texture to the fabric blends we create with it,\u201d says Andrea Cinque-Austin, prAna\u2019s design director. In <\/span>prAna\u2019s Vaha Short<\/span><\/a>, hemp makes the fabric look more sophisticated than your typical workout wear, while also mitigating body heat and odor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hemp\u2019s popularity shows no sign of slowing down. While the fiber\u2019s early adopters state that they intend to ramp up their use of hemp in 2020, additional brands are joining the movement: In spring 2020, Smartwool<\/a> will introduce men\u2019s pieces that blend Merino wool with polyester and hemp (look for the Everyday Exploration Short Sleeve Henley and Everyday Exploration Pocket Tee in select REI stores and on rei.com next April).
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pursuing innovation through natural performance fibers because our goal is to become more sustainable,\u201d says Andi Burch, Smartwool\u2019s product line manager for apparel. \u201cUsing hemp helps us reach that goal.\u201d
\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Move over, cotton: Hemp is here to challenge your throne. Now that hemp is\u00a0no longer considered an illicit drug, fabric manufacturers are figuring out how to turn this notoriously scratchy fiber into soft, ultracomfy clothing. It\u2019s showing up in T-shirts, shorts, fleeces, jackets, hats and even shoes. Even better? Hemp\u2019s sustainability scorecard makes it one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12183,"featured_media":83072,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[387],"tags":[727,1791,591],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-83060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hike","tag-latest-posts","tag-product-sustainability","tag-sustainability"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/hike\/get-ready-to-wear-hemp","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Get Ready To Wear Hemp","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/get-ready-to-wear-hemp","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/get-ready-to-wear-hemp"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/1Q1A9491.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/1Q1A9491.jpg?fit=3000%2C2000"},"articleSection":"Hike","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maren Horjus"}],"creator":["Maren Horjus"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["latest posts","product sustainability","sustainability"],"dateCreated":"2019-09-20T21:04:52Z","datePublished":"2019-09-20T21:04:52Z","dateModified":"2019-10-02T01:47:15Z"},"rendered":"