Tencel - when wood becomes soft

Photo: Koray Hussein, dress from COSSAC

In the process of moving beyond a fossil free dependent society the fashion industry is on the search for the fibre that’s going to replace the beloved oil and gas-based polyester, nylon, acrylic and spandex. According to an article in Vox, these materials makes up to 60% of the global textiles that make up our clothes. Tencel has become one of the promises for replacing the plastic-fantastic era. Tencel is actually a branded lyocell and modal fibre produced from sustainable resourced raw material wood. The wood being used is normally from fast growing trees such as eucalyptus and beech trees. Lyocell made from cellulose requires chemicals but Tencel has a closed-loop system which have given them several awards for a sustainable production of a wood fibre.

Tencel absorbs 50% more water then cotton, it’s resistent to wrinkles and it feels soft, lightweight and comfortable on the skin. I love Tencel and actually look for it when searching for sustainable clothes. It feels so good to wear clothes made of Tencel.

But of course, for someone who’s been dealing with sustainability for 10 years, every solution for our fossil dependent society can’t be spelled WOOD. Therefore, I would recommend you to still take a holistic approach on your consumption and not just replace every polyester item you have with Tencel. More about how to really create a more sustainable closet comes in a few days.