20 Benefits of Hemp Fabric for Sustainable Fashion

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Many tag hemp fabrics have long-lasting, eco-friendly, and comfort benefits.

I have a solid pair of hemp denim work pants, which I bought 2 years ago. I am done with this, but it is still in very wearable condition.

So, if you’re a sustainable fashion enthusiast, you need to know the 15+ benefits of hemp fabric.

Note: This article is intended solely to provide information about cultivating hemp plants for fiber production and evaluating hemp fiber and hemp-based clothing. It does not endorse or address any uses related to consumption or other purposes.

1. Requires Less Water than Cotton

Do you know hemp requires only 80 gallons of water to produce 2 pounds of hemp fiber?

This requirement is easily met through rainwater.

However, cotton plants consume 5,000 gallons of water to yield the same amount of cotton fiber, equal to the value of a piece of clothing.

Hemp easily grows in the rainfields without any extra irrigation.

It has a deep root system that traps subsoil moisture and thrives even in drier conditions with minimal water input. This can reduce artificial water systems.

So, hemp can be a sustainable fiber option for people living in dry climates or regions.

2. Grows Quickly and is Highly Renewable

Hemp takes anywhere between 70 and 140 days to grow and produce fiber within 100 days.

It has a rapid growth rate and gets several feet in a few weeks. The plants are swath or windrow-cut when they are at maximum height and have good stalk volume.

Hemp produces 200-250% more fiber on the same amount of land where cotton plants are cultivated.

Professionals tell the harvesting time when the plant grows yellow lower leaves.

Besides, hemp is one of the fastest renewable resources for fiber.

3. Naturally Resistant to Pests

The significant advantage of hemp-based clothing is that you need not be wary of inorganic effects on your body.

Hemp is naturally disease and pest-resilient, so hemp farming for clothes requires little to no herbicides and pesticides. What about fertilizer? Yes, it is waived.

This helps avoid environmental harm through unnecessary chemicals in agriculture.

4. Improves Soil Health

Hemp crops take up 60% of nutrients from the soil and return the same.

This helps regenerate the soil and replenishes its fertility for richer yield in the following years. The crop helps remove lead, cadmium, metal, and nickel from polluted soil.

The only requirement of hemp is that it needs more nitrogen to that of cotton.

Not only that, it also can prevent soil erosion.

5. Absorbs Significant CO2 During Growth

Like Tulsi and Neem, hemp also emits more CO2 than consumption.

Hemp crops are carbon-negative and act as a carbon sink. An acre of hemp farming can absorb more carbon dioxide than any forest.

CO2 is expelled from living beings to industrial works every moment.

So, farming hemp for textiles can play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gases.

6. Minimal Processing Compared to Synthetic Fabrics

First, hemp plants are harvested using a machine. Then, fibers are extracted from the bark and retted in the field for 2-4 weeks.

After separating, bast fibers are carded into strands and cleaned in water to remove debris and impurities.

Manufacturers use different methods, such as pulping for papermaking and matting for making mats and fleece. Besides, they use steam to process raw fibers and turn them into weaveable fibers.  

Now, you can spin hemp fibers into yarn, or factories take them to weave into textiles.

In this process, they barely use chemicals.

7. Stronger and More Durable than Cotton

Cotton gets thinner and degrades over time, but hemp fibers get stronger. Hemp doesn’t shrink even when you wash them in cold water.

I feel hemp clothes last up to three times longer, even after regular wash. They retain their strength in wet and do not degrade easily.

Hemp contains higher tensile strength to create sturdy fabrics.

When blended with other fibers, hemp fibers add more strength and unique properties to the combination.

So, hemp products are more durable and sturdy than others. 

This helps you invest in durable hemp products and reduces long-term costs.

8.  Anti-bacterial and Antimicrobial Fiber

Hemp fiber has a hollow structure and porous morphology that helps destroy the habitat of anaerobic bacteria.

Bacteria in perspiration do not grow quickly, so hemp also resists mildew and mold.

If you put on cotton clothes, you may feel a bad smell after a few hours of wear.

However, hemp fabrics prevent foul for longer wearing due to their moisture-wrecking properties. So, hemp clothes can be your saver if you want to smell good all day, especially in summer.

9. Retains Shape and Color

Hemp fabric doesn’t stretch out of shape and resists fading. They withstand greater pressure and tension and are less likely to pile and shrink.

So, they are excellent for upholstery and other uses that need fabrics to be held tightly.

Also, hemp fibers don’t need much pre and post-treatment, so they retain fabric color for longer.

10. Breathable and Moisture-Wicking

Hemp fibers have spacious cavities, cracks, and several holes in the longitudinal direction, and they are all connected to the central cavity. This makes the fibers porous, so they circulate air freely.

They are excellent absorbents to wick moisture away from the skin.

So, hemp fabrics are ideal for towels, undergarments, and sportswears that draw moisture from the body and keep you feeling dry.

At the same time, they provide an insulating layer to keep you cool in summer and warm in winter.

11. Soft and Comfortable

Do you know hemp fibers have 15-25 mm in the single strand and a fineness of 15-30 microns?

So they are lighter than linen. Also, fibers are thin closely to cotton.

Also, hemp fibers wear in instead of wear out. They soften with each wash, meaning that the more you wear hemp fabrics, the more they become soft.

Because of its lightweight and softness, you can feel comfortable using hemp clothes.

Besides, they are easy to laundry and machine-washable.

12. Hypoallergenic and Skin-Friendly

Mention hemp’s suitability for sensitive skin due to its natural hypoallergenic properties.

The porous structure of hemp fiber flattens surface area and enhances its adsorption performance. They can absorb 25% of their weight.

Also, they have a substance called lignin to boost antimicrobial qualities.

This helps inhibit bacterial growth and protect your skin from several issues, including itching and redness.

Thus, hemp fabrics with natural hypoallergenic properties are suitable for people with sensitive skin or have allergies.

13. Versatile in Design and Use

Hemp fibers are used for almost everything from fine apparel to building materials.

For example, hemp textile products include everyday wear, undergarments, drapes, bed sheets, blankets, and pillows, home decor items.

Do you know hemp fibers can be blended with other materials like cotton and silk?

This helps produce a wide range of garments. Combining other materials or hemp fiber alone, you can create several things, from canvas to gauze.

Hemp hybrid textiles are softer and more beautiful. For example, hemp silk is considered the most luxurious fiber of all.

I feel hemp and bamboo bed sheets are far superior to cotton.

14. Easy to Dye and Customize

Hemp fibers have a large surface area for dye molecules to penetrate and dye deeply.

This helps the fibers to hold dyes well for various colors and patterns. So, you can dye hemp fibers with several techniques, including reactive, natural, and direct dyeing.

When dyeing fibers, you need to ensure proper dye fixation and post-dyeing treatments.

For example, rinsing and washing can help enhance the colorfastness.

Proper dye fixation and post-dyeing treatments, such as rinsing and washing, help improve colorfastness.

The dyed fibers hold rich, long-lasting colors and remain vibrant and colorful. For this, you need to avoid direct sunlight and frequent washing.

15. Reduces Synthetic Fiber Waste

One hundred billion clothes are produced yearly, and 92 million tonnes of textile waste are dumped in landfills.

Unlike synthetic fabrics, cellulose fibers like hemp are 100% biodegradable and decay within weeks or months.

This will not only help manage the textile waste, but hemp fibers also help improve soil and food to earth.

They are eco-friendly alternatives to polyester and nylon and make a sustainable choice for textiles, controlling the global waste crisis.

16. Highly Sustainable

Hemp processing requires less energy (water, electricity), so it lowers the overall production costs.

Also, hemp farming benefits ecosystems and supports biodiversity. The plantation houses the birds and several animals, insects, and birds and enhances the soil quality.

Hemps are also great for carbon storage and helps reduce CO2 in the environment.

Besides, farmers receive the profit as a reward and several jobs are created to boost local economies.

17. Anti Static Properties

Hemp fibers contain stable molecular structure and low electrostatic capacity.

They have two times higher static voltage than hemp and cotton blended fabric. The voltage is also higher than the mix of polyester and linen fabric.

Thus, hemp textile easily prevents electrostatic accumulation.

This helps avoid absorbing dust, debris, pilling, or release because of mechanical processes or clothing swing friction.

18. UV-Resistant for Sun Protection

Explain how hemp fabric naturally shields the wearer from harmful UV rays.

The ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) is no big news in the fabrics as people have been wearing hemp clothes for a long time.

The concept was even before the invention of sunscreen.

Hemp fabrics are 99% effective in safeguarding the skin from both UVA and UVB rays.

19. Cultural Crafts

When the hemp fibers are processed in communities, all activities promote friendship and togetherness.

Besides, hemp fibers are an excellent choice for embroiderers and crafters.

They can create several crafts, such as traditional clothes, bags, hats, mats, and other fashion accessories. This way, local talents, and traditional craft businesses or domestic industries can survive.

So, hemp fibers also hemp preserve cultural items for future generations.

20. Growing Demand Supports Green Industries

The demand for hemp apparel is rising year by year, and hence, production has also increased.

The market of hemp clothing was about $2.29 billion in 2021. Now, it is expected to touch $23.02 billion by 2031.

Thanks to the internet and the raised awareness about eco-friendly and sustainable fashion, hemp fabric has been considerable in the market.

It’s even surprising Gen Z is more interested in wearing hemp clothes.

Final Thoughts

Most of the time, you find clothes about a 50-50 mixture of hemp, cotton, or other fibers in the market. This is because it helps cut the production cost.

Also, you cannot wear clothes made of sole hemp. Hemp is very coarse, so they are blended with other soft fibers to smoothen the feeling.

Also, you need to carry a reasonable budget for hemp clothes as they are more costly than synthetic clothes.