Linen and Sustainability: The Green Choice for Future Fashion

For over 20 years, 100% Capri has been advocating for what is only now becoming increasingly popular: creating high-end fashion collections made exclusively from pure linen, allowing for a perfect combination of luxury and sustainability. The choice to create eco-friendly clothing is closely linked, and consequential, to the extraordinary properties of linen, which distinguishes itself from other fabrics for its breathability and resistance, as well as its biodegradability.

A few notions are enough to offer a general idea of the extraordinary eco-sustainability of linen and to inform conscious consumers who show sensitivity towards the environmental impact of the fashion industry.

The origins of linen and its green destiny

Without a doubt, the production of linen is the one that is most in line with a complete ecological choice of environmental respect, for the following reasons linked indissolubly to the phases of its life cycle:

• Firstly, the cultivation of linen does not involve intensive soil exploitation, as it is a type of crop rotation. In most cases, it is cyclically alternated with other types of plantations, preserving soil fertility and eliminating the need for pesticides, which are already minimally dispensable for the linen plant, which, due to its natural resistance, is difficult to attack by parasites.
• Its extraordinary ability to draw from rainwater sources stored in the ground during rainy seasons allows for an incredible reduction in water usage, something that is instead heavily abused in the cultivation of other textile fibers.
• The process of transforming linen into fabric requires an enormously smaller amount of water and energy compared to other fibers such as cotton, which, on the other hand, requires a long processing time.
• Linen is biodegradable, which means that linen clothing can be easily disposed of safely and naturally, reducing toxic waste. Unlike synthetic fibers, which can take hundreds of years to degrade in the environment, linen fibers decompose naturally in a few months. Additionally, when linen degrades, it releases nutrient substances that can be absorbed by the soil, promoting the growth of new plants and maintaining soil fertility. This means that linen cultivation not only has a low environmental impact but can also have a positive impact on soil health and long-term agricultural sustainability.

Linen and its resistance

It is well-known that linen is a very resistant fiber, which brings numerous benefits in terms of environmental sustainability and durability of the textile products made from it. For starters, the fact that linen clothing can last a long time is of fundamental importance in an era where fast fashion, as well as disposable fashion, seems to have become the norm.

More and more frequently, new low-cost fast fashion apps are appearing that are popular among the public, which unknowingly encourages a fashion industry focused on producing low-quality clothing made mostly from synthetic materials destined for rapid decay. This creates a vicious cycle based on an unsustainable consumption cycle that leads to a significant increase in the production of toxic waste that is difficult to dispose of.

In contrast, the resistance of linen means that textile products made from this fiber are less subject to wear and tear and breakage than other fabrics. This means that linen garments can last longer, reducing the need for frequent replacement and thus decreasing the consumption of natural resources. Of course, to preserve its characteristics, it is important to know how to take care of linen (read our article here).

To buy clothes in linen: a bilateral ethical choice

In conclusion, bearing in mind what has been said, linen represents in totality the essence of an ethical choice that can be made by producers who intend to pursue a sustainable path and at the same time by conscious consumers who intend, with their purchases, to take part in a broad ecological project.

This is why 100% Capri pursues its path in an open and continuous dialogue with its customers, satisfying their needs and safeguarding the planet: not for fashion, but for respect.