WAMA Hemp Underwear Review
When you think about sustainable fabrics, what comes to mind? In my closet, I have some organic cotton, Tencel lyocell, Repreve (from recycled plastic bottles), bamboo... one fabric I don't have much of is hemp.
I did some reading about hemp, and it's actually a powerhouse for an eco-friendly fabric! It's strong, it's renewable (grows fast and can be harvested quickly!), and takes much less resources to grow than cotton.
As well as being a biodegradable fibre, hemp’s production requires less than a third of the water needed for cotton and yields 220% more fibre. The plant grows without the need for harmful herbicides and pesticides and also replenishes soil quality. Hemp has low carbon emissions and is capable of capturing carbon emissions from the atmosphere, meaning it is considerably better for the environment than cotton.
- The Guardian, From eco benefits to legal status: everything you need to know about wearing hemp
When I was contacted by WAMA about trying out their hemp underwear, I was definitely intrigued! Even though my kid isn't a baby anymore, I had started hearing about hemp as being "the fabric" for cloth diapering. It is great for sensitive skin and has anti-bacterial properities. If it's the perfect fabric for soft baby bottoms, then hemp underwear is probably great too, right?
WAMA has a few different styles of hemp underwear for women and men, and I tried the bikini and hipster undies. When I ran my fingers across the fabric, it didn't have the silky feeling bamboo does, but it was surprisingly soft! I've been wearing my undies for a couple of weeks now, and I'm happy to report they have held up well! They don't stretch out and get baggy, they are comfortable (I forget about them when I'm wearing them - always a good sign), and they go through the wash well! It was recommended to me to buy a size up, and I'd agree that advice was sound.
It's always exciting to find sustainable alternatives, especially for underwear - because we wear underwear more than any of our other clothes!! Hemp is full biodegradable, so when they eventually wear out, I won't need to worry about adding to textile waste.
What do you think of hemp clothing and underwear?
(Disclosure: I am an affiliate with WAMA underwear. This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase products via these links, a small percentage of the sale will be given to me at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting juicygreenmom.ca!)