Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world, and has played a significant part in cultures around the world for thousands of years. In China bamboo is seen as a symbol of longevity due to its long life. In India, it is known as a symbol of friendship.

The plant can be put to a variety of uses, from paper to didgeridoos to the construction of buildings, but recently a new use has been becoming more popular, and that is in clothing. There are a number of reasons behind this new found popularity:

Speed of growth

The speed with which bamboo grows makes it an ideal crop for the organic clothing industry. Given the right climatic conditions and the correct type of soil, bamboo grows very quickly without the need for artificial fertilisers or pesticides. This means it can be harvested frequently, and most importantanly organically. OCIA International and NOP are two bodies that currently certify bamboo as organic.

Anti-bacterial properties

Bamboo has been discovered to contain an anti-bacterial agent that, whilst responsible for its ability to withstand pests while growing, remains active after the bamboo fibre has been harvested. It in fact stays potent even after the bamboo fibre garment has been washed fifty times. The great benefit over artifical anti-bacterial agents is that the latter often lead to skin allergies and other issues.

Softness

Bamboo is naturally soft, with a silky cashmere-like feel, and an excellent drape. This property makes it ideal for baby clothing, blankets and so on. It is also naturally porous and and breathable, which allows it to wick moisture away from the surface of the skin.

The above properties have led to bamboo being used in a variety of types of clothing, but it’s main uses are:

Organic baby clothing

Bamboo clothing’s hypoallergenic properties, along with its ability to wick moisture away from the skin, make it ideal for baby and children’s clothing. It is possible to purchase bamboo diapers (nappies), baby blankets made from bamboo fibre, as well as super-soft hats and booties.

By: Johnson Author

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Technorati Tags: baby boy infant clothes, infant boy clothing, organic infant apparel

Tags: baby boy infant clothes, infant boy clothing, organic infant apparel

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 10:27 pm and is filed under Bamboo For The Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.