Sustainable Journeys Of Denim Textiles & Biker Jackets l James&Co
Sustainable Journeys Of Denim Textiles & Biker Jackets
We thought you'd like to know a bit of background to the sustainable developments of 2 fashion icons - the denim textile and the biker jacket. Which you can now buy combined in our new Tiffany biker jacket in organic black denim.
Denim, as we know, is a sturdy wrap-faced textile traditionally made with 100% cotton. It derives its diagonal ribbing texture that is distinguishable from cotton by the twill-weaving procedure where the weft - which is 1 thread of unbleached yarn - is passed under 2 or more warp threads - which is dyed cotton yarn. Hence the denim fabric shows the blue or black or whatever dyed colour on the surface while the inside colour is white only.
At the outset, it's acknowledged that denim made in the bad way uses cotton grown with massive amounts of water, using harmful herbicides and pesticides and environmentally harmful dyes.
Thankfully there are now new technologies for growing cotton using up to 98% less water and without the use of harmful chemicals. The denim can be made with the addition of other eco-friendly organic textiles like hemp, lyocell. Resulting in 100% organic cotton, sustainable and bio-degradable textile.
Again as we all know, the denim jacket became an iconic element of American fashion - representing change, independence and freedom. Embraced globally.
The biker jacket style became iconic first made in pure leather and expanded its market with availability in faux/vegan leather made from synthetic textile traditional polyurethane (PU).
With the knowledge that traditional PU contains chemicals and fossilfuels armful to people and the planet, innovators have been hard to work to replace it with a synthetic textile made from plants. Good start with plantbased textiles like Pinatex pineapple leaves and Desserto cactus leaves however they still include a percentage of PU in their composition so are no bio-degradable.
Moving into faux/vegan leather made from synthetic textile traditional polyurethane (PU) and embraced by wider audiences of vegans and people who abhorred and resiled from the killing and use of animals for human clothing, diet etc, the timelessness of the biker jacket has continued. James&Co started as a vegan brand offering outerwear in synthetic leather-look.
100% plantbased MIRUM® has now launched and the transition of all fashion pieces made in textiles that are or contain PU is to be encouraged. James&Co is on the track. Pending the availability of MIRUM® for apparel and accessories, we have ceased the use of any leather-look textile which is or contains PU to any degree.