Soy in clothing isn’t exactly new. Henry Ford first talked of it in the 1940s and was photographed wearing the first known soy suit and tie. Soy fibers largely disappeared though, until recent developments in China.
Now, soybean protein fiber is being marketed as a “vegetable cashmere” — a new eco-friendly luxury textile. Those who’ve tried it speak enthusiastically about soy’s soft feel, lustre, combined with washability and durability.
Soybean fiber also has the advantage of being a renewable natural resource and a by-product of food manufacturing. Some soy textiles have organic certification.
Soy costs approximately 30% more than organic cotton and hemp due to accessibility issues and the raw fiber material costs today. However it is higher end fabric, and many feel its softness and lustre are worth the extra cost.
Where can you get soy clothing? Right now only the leading eco-clothing stores carry it: Under the Canopy and Of The Earth.
The only soy clothing we could find for sale online was at Pangaya and Sahalie.
An article about soy clothing can be found here.
Read more! Related stories:
- MetaEfficient: Hemp Socks
- Hemp T-Shirts: Durable and Efficient
- Maggie’s Socks: Functional Organics
- Wholefoods to Start Selling Organic Clothing
- Under the Canopy: Metaefficient Clothing
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Colorado Trading and Clothing Company has an extensive collection of a proprietary soy-bamboo blend they call SoyBu. Adding bamboo helps mitigate the cost issue you mention above yet retains the eco-advantage. see coloradoclothing.com