The vegetable textile fibers that are on sale on the site altramoda.net, are organically grown, or naturally (hemp and bamboo), or from organic farming (wool), the colors are of vegetable or mineral origin. The factories protect the rights of workers, and seek to optimize production processes to avoid waste of water and energy, trying to optimize transport and reduce packaging.
All these steps are certified by various national and international brands: ICEA, Gots, Ivn, Oeko text, Fair Trade, ...
Guide to fabrics that you will find on our website:
Hemp: Hemp is one of the most durable natural fibres that exists and has very high tensile strength. Hemp softens with use and yet remains hard-wearing. Hemp fabrics dye very effectively and retain colour well over time. Hemp garments "breathe", due the porous nature of the fibres, so that hemp cloth stays cooler in warm weather while at the same time retaining heat in cooler weather as body heat warms air trapped in the fibres. Hemp clothing naturally stops up to 95% of the sun harmful UV light, while being 5 times as strong as cotton; coupled with its strong anti-fungal and antibacterial properties, this makes the fabric a natural choice for hospitals and surgical applications. Hemp has good resistance to mould and is fire-retardant. Hemp is good for the environment.
Bamboo: bamboo requires no irrigation to grow because it thrives under natural rainfall. It requires no chemical pesticides or fertilizers to grow because it naturally fights pests and lives great in many different natural settings, growing up to 47 inches in a single day once mature. Bamboo does not need replanted after harvest because, unlike trees, bamboo will regrow right from the cut. But enough about what bamboo doesn't do, here's what it does do. A stand of bamboo creates 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees while absorbing 5 times the greenhouse gases. Due to the fact that bamboo roots stay in the ground when cut, it protects the soil from erosion and keeps it nutrient rich. With so many uses, there is little to no waste with harvested bamboo, every part is used. Bamboo has a great impact here on mother Earth. Soft, warm, and odorless are three adjectives commonly used to describe viscose bamboo. Viscose is the derivative of hard bamboo stalks that are manufactured into a cozy fiber. It has a soft and buttery feel and can absorb 3-4 times as much moisture as cotton. The makeup of each individual fiber of viscose is what gives bamboo it's moisture-wicking properties, an this is also what makes bamboo so warm. It is great at helping to fight odors. When compared to cotton, viscose bamboo material is much softer and as stated above, much more absorbent which makes it warmer. It also helps fight against odors, rather than harboring odors like cotton. As if this wasn't already enough of a reason to try viscose bamboo, what truly makes bamboo so amazing is how ecologically friendly it is as a plant, and as fabric.
Organic Cotton: being soft, easy in handling and very absorbant, cotton has been the most popular natural fibre in textiles for thousand of years, However due to the intensive use of pesticides, water consumption, gene manipulation and soil erosion the fiber bears enourmous ecological risk, especially when not organically grown. This is why the sole use of organically grown cotton is so important for us.
Cotton grow in subtropical countries such as Turkey, China, India from non genetically modified plants, without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides, organic fields must go through a cleansing period of three years, without the use of any prohibited substances, before planting the first organic crop. Its production also promotes and enhances biodiversity and biological cycles. Cotton covers 55% of the world's cultivated land yet uses 75% of the world's insecticides, more than any other single major crop.
Natural cotton is very eudermic and thus especially suits sensitive skin. Besides it is hard-wearing and robust. Textiles from natural cotton are also antistatic, colour-consistent and can be washed in washing machines with high temperatures.
When buying clothes from untreated cotton it is important that you always buy them a little bigger as they shrink about 3 % to 5 %. Customary washing powders containing brighteners, bleach, phosphates, etc. are not advisable as colours fade more quickly, textiles are strained and sewage are polluted with chemicals.
Wool: Wool fibre is an albumen fibre that is similar to human skin with respect to its component parts. The term wool indicates that it is only sheep hair. All other hair of animals such as lamas, vicugnas, goats, angora rabbits or camels is not defined as wool although they all resemble in their structure. They are all albumen fibres, consisting of Keratin. The wool fibre has a characteristic structure by its fine, gradual scales lying on top of each other. The outer scales can jam together when treated in the wrong way so that they will interlock firmly, which means that wool felts. Virgin wool is the wool fibre which one gains by shearing living sheep. Only the first processing can be called pure new(virgin) wool. Merino virgin wool comes from the merino sheep, is finely crimped and feels soft and cosy.
Virgin wool and silk: Merino virgin wool/silk blends regulate warmth and humidity and support a healthy skin climate. Our clothes consist of 70 % organic merino virgin wool and 30 % silk. The proportion of blending appropriately accentuates the characteristics of the constituent fibres and provides a comfortable and long-lasting wear experience. This is the reason why we call clothes from merino virgin wool/silk our “nothing-can-top-underwear”. The silk thread is an animal albumen fibre which is extracted from the cocoon of the silkworm and which is similar to the wool fibre structure and in its characteristics. The extraordinary length of this natural silk fibre, its tensile strength, finesse and its characteristic grip, turn silk into one of the finest textile materials. Silk is especially eudermic and has a shiny surface. Silk actively balances temperature, i.e. it gives warmth when it is cold and cools down when warm. Silk is suitable for people with sensitive skin.
Silk can take up 40 % of its own weight as moisture. It regenerates, similarly to wool, in fresh air and does not have to washed frequently. We advise to only hand wash silk in warm water without rubbing. Avoid when drying your silk clothes long and direct sun as otherwise the fibre gets brittle and loses its firmness.
Here under you will find some information about 2 of the various certifications that distinguish our garments for children and adults:
GOTS Global Organic Textile Standard: is the world's leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, including ecological and social criteria, backed by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain. The aim of the standard is to define globally recognised requirements that ensure the organic status of textiles, from harvesting of the raw materials through environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing all the way to labelling in order to provide credible assurance to the end consumer. Textile processors and manufacturers should be able to export their organic fabrics and garments with one certification accepted in all major markets. The consensus of the International Working Group was that a clear and unambiguous understanding of the content required the Global Organic Textile Standard itself to focus on compulsory criteria only. The standard covers the processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling, trading and distribution of all textiles made from at least 70% certified organic natural fibres. The final products may include but are not limited to: fibre products, yarns, fabrics, clothes and home textiles. The standard does not set criteria for leather products.
A textile product carrying the GOTS label grade ‘organic’ must contain a minimum of 95% certified organic fibres whereas a product with the label grade ‘made with organic’ must contain a minimum of 70% certified organic fibres.
OEKO-TEX standard 100: the OEKO-TEX® label indicates the additional benefits of tested safety for skin-friendly clothing and other textiles to interested end users. The test label therefore provides an important decision-making tool for purchasing textiles. The OEKO-TEX Standard 100 was introduced at the beginning of the 1990s in response to the demand of the general public for textiles which are harmless to health. „Poison in textiles“ and other negative headlines were widespread at this time and indiscriminately branded all chemicals used in textile manufacturing as negative and dangerous to health.
The demands we make of modern textile products cannot be realised without the use of specific chemical substances, however. Modern colours, easy care properties, long useful life and many other functional properties of textiles are required today and can be indispensable for certain applications (e.g. for workwear).
Before introduction of the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 there was neither a reliable product label for the assessment of the human ecological quality of textiles for consumers nor a uniform safety standard for manufacturers in the textile and clothing industry allowing practical assessment of potential harmful substances in textile products. The Austrian Textil Research Institute and the German Hohenstein Research Institute have therefore jointly developed the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 on the basis of their existing test standards.
The textile industry is characterised by a form of cooperation in which each production stage from raw material to finished textile product is often located in a different place in the world. This extremely fragmented structure is reflected in the complex supply relationships between all the companies involved throughout the textile processing chain. On top of this, different environmental regulations apply in the individual countries involved in textile production.
This is where the basic concept of the OEKO-TEK Standard 100 applies: The aim of the criteria catalogue is to level out global differences regarding the assessment of possible harmful substances in textiles.
The OEKO-TEX® system can identify and eliminate potential sources of problematic substances at each processing stage. Testing becomes necessary whenever a textile product is recomposed or a chemical change is made to its material.
Why organic textiles?
The certification of textile products made with natural fibers from organic farming, begins with recognizing of the growing problems environmental, social and health related with the production and use of conventional cotton.
Organic cotton production never uses GM seed. The small-scale farmers who produce the majority of our cotton need reliability, not high risks. Using low external inputs that are locally available, organic allows farmers to work within their limits and with their environment, in a sustainable way. Organic cotton puts choices in the farmer's hands.
As organic cotton farmers around the world demonstrate every day, cotton can be grown without pesticides. By eliminating all hazardous synthetic pesticides in its production organic cotton offers a healthy and sustainable farming future for farmers and their families. Organic takes the toxic impact out of producing cotton.
Organic farmers grow a diversity of crops to maintain healthy and fertile soils and fight off pests. By diversifying crops, farmers can also diversify their income. Growing food or other crops helps insure organic farmers against crop failure, climate variability, price volatility and changes in market demand.
Organic farming practices create healthy soils which make better use of water inputs and are more resilient in drought conditions. By eliminating the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, organic cotton keeps waterways and drinking water safe and clean. The water pollution impact of organic has been shown to be 98% less than non-organic cotton production.
Organic cotton farmers are doing their bit to combat climate change. By eliminating the use of manufactured fertilisers and pesticides and reducing nitrogen inputs, organic cotton growing produces up to 94% less greenhouse gas emissions. By maintaining their health, organic practices turn soils into a carbon 'sink', removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
