What fabric do you use for making a sustainable jacket?

The jacket is one of the most beautiful garments to make and wear. Everyone has one hanging in their closet, whether they wear it often or not. What material is a jacket made of? And are there also sustainable variants? That you can read in this article.

History

The suit jacket was originally only worn by men on informal occasions. Around 1850 the jacket was still considered unsuitable for formal occasions. In that time, one only wore a dinner jacket or a jacquet on official occasions. 

Today the jacket is suitable for many occasions and is available in many varieties. Also the women’s jacket is an integral part of the street scene.  

Construction

A jacket usually consists of different layers. On the inside you have the lining. This is often made of polyester or viscose, and in some cases of silk. 

The upper fabric of the jacket is at best made of 100% wool. There are also variants where wool is used in combination with cotton, viscose or polyester. Between the upper fabric and the lining there is often a layer of lining. This is the reinforcement that ensures the stability of the construction. This can be a glued or loose lining, or a combination of these. Also, often (partly) horsehair is used for this. 

I myself prefer to use fabrics of 100% wool. This is not always a recycled or organic material, but I make sure that the fabric is produced in (Western) Europe, in the most sustainable way possible. 

The sustainable jacket

There are a number of tips when it comes to making your jacket sustainable:

1. First of all it is good to look where your jacket is produced. Generally speaking, the closer you are to home, the more sustainable it is. This saves a lot of transport and is therefore less damaging to the environment. In the Netherlands, there are several places where you can go. 
2. Which fabrics to choose and where do they come from? Basically the same story. Use local raw materials as much as possible. Take a look at our webshop, at Fashion fabrics for example. Here you can choose recycled and organic yarns. 
3. Take good care of your suit. If something is broken, have it fixed immediately. If you don’t, it can get worse and break down irreparably. Do not steam your suit too often, and make sure you store it neatly on a hanger.

Maybe it’s not always possible to wear clothes that are 100% sustainable, and that doesn’t matter. Still, everyone can contribute to a sustainable world, in their own way. I hope the above tips can help you. At SustainableFabrics.shop / Enschede Textielstad we produce our own sustainable fabrics in Enschede. Take a look below or in the webshop.