If you ever wonder how a T-shirt is made from wood, you’re in the right place. Most people initially find it hard to imagine that it’s even possible to make clothing from wood. And if they do, many picture it as stiff or super scratchy clothing.
So now we want to reveal this secret and take you on a journey behind the scenes. We’ll show you how and where this eco-friendly and surprisingly soft fabric with its unique comfort is created.
Taking a closer look at the clothing industry over recent years, it becomes clear that two raw materials form the basis of today’s textile production: polyester and cotton.
With over 60%, more than half of all fibers used worldwide for clothing are made from synthetic, petroleum-based raw materials. About 25% of the fibers are cotton, with organic cotton making up only around 1% of that. The remaining 15% of fibers consist of wool, cellulose-based fibers, and other natural fibers such as hemp and linen.
In the first step, the wood is processed into small chips and mixed with an organic solvent to separate the cellulose. This solvent can be recycled repeatedly due to its good water-mixing ability.
After this first step, you end up with a honey-like mass, which is then pressed through spinnerets to produce fine fibers. The fibers are subsequently dried and finally processed into the yarn that is woven into the fabric of your T-shirt.
What we especially like about this production step is that the entire process is a closed loop, which greatly reduces resource consumption and emissions.
Once the fabric is finished, it goes through various small workshops where it is further processed with a lot of handcraft and attention to detail.
For cutting the fabric, the next step in the production chain, templates are needed. These are created based on our cutting specifications and are now printed out and placed on the fabric as optimally as possible to minimize waste.
In a small family workshop, the templates are glued onto about 60 layers of fabric and then cut out accurately by hand (!). This step requires a great deal of experience and is carried out by two sisters who make it look so effortless that it’s simply amazing. They are specialists in their field, and it’s a pleasure to see how much joy they still take in their work after so many years.
They also go all out when it comes to hospitality: on site, we are always invited to excellent port wine, where there is definitely a risk of staying much longer than intended…
In the first step, the wood is processed into small chips and mixed with an organic solvent to separate the cellulose. This solvent can be recycled repeatedly due to its good water-mixing ability.
After this first step, you end up with a honey-like mass, which is then pressed through spinnerets to produce fine fibers. The fibers are subsequently dried and finally processed into the yarn that is woven into the fabric of your T-shirt.
What we especially like about this production step is that the entire process is a closed loop, which greatly reduces resource consumption and emissions.
Once the fabric is finished, it goes through various small workshops where it is further processed with a lot of handcraft and attention to detail.
For cutting the fabric, the next step in the production chain, templates are needed. These are created based on our cutting specifications and are now printed out and placed on the fabric as optimally as possible to minimize waste.
In a small family workshop, the templates are glued onto about 60 layers of fabric and then cut out accurately by hand (!). This step requires a great deal of experience and is carried out by two sisters who make it look so effortless that it’s simply amazing. They are specialists in their field, and it’s a pleasure to see how much joy they still take in their work after so many years.
They also go all out when it comes to hospitality: on site, we are always invited to excellent port wine, where there is definitely a risk of staying much longer than intended…
SUSTAINABLE SHIRTS WITHOUT ITCHY LABELS
Scratchy labels in our shirts can cause skin irritation and discomfort. They distract us from what really matters: the comfort and style of the shirt. At wijld, we avoid scratchy and annoying labels by printing our labels directly onto the shirt.
This way, you don’t have to miss any important information, and smooth wearing comfort is guaranteed.
Besides the comfort factor, our sustainable shirts without scratchy labels are also environmentally friendly because we avoid using extra fabric. Minimalist and functional!
This means you are dressed not only comfortably but also with environmental awareness.
CLOTHING MADE WITH LOVE FROM WOOD
For us, it’s not only fascinating to see how quickly and precisely the work is done, but above all, it’s wonderful to see HOW the work is done. With every single step, so much energy and attention to detail goes into our wooden clothing.
But how do you like the result? Your opinion is extremely important to us! What do you think of our WoodShirts? Are you satisfied or even thrilled, and have we succeeded in offering you a truly eco-friendly and fair alternative that you enjoy wearing or giving as a gift? We want to make you completely happy and, of course, we appreciate every single recommendation to friends and family! ;-)
