When shopping for sustainable clothing, it can be difficult figuring the pros and cons of each fabric. A lot of companies produce with virgin polyesters and nylons. Some prefer natural fabrics like cotton, linen, or bamboo. Others use synthetic fabric made from recycled materials. At the start of our design process we contemplated many options, but eventually we found TENCEL™ Modal. Here is an overview of TENCEL™ Modal and all the reasons we love it for our intimates.
What is TENCEL™ Modal?
TENCEL™ Modal is a cellulosic fiber made from wood. Cellulose lives in the cell walls of plants and provides the strength that supports their structure. The Lenzing Group manufactures TENCEL™ Modal. They make the material primarily from beech trees in Austria, which are a renewable resource. Renewable resources are great for the environment since they replace what was used at a fast enough rate that it will not harm the sources. The Lenzing Group is known for its commitment to sustainability, so we sought out the opportunity to source their fibers to create our bras and underwear.
How does The Lenzing Group approach sustainability?
The Lenzing Group is passionate about making their production process sustainable. The wood they use comes from FSC-certified sources, and the water needed for manufacturing is carefully treated to ensure it can be reused or expelled without negatively impacting ecosystems. After the cellulosic raw material has been extracted, the wood by-product that remains is used for bioenergy. This helps Lenzing reduce its reliance on coal and natural gas as energy sources for their production processes. Anything that they cannot use for their own operations is made into products for other industries. For example, they make acetic acid which can be used for pickling foods and for skin care.
The Lenzing Group cares about creating a circular economy through closed loop cycles. This means that they look for ways to ensure that their products can be reused after they’ve been worn out to prevent excessive waste. One way that they are reducing textile waste is by making modal and lyocell fabrics that are biodegradable. After the fabric has worn out, it can be composted to provide nutrients to soil. This can help grow more trees.
What does TENCEL™ Modal feel like?
TENCEL™ Modal is known for being silky and soft due to the material’s cross-section structure. It has beautiful sheen and is extremely stretchy, which is perfect for bras and underwear. Finally, it is very durable, so you can wash it many times without worrying about it becoming scratchy or tough.
The material’s softness comes from The Lenzing Group’s Eco Soft technology which utilizes an efficient pulp-to-fiber system to put a high percentage of the cellulosic fiber into the fabric. The Lenzing Group’s Eco Pure technology uses a chlorine-free bleach that is not only less harsh on the fibers, but also not as environmentally damaging.
How does it compare to cotton?
When comparing modal to cotton, which is often used as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based fabrics, modal stands out for its comfort. A study was published in 2012 which compared thermal comfort properties of cotton and modal fabrics. It found that the modal material had a lower thermal resistance, higher air permeability, and greater thermal conductivity than cotton. This means that heat flows through modal fabric better, keeping you feeling comfortably cool.
While cotton is a natural resource, growing it can negatively impact the environment. Cotton requires a lot of water and pesticides to grow, and often diminishes soil quality. Pesticides and other chemicals used to grow cotton can enter freshwater resources in neighboring areas as runoff, polluting them and harming those ecosystems.
TENCEL™ Modal’s beech trees, on the other hand, need much less water to grow. The Lenzing Groups’s FSC-certified wood sources must also follow a strong policy that prohibits the use of harmful chemicals in forestries unless it’s absolutely necessary. In these dire cases, they assess what exposure level is safest to prevent extreme harm to people and the environment. The organization’s long-term goal is to stop all chemical pesticides from being used.
This is all interesting… but why did iteration choose TENCEL™ Modal to work with?
We chose to work with TENCEL™ Modal because it reflects our five pillars of sustainability.
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Community Co-Creation: At the start of our design process, we asked our Co-lab community what aspect they cared most about when it came to their bras and underwear. The most popular answer was comfort. We took that feedback and searched high and low for a material that would be as soft, comfy and cozy as possible. TENCEL™ Modal stood out to us for these properties, along with its amazing moisture-control abilities, so you won’t be sweaty and uncomfortable throughout the day.
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Natural + Eco-Friendly Materials: TENCEL™ Modal is made from renewable wood resources. This means less plastic in our products which is better not only for us, but also for the planet.
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Smart Design: This pillar is all about making sure you feel great in our intimates and they function like you want them to, so you don’t want to throw out anything. TENCEL™ Modal is strong, incredibly soft, and breathable, making it the perfect material for bras and underwear. It’s durable enough for all your life’s adventures, and yet so cozy that you’ll want to wear them over and over again.
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Built to Last: Iteration’s emphasis on designing items that are built to last means that we intensely examine every factor, so you get the most bang for your buck. During our design phase, we used 2 different pilling tests to make sure our products had no signs of pilling. Additionally, we did extensive wash and wear testing. Our TENCEL™ Modal fabric performed the best out of all the fabrics we reviewed (which were A LOT!) .
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Ethical Practices: We value ethical practices that make our products safe and ensure that the people involved in our operations and the environment are cared for as well. It is clear that Lenzing is passionate about utilizing sustainable production methods, and they are focused on ways to constantly improve their practices to make closed cycles.
TENCEL™ Modal is not only a great fabric, but also made by a manufacturer that is focused on making its fibers as sustainably as possible. We share this commitment to always do better, and we’re so excited to source our modal fibers from The Lenzing Group to bring you products you can feel good about enjoying.
