Think and act sustainably: the Stripe & Stare way
TENCEL™ is the trade name for the modal fibre all our products are made from. It is manufactured by Lenzing in Austria and the name means 'Ten' for the tenacity of the fabric and 'cel' because it is made from cellulose or wood fibre.
It is the only fabric we use. We love it, and your feedback tells us you do too. This is not only a fibre with integrity - it is proven to be twice as soft as cotton, it is anti-bacterial and better at handling moisture - plus it is kind to the planet. Here's why:
What is TENCEL™?
TENCEL™ fabric is an amazing eco-friendly fabric that represents a milestone in the development of environmentally sustainable textiles.
TENCEL™ is a natural, man-made fibre which is also referred to as modal.
Made with wood pulp from sustainable tree farms, TENCEL™ textiles are created through the use of nanotechnology in an award-winning closed-loop process that recovers or decomposes all solvents and emissions.
Though it’s certified by the international Forest Stewardship Council and 100% biodegradable, we think the greatest benefits are the variety and exceptional comfort you can experience with Tencel clothing.
Why do we only use Lenzing fibres?
Most importantly they are the most sustainable fibres around. The fibres come from a sustainable Beechwood Tree. They are stronger and softer than other fibres.
This is not the only benefit of using Lenzing fibres. We have moved all our sourcing to Lenzing, aside from its sustainability, because we have not found another fabric we love as much. Here’s why:
Eco Print - Made from the natural cellulose found in wood pulp. The fibre is economical in its use of energy and natural resources, and is fully biodegradable.
Colour Rich - TENCEL™ was created with color in mind, because of the fibres’ high absorbency. The fabrics can be dyed to high quality standards.
Moisture Absorbent - This eco fabric has natural breathability and 50% greater moisture absorption than cotton.
Anti-bacterial - Due to its moisture management, TENCEL™ is also anti-bacterial.
Feel of Fabric - Similar to rayon in feel. Soft, breathable, lightweight and comfortable. TENCEL™ has an extremely smooth, soft surface that drapes beautifully
Great for sensitive skin -
TENCEL™’s smooth fibre surface feels soft and supple against the skin and its incredible wicking abilities keep the skin dry, making
TENCEL™ a great fabric for sensitive skin.
TENCEL™ is approved for the use in newborn baby clothing it is so gentle on the skin.
Versatile - This eco fabric has controllable fibrillation (the very fine hairs found on the outer fibres), which can be manipulated into everything form suede-like softness to a silky smooth finish.
Durable - This super fibre can hold up to a beating when both we and dry, and is most conveniently resistant to wrinkles.
Frankly – we love it and are very proud to work with Lenzing.
Tencel Fabric – An Eco Friendly Fabric Option
TENCEL® is a brand, the trademark is owned by Lenzing Fibers located in Austria.
The fibre used for the TENCEL® fabric is called Modal.
TENCEL® Modal is obtained from traceable and sustainable wood pulp being dissolved in a non-toxic organic recovered and reused solvent, thus using an extrusion method through tiny holes comes Modal fibres.
This method is referred to as a closed loop process, meaning in the case of TENCEL® Modal, more than 99% of the solvent is recovered and reused, all of this leading to less land and water usage.
Within the solvent spinning process that produces Tencel®, a closed loop circuit recovers, purifies and reuses the solvent up to 99.5 percent, yielding very little by product.
This environmentally conscious process, which is also 100 percent organic since the basis is a natural raw material, has been on the receiving end of numerous awards, including the European Award for the Environment by the European Union.
No harmful chemicals are used in the manufacturing process.
Above all, for the garment industry TENCEL® has a reputation for being extremely eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable.
Tencel - the facts
N-Methylmorpholine N-oxide – NMO or NMMO is an organic compound.
NMMO monohydrate is used as a solvent in the Lyocell process to produce TENCEL™ fibre.
- Modal is considered an eco-friendly, biodegradable fabric ‘composed of cellulose precipitated from an organic solution in which no substitution of the hydroxyl groups takes place and no chemical intermediates are formed
- Modal is better described as a man-made recovered or regenerated fibre.
Simply, Modal is made from the cellulose obtained from wood pulp (Cellulose is a natural polymer found in all vegetative living cells, apparently, trees are 50% cellulose and cotton around 90% cellulose) and the process of Modal production starts by treating wood chips in such a way that they form into a substance resembling thick paper.
This paper like material is then cut up and broken down into small pieces and then chemically dissolved, forming a cellulose slurry. This is then extruded through a device with many tiny holes in it.
At this point the Modal comes out as long thin fibres, these then go through further chemical processes followed by washing and drying before being compressed. At this stage the Modal fibres can be spun and then either used alone or blended with other fibres to make a yarn (our knickers and loungewear are 95% Modal, 5% Elastane - we are currently revising using elastane in our products and replacing with a more eco-friendly alternative).
Modal either wet or dry is strong and long lasting.
The feel and texture of the finished fabric is easily manipulated by blending Modal with these other fibres resulting in a wide ranging variation.
We work only with Lenzing on our fabrics. Each Lenzing fibre is made of cellulose, a natural component of renewable source material wood. A characteristic of cellulose is its biodegradability: At the end of their life cycle, Lenzing fibres can re-enter the eco-system, preparing the ground on which new plants grow.
Scientifically proven
Stripe & Stare fibres are sustainable. This isn’t something we just claim. It is a fact. Lenzing have even had it proven in a life cycle assessment done by Utrecht University.
We work with Lenzing who considered its ecological footprint long before the word sustainability was known as a term in the fashion industry, let alone applied as a concept. Lenzing had Utrecht University (NL) assess our fibres’ life cycle. They evaluated every stage, from wood sourcing to production. The study even included possible ways of product disposal, such as burning. Lenzing viscose and particularly our Modal fibres performed exceptionally well in this assessment. The results gathered in these studies are now used as a universal standard for the evaluation of various fibres by international providers of data and guidelines.
