At Sahara
Tencel in Detail
Article By Sahara .
Jan 24, 2018
We explore the myriad benefits of Tencel, a sustainable wonder fabric made from wood pulp…
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Tencel, or lyocell as it’s also known is a sustainable fabric, regenerated from wood cellulose. Specifically, Tencel comes from sustainably grown wood, including eucalyptus. Because of its transparent supply chain and low eco impact, not to mention its smooth hand-feel and fluid draping quality, we’ve used Tencel to create a number of our new pieces for spring.
Often likened to rayon and bamboo, because of its weight and feel, Tencel is far more environmentally friendly. The forests that produce Tencel have earned Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for their social and environmental responsibility; these forests require no irrigation to grow to healthy maturity and are pesticide free.
The wood cellulose, a ground pulp used to make Tencel or lyocell, is treated using a closed loop process in which the majority of solvents used are recycled. A very small number of emissions remain after this process and these are decomposed in biological purification plants. This bleach-free process has earned the material a European Award for the Environment and an Oeko Tex 100 certification, a guarantee that the fabric contains no harmful substances.
In order to create a garment, like our long artist’s shirt, from smooth Tencel, small fibres are spun into thicker yarns. These yarns are carefully woven into textile that is then crafted according to the unique shirt pattern created by our designers. The shirt is then garment dyed in Europe for a unique and vibrant finish with no damage to the cloth.
Soft and breathable yet surprisingly durable and impressively resistant to wrinkles, we paired Tencel with a strong palette of hyacinth purple for last season’s collection. In the new collection you’ll find soft, floral denims, our signature bubble trousers and look out for our new Tencel jumpsuit, arriving further into the season.
Visit your nearest Sahara store to sample the collection for yourself, feel its smoothness and ask our style advisors about the drape and fit, or explore our tencel collection online. We hope you’ll love wearing this extraordinary material as much as we’ve loved creating this collection.
At Sahara, we have always been committed to seeking out and championing ethical and sustainable fibres and practices in order to better care for and preserve our planet. We strive to use natural and low eco impact materials in all of our collections and pledge to work only with partner brands who share our consideration for the environment.