Yoga Journal Blog: Samadhi in the City

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Los Angeles: Bamboo Styling

sworn virgin bamboo.jpg

With all this talk of sustainable materials, bamboo has moved out of the realm of tiki and into flooring, furniture, house wares and now, yoga clothing. Los Angeles-based Sworn Virgins just launched a line of bamboo-jersey yoga clothes and the fabric is soft-as-silk, breathable as cotton, wicks moisture and they even claim the anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties of this woody grass (the same quality that allows it to be grown without pesticides) also prevents odor.

But not all bamboo fabric is created equal. According to Sworn Virgins owner Alex Amini, Bamboo textiles are made by breaking down the wood with caustic chemicals until what’s left are the cellulose fibers which are then turned into yarn and later knitted into fabric. Sworn Virgins sources their bamboo yarn from vendors who guarantee their manufacturing process is as low-impact as possible. Almost all bamboo comes from China but once they get the yarn, Sworn Virgins knits, designs and manufactures locally in Los Angeles.

The fall line includes camisoles and racer back tops which come in rich colors like Chianti, nickel, midnight and cafe and they offer a variety of yoga pants—from tight ballet leggings, to more relaxed, bootleg bottoms. Then there are their flirty dresses—all with 5 percent spandex, which gives the fabric a bit of support. Like bamboo, spandex is 100 percent biodegradable. What more could you ask for?

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Comments

I think bamboo clothing is a lovely alternative to conventionally grown cotton, which uses lots of pesticides. Bamboo fabric is silky and soft, and it's good for our planet. Unfortunately, eco-friendly duds are more expensive, so I'm saving up to replace my regular cotton/spandex yoga wear with some bamboo, hemp, or organic cotton pants and shirts. Also, my next yoga mat will be a non-PVC mat. It seems to me that one way I can live my practice is to buy products that support green companies.

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