Frequently Asked Questions

Are your products 100% bamboo fibre or is there cotton mixed in?

Our products are 70% bamboo and 30% cotton. We want to have 100% bamboo and we will one day, when we work out how make the fabric stable enough - it's taken us 3 years of playing with different knitting and yarn spinning settings so far! But 70% is enough for all the technical elements to work very strongly. Plus, it just has a better 'feel' or handle in this mix. The sportswear has about 4% lycra thrown in for a little extra 'give' when moving around. We want to use organic cotton for the 30% and are working towards this goal. Initially is was a logistical nightmare, but it's now within reach.

Are the qualities quoted for bamboo clothing just marketing hype or are they for real?

The qualities of bamboo fabric presented on this website have been laboratory proven. They are well established, demonstrable facts. The one exception is 'bamboo cool', whereby bamboo fabric keeps you unusally warm in the cold and cooler in hot weather. We have not yet found a laboratory test for this. In cold weather the cross sectional structure of bamboo traps warm air. In the heat, the nature of bamboo is to keep you cool, it's highly breathable. One theory is that it retains a little more moisture in it's microstructure because it's so absorbant, and this stays cooler in the heat, but that's pure speculation until we find a way of tyesting it. The increased comfort level has been bourne out by anyone who wears bamboo.

What are you doing to minimise environmental impact?

Apart from the inherent natural growth pattern of bamboo, which requires no pesticides or fertilizers and has a massive yield per acre and is probably the most sustainable crop in the world, and the massively net positive carbon impact of the process as a whole (with the tree planting program), our bamboo partner specializes in the research, development and application of new, eco-friendly textiles. We adhere to ISO14000, an ethically principled environmental management standard (as well as the international quality management standard, ISO9000). This is bamboo's heritage and it is one we try to follow as much as possible at all stages in the production process. For example, our dye house is oeko-tex certified.

Is it ok to wash bamboo normally? Does it lose its special qualities?

You can wash Bam products with everything else just like cotton - warm water and tumble dry, according to regular washing instructions. Our products can also be ironed with out any worries. Bamboo fabric has been found to show no drop off in its antibacterial nature even after 50 washes. Its massive water absorbency is best retained without the use of softeners.

Do your shirts shrink?

Shrinkage is slightly higher in bamboo than cotton. We give our products an extra wash during the dye process to keep shrinkage within normal standard UK limits. We also build in a very small extra material just for good measure.

Are your dyes good for the environment?

We use the lowest impact dyes that are available on the market to achieve the required results, conforming to the European standard, Ecotex.

Where is your bamboo grown?

Our bamboo is grown in China. As bamboo becomes more popular we hope other countries will begin to grow bamboo specifically for fabrics.

What species of bamboo is used for your products? Where is it grown?

The species of bamboo our yarn comes from is Phyllostachys pubescens - Moso bamboo. Bam bamboo is grown principally in Yunnan Province. Historically, it's most commonly used for construction purposes and edible bamboo shoots.

What part of the bamboo plant is used to generate fibres used in your clothing, and how is it processed?

The Bamboo is crushed and pulped and then its natural cellulose, which contains the bamboo 'kun', is extracted to make fibre. It's this naturally accuring bamboo kun than has the amazing qualities that we now know bamboo offers for clothing. The process is very much like the way wood is crushed and pulped in the paper making process. The viscose is regenerated into a fibre that's like cotton in appearance, but much, much softer. It's then spun into yarn (like with most Bam products, it's often mixed with 30% cotton or organic cotton at this stage). We experimented with different mixes for almost a year (it almost bankrupted me!) and found the most satisfying mix with the best 'handle' was 70%bamboo fibre and 30% cotton. From the yarn, it's then knitted (or woven now as well) into fabric. A few people have said that's 'cheating' because it's a man-made, non-natural intervention. That's like inventing a 95% emission free petrol and then getting criticised because it's not 100%! .

Part of the processing to fibre is a multi-phase bleaching, using caustic soda. However taken as an overall it's not a huge part of the bamboo story, in terms of all the other benefits, it's a small element. Also, there are new developments coming online all the time, for example Modal, which is made in pretty much the same way, is now done in a virtually no impact way from an environmental point of view, so it's only a matter of a short time before bamboo follows. In fact one company in China is already doing it 100% mechanically, by crushing and pulping so it's happening already. It just needs a short while to become widespread.

I have been researching bamboo fiber processing a little more (I know more about growing it than the processing of it) and I read that there is a bleaching process that takes place at some point in making the pulp into fiber. I'm guessing that you have researched that end of it. Is the processing really environmentally sustainable? I figured your group may be the ones to answer that question since you seem to be concerned about environmental impact.

The process of after crushing and pulping, where they dissolve the bamboo and then recreate it into a viscose fibre is not as green as we would like, but, taken as a part of the whole, bamboo is still a massive good news story, with the yield being 10 times that of cotton, without using any fertilizers or pesticides at all being the big one point. In addition, even organic cotton uses a huge amount of water for growing, whereas bamboo grows without any irrigation, often on hillslopes where nothing else can be farmed. The fact that it's cut -being a grass- instead of uprooted, also helps with soil stability. So there are so many massively positive aspects that outweight this part of the whole story, it doesn't give the real picture.

Recently they have found a way to process modal in a totally green way - mechanically - and it's the same process, it will be inside of 12 months before the same happens with bamboo, In fact one factory says they are doing it already, which is good because it's such a positive, sustainable product especially compared with cotton or even organic cotton (water use) that by focusing on and discussing one element of the processing the real message about bamboo - which is staggeringly good for the future, given the pressure on land use - has been in danger of being muddled.

Where can we ship Bam product to?

We ship worldwide.

Do you have shops?

We do not currently. We are now selling Bam from a growing number of independent outlets in the UK and Europe and we are also developing relationships with appropriate distributors overseas. We are turning down wholesale enquiries every day from North America because we're not yet ready for this expansion. It's a crying shame, but the day will come soon we hope.

What are your employment ethics?

Bam clothing is ethically made and is a strength in terms of the lengths we go to. David Gordon, the founder, regularly visits our friends and partners and with a wide and long experience of factories, understands what's required to do things the right way. We make our clothing in Europe and in Turkey, with minimum wages and excellent conditions. We do things the right way because we actually want to do things the right way, not to jump through hoops to get this or that certification. This brand was set up specifically to do better and to be more inspiring; it's the whole driving force being what we do. For the record though, here's the facts and figures. Our garment factory exceeds all SA8000 conditions. SA8000 is based on international workplace norms in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions and the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on Rights of the Child. Its charter is summarised here:

Child Labor: No workers under the age of 15; minimum lowered to 14 for countries operating under the ILO Convention 138 developing-country exception; remediation of any child found to be working
Forced Labour: No forced labour, including prison or debt bondage labour; no lodging of deposits or identity papers by employers or outside recruiters
Health and Safety: Provide a safe and healthy work environment; take steps to prevent injuries; regular health and safety worker training; system to detect threats to health and safety; access to bathrooms and potable water
Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining: Respect the right to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; where law prohibits these freedoms, facilitate parallel means of association and bargaining
Discrimination: No discrimination based on race, caste, origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union or political affiliation, or age; no sexual harassment
Discipline: No corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse
Working Hours: Comply with the applicable law but, in any event, no more than 48 hours per week with at least one day off for every seven day period; voluntary overtime paid at a premium rate and not to exceed 12 hours per week on a regular basis; overtime may be mandatory if part of a collective bargaining agreement
Compensation: Wages paid for a standard work week must meet the legal and industry standards and be sufficient to meet the basic need of workers and their families; no disciplinary deductions
Management Systems: Facilities seeking to gain and maintain certification must go beyond simple compliance to integrate the standard into their management systems and practices.

In addition, the factory has, under its own initiative, set up a local charitable fund to train anyone who wants to in essential skills, free of charge. Graduates of this program are then free to work anywhere they choose. We invite anyone to visit from any organisation at any time.

What about the pandas? Are you taking their natural habitats away from them?

In short, no! That wouldn't be very good for an ethical brand, would it.... Our bamboo is planted and grown as a crop, so it's extra on top of what exists naturally. As a general point, it's true that panda habitats have been shrinking over the years with general urban and other land use encroachment, but the Chinese Government is quite ernest in its desire to maintain what's left and the remaining giant bamboo forests are now far better protected.

Has your question been fully answered to your satisfaction? If not, please e-mail us via our 'contact us' page and we will try to reply as quickly as possible.

Press facts and figures

This is intended as a resource for journalists who may be interested in writing about bamboo clothing as well as the general organic clothing and ethical consumer movement.

Bamboo fabric - a new concept

Four years ago, Beijing University discovered how to produce fabric from bamboo. Since then, the technique of manufacturing top quality fabric has been in development, bringing new innovations in fibre mixing and other processes. The whole process is a natural one, maintaining the organic heritage of the product.

Growing general interest in ethical funds

Ethical funds are now worth a total of about £4.5billion in the UK alone and there are 500,000 ethical fund account holders here. Whilst figures are not available for ethical clothing as a category, sales of organic cotton have reached an estimated £20 million in the UK according to the Soil Association. The clothing industry researcher and analyst, just-style.com stated, in a report in June 2005:

"Buying goods with an organic label is already deemed good business sense at every retail level. And as organics become more commercially appealing, so new opportunities are opening up around the world for products which fit this brief"

Comparative case study: organic cotton

As bamboo fabric is a brand new market there are no official sales figures.

What we can do is look at the patterns and predictions for organic cotton, currently the main clothing target for ethical buyers. It's important though to remember that bamboo is far higher performing than organic cotton.

The ‘ethically produced' clothing market, principally organic cotton, grows at a 30% per annum. Growth in the retail clothing sector is generally maintained at 1-2%. There is every indication that these figures will rise further in the near future. A plethora of major brands and retail houses are beginning to recognise this growth area and many are either actively developing such an option for their customers or are reviewing options. These include Disney, Mothercare, Nike, Marks and Spencer.

The World Agricultural Commission predicts that in the next 25 years, 30% of all cotton will be grown organically. One third of ALL global cotton is a monstrous figure, and yet, public concern - worldwide - over the environment and our effect on it is set to become ever more acute. "The greatest challenge of our times", according to our own Prime Minister, Tony Blair, is not going to go away.

Organic cotton is currently only 0.3% of total worldwide cotton production. UK textile imports are £23 billion. However, this could be expanded dramatically if consumers can be persuaded to spend some of the annual average spend per person on clothing of £400 (or £25 a week) on ethically produced clothing. If for example the survey returned figure (Coop Bank Ethical Consumer Index 2001) of 1 in 6 buys by ethical shoppers translating into an ethical sale (out of the 4 out of 5 shoppers who claim to consider ethics when shopping) then each consumer in the UK could potentially be spending £50 a year on organic and ethical textiles. In other words, the market could be worth £1.6 billion. Market research by some companies in the sector as well as from the Cooperative Banks Ethical Purchasing Index suggests that increasingly consumers are paying attention to issues of social responsibility as well as environmental issues.

This global pattern is manifesting itself in several ways. Cotton's organic arsenal is now growing fast - even Nike have launched their own organic range of sportswear.

There is also a growing diversity of new fabrics which all come under the ‘natural' banner. As just-style.com, an industry research and report publisher, states:

"Already a buzzword in the food business, the term organic is now being attached to new style fabrics. And not only are weavers eager to assure customers that the components of their latest collections are ‘100% natural' in origin; the trend is to dramatically extend the range of raw materials on which the textile trade can base new products"

For example, A Japanese textile maker now offers clothing made from coconut fibre; you can also now buy clothing made from soya and even corn.

An ethical product that also enjoys multiple high performance characteristics would expect be a top future performer by any standard. This is bamboo.

Sojrn have recently launched in America a luxury bamboo/cashmere blended dress shirt.

Bamboo has a unique combination of selling points

Man-made, chemically manufactured fabrics with any one of these properties have proved highly successful when brought to market. To combine them all from a natural, sustainable source will ensure the success of bamboo fabric.

Bamboo fabric is durable and breathable, which is useful but not exceptional. Its incredible softness and natural lustre are exceptional, similar to fine cashmere. Once handled, always remembered. there are four other key qualities:

Bamboo is environmentally kind and sustainable

Bamboo grows wild without the aid of fertilizers, pesticides or any chemical assistance whatsoever. Unlike cotton, which is the world's most environmentally disastrous crop, accounting for a quarter of ALL chemical fertilizers and pesticides from only 10% of the agricultural land mass.

Bamboo is the world's fastest growing plant, sometimes rising several feet in 24 hours. Bamboo grows to maturity in around 3 years and after harvesting, more is planted, then left for 3-4 years before harvesting again. Only 10% of the vast bamboo forests are given over to commercial use, indeed only some strains of bamboo are suitable for making clothing. Bamboo production is completely sustainable.

In addition, Greater interest in bamboo will lead to more bamboo forests, which offers greater greenhouse gas conversion to oxygen. With most of each growing cycle spent at full height, it's a forest that re-grows almost immediately after each harvest.

Whilst this is just one of four outstanding selling points of bamboo clothing, given also the smooth, luxurious feel of the fabric, this element is a compelling reason on its own for the commercial development of bamboo clothing.

Bamboo fabric is antibacterial, antifungal and antistatic

This quality keeps bamboo fresher for longer, more hygienic and more healthy.

A principal reason for bamboo's success in the wild is that it has natural antibacterial properties, which kill and prevent the spread of bacteria. This property is maintained in fabric form. A specialist Japanese performance laboratory washed bamboo fabric 100 times and yet there was no drop-off in antibacterial performance whatsoever.

There is a precedent. There are treatments now on the market which inhibit the growth of micro-organisms. For example, chemically treated socks sell in a wide range of leading high street outlets.

The launch of man-made ‘antibacterial expedition underwear' by North Face caused great media interest; both radio and newspapers featured the launch prominently as being of great interest and appeal.

Bamboo absorbs water 3-4 times better than cotton.

Bamboo fabric is a natural moisture wicking agent. Moisture is taken from the body, on contact, and then instantly evaporates. Bamboo's ability to absorb water accounts for its capacity for rapid growth, which is also retained in fabric form. A bamboo T-shirt, for example, keeps the skin comfortable, rather than sticky, in summer weather. There are a range of high performance, man-made fabrics that already do this, with brand named swing tickets illustrating this feature, with an appropriate and significant increase in the garment's price.

Bamboo stays 2-3 degrees cooler in hot weather & warmer in cold

Like another natural fabric, Murino wool, Bamboo is naturally cooler in summer and warmer in winter. However, unlike any other fabric in the world, it's physically cooler to touch in hot weather. The plant and the fabric. In hot weather, it will keep the user cooler than regular fabrics in the equivalent knit or weave.