Here at Lotus Tribe, we see our business as an extension of our personal ethos. Therefore, the very same things that are important to us personally are first and foremost in our brand. How we impact the planet and our commitment to protecting Mother Nature are our number one priority in our line of eco friendly, ethically made clothing. We offer an earth friendly option, so that YOU have a choice in your own wardrobe.
For fashion, there are many factors to take into consideration. Every piece of clothing has a footprint. How big of a footprint depends on the choices we make. What do you choose to buy and why? Who do you support? When asking yourself these questions, it's not as simple as a right or wrong answer.
For us, as a brand and consumers, the first question is whether it's made of natural fibers. We hope that you too will use this as the first question when choosing your wardrobe.
Why we use Plant-Based fabrics exclusively
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world, just after the oil industry. The vast majority of activewear and fast fashion are made from synthetic fabrics. The production of polyester and other synthetic fabrics relies on the extraction of fossil fuels, like crude oil.
These petroleum derivatives are causing harm to both humans and the natural environment. From air pollution to water pollution, the cost to the earth and humanity is immense.
However, there are solutions and alternatives to lessen the repercussions and reduce the impact of the clothing we wear. Everything at Lotus Tribe Clothing is mindfully created, from plant-based fabrics, to be as light on the Earth as possible. Choosing renewable, plant-based clothing, reduces the carbon footprint of fashion dramatically. Many of our fabrics have no synthetic ingredients, and none have more than 10% spandex. Although not perfect, they are 90% better than clothing made from synthetic fabrics. Almost all active wear is made of 100% synthetic fabric, which leeches microplastics. Not only does this kind of fabric produce pollution when manufactured, but it keeps polluting forever.
One of the biggest ways fashion pollutes is through the washing machine. Did you know that synthetic clothing leeches tiny plastic particles into the earth's water ways every time its washed? These microplastics enter the local streams and rivers and end up in lakes and oceans. Not only do the microplastic particles show up in our tap water, but marine animals inevitably consume them. They can not be digested, and do not leave their bodies, resulting in the death of thousands of turtles, whales, fish and birds each year. Bioaccumulation in the food chain also occurs, as smaller fish are eaten by bigger fish, which are eaten by us; so, these microplastics eventually end up on our plates. It's been estimated that the average person ingests a credit card's worth of plastic weekly! Breastmilk, umbilical cords and semen have all been found to be full of phthalates, the chemical compounds of plastic. Phthalate exposures in humans has been linked to multiple health effects.
You may also want to consider that your skin is the largest organ in your body and it absorbs what rubs against it. Do you want synthetics, toxic chemicals and microplastics absorbed by your body, all day every day? Wrap your body in natural, plant-based fabrics for your own health and that of the planet. Want to learn more about Microplastics and Fashion? Read this blog.
No one fabric is the answer to all of our clothing needs.
There are many plant-based alternatives, each with their own pros and cons. Hemp is better than cotton, but not the best choice for many articles of clothing due to its rough texture. Organic cotton is better than traditional cotton, but traditional cotton is far better than polyester. Bamboo has many benefits, such as being durable, long lasting, and naturally anti bacterial; but it requires extensive processing, using vast amounts of chemicals in the initial manufacturing stage. The goal is to pick and choose to the best of your abilities, to fit your own needs.
Lotus Tribe Has Many Plant-Based Options
-Our Yoga Wear including all bras and undies are all made with 90% cotton and 10% spandex. Natural and breathable for your most sensitive parts. Without a bit of spandex, there would be no stretch, and that just doesn't work for undies, bras and activewear, now does it?
-Our Patchwork Collection pieces are either 100% cotton or 100% cellulose rayon without spandex or other petroleum based ingredients (except for the elastic waist band or ankle). They have no spandex and are therefore not stretchy.
-Our Meraki Collection is 100% eucalyptus tree-pulp Lyocell eco fabric. Also known as vegan silk, this fabric is luxurious and elegant. It's well known to not cause skin irritation in those with senstivities.
-Our Island Collection is made of 100% cellulose rayon. Soft, flowy, breathable designs with no spandex (*except for the elastic waist band and ankle of some styles.) This collection get softer every time you wash it!
-Our Masculine Collection includes tanks and hoodies made of 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton. One of the most Earth friendly fabrics we have! We also have 100% cotton woven hoodies and 100% cotton pants and shorts. No spandex for our gender neutral styles!
-Our stretchy skirts and tops are 90% tree-pulp Viscose with 10% spandex. Soft, silky feeling and stretch, this eco fabric has the least amount of spandex possible to create these figure hugging styles.
-Even our Accessories are all plant-based! From cotton and rayon home decor to plastic free hair accessories, you can easily fill your life and your gift giving list with Earth friendly options.
Everything at Lotus Tribe is intentionally made using Slow Fashion principles. We are 100% committed to the health of all living beings.
Our commitment to plastic free fashion goes beyond the fabrics.
In our effort to reduce our impact further, and strive to be as environmentally friendly as possible, we use minimal eco packaging. You won't find any extraneous tags or other unnecessary packaging and everything we ship in is reusable, recyclable and compostable. We use unbleached tissue paper, and even switched to using a paper tape to achieve our goal of 100% plastic free packaging. We are constantly upgrading and improving our practices as we find new and innovative solutions. This is just one way we are leading the environmental movement within the fashion industry. Imagine how much plastic could be diverted if every online purchase was shipped in renewable paper!
Final Thoughts
When you pick natural fiber, plant based fashions; it's better for you and the planet than the synthetic fabrics used in fast fashion and traditional activewear. Knowledge is power and knowing what it costs; not the price, but the effects, can help us all make better choices when it comes to future purchases. There is no easy answer and everything made or produced has an environmental impact. The goal is to be mindful, educated, aware and make the best choice possible.
Using exclusively plant-based fabrics, Lotus Tribe creates Earth friendly clothing for the conscious consumer living an intentional, natural lifestyle. Our goal is to create the most beautiful and comfortable clothing with the least amount of impact on the Earth.
What does that mean? Simply put, it means our clothes are natural and NOT made out of toxic synthetic fabrics, like most active wear (and fast fashion) available in today's world. Therefore we're not contributing to the overwhelming amount of microplastic pollution caused by the fashion industry.
By choosing natural fibers, you are helping our natural environment in more ways than you can imagine. It is not only the fabric content, but also the people involved you must consider. Fast fashion is profit centric and values capitalism and consumerism above all else, with blatant disregard for the consequeces, human or otherwise. It often leads to not only the destruction of the natural world, animals, water and air, but also human suffering for those that work in the fast fashion industry. In contrast, our team of creators hand cut, hand sew, hand tie and dye each garment with respect to their health and needs. There are no big factories, no unpleasant working contions and no sweat shop labor involved with Lotus Tribe Clothing.
We believe that humanity can do better and we're here to offer the best options. Join the Tribe by choosing only natural, plant-based and ethically created clothing from now on.