Are chemicals used in the growing of bamboo?

Not all fabric is created equally and the same is true for fabric made from Bamboo. Bamboo grass is an amazing plant that is one of the fast growing on the planet, having an extensive root system that helps prevent soil erosion and requires little irrigation. Although the early stages of processing Bamboo is relatively innocuous and can be grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers, there is some chemical processing involved to turn grass into fabric. However, the ecological benefits are numerous with many advantages like being natural pest and disease resistant.


Where does Siddhiwear get its bamboo fabric from?

We buy our material from a Canadian textile company that imports fabric and ensures sustainability by using natural dyes, overseeing production and ensuring quality and fairness for workers overseas. By using only Oeko-Tex certified fabric, we feel good about our apparel on all levels including the ability to design, cut, sew and ship right from the city we love and live in, Toronto, Canada.


Are Siddhiwear products made with 100% bamboo fibre?

Siddhiwear apparel is made from premium Oeko-Tex Certified 66% bamboo rayon, 28% cotton and 6% spandex blend. This beautiful fabric is made with non toxic, eco-friendly dye and has a 4 way stretch that moves and breathes with you!


How do I care for my bamboo garments?

Your apparel will last longest if machine washed in cold water and laid flat to dry. We have super busy lives and often throw our Siddhiwear in the dryer on low heat, especially in the winter months when outdoor line drying isn’t an option.


Do Siddhiwear garments shrink if I wash them in the washing machine?

If washed in cold water and laid flat to dry, Siddhiwear apparel won’t shrink but if you do find they stretch out a little over time, a quick dryer cycle can sometimes ‘tighten’ them up again.


What about UV protection?

While all clothing offers some level of UV protection there are a few points to consider when deciding what to wear on a sunny day. Factors like the density of the weave play a role, meaning the thinner and air-ier the fabric the less protection. Also darker colour fabrics can help keep you even more protected than lighter ones. Siddhiwear apparel doesn’t have a UPF rating and is not designed specifically for sun protection. That said, the fabric in all of our toques and beanies are double layered which means less light gets through, in addition to our harem pants which are made from heavier weighted fabric. Another bonus of our apparel is that it’s moisture wicking and thermo regulating, keeping you cool on a hot day and warm in the cold. It’s important to remember that no single type of sun protection is complete in and of itself. All round sun safety includes being smart with monitoring hours spent in the sun, avoiding peak 12pm-2 pm high UV hours, using sunscreen (and reapplying after sweating or swimming), and of course wearing hats and sunglasses to cover up!!


What is Siddhiwear doing to minimize its environmental impact?

We’re always looking for ways to improve, in all areas of our life, personal and professional. Being a small company, manufacturing locally, using Oeko-tex certified fabric and making our apparel in small batches, are just some of the ways we’re working towards a small environmental footprint. Our silkscreening is done by hand with water based eco friendly ink and our packaging is made from recycled materials. There’s definitely more we can do and we’re going to keep learning and growing!


How does bamboo become a fabric?

“The growing phase is much friendlier than any alternatives, even organic cotton. Just to name a few benefits, bamboo uses almost no water to grow (unlike any cotton, which can use up to 29,000L to produce 1 kg), uses no pesticides/fertilizers to grow, takes 5 times the amount of greenhouse gases out and produces 35% more oxygen. Clearly beneficial for the environment. Chemicals are added to process the bamboo fibre and the chemical used in bamboo processing is sodium hydroxide which can be added to aid in the breakdown of the woody bamboo stems. When the stems are pulverised, another substance is added to the mixture which breaks the sodium hydroxide bonds and converts it to inert salt and water. The chemicals used are contained within the factory, reused and recycled in most reputable places, and the worst that can happen to works that are in direct proximity with the sodium hydroxide is their eyes may become irritated. Again, not ideal but not a reason to dismiss bamboo clothing, for alternatives that can’t provide the overall benefit gained from bamboo. No chemicals are found on the bamboo fibre at the end of processing particularly if it is certified by OEKO-TEX100. This means there are absolutely no residues of harmful chemicals.”(organicclothing.blogs.com)


Are chemicals used in the dying of the fabrics?

Our fabrics are made with low-impact fibre reactive dyes. The big difference between using traditional/synthetic dyes vs. low impact fibre reactive dyes is that these dyes are free from heavy metals, chemical mordants, AZO’s and the dyeing cycle is shorter than that for other dye processes, meaning lesser requirement of water, salt and chemicals are needed.


Is all of the Siddhiwear products sustainable?

There is no perfect fabric and bamboo is sometimes considered controversial when it comes to sustainability because of chemicals involved in the processing, as there are with most textiles, some more than others. Taking into account the alternatives like polyester and acrylic fabrics which are fossil fuel based and require a ton of water, chemicals and energy to produce, as well as conventional cotton farming which has it’s own challenges, particularly the enormous amount of pesticides and water needed. We like that our fabric has Oeko-Tex certification which along with the low impact cultivation of the bamboo plant itself, our small, local, slow fashion, small batch production means it’s still a win for the planet.


Can I buy Siddhiwear products in any shops?

Yes, depending on where you live, our awesome apparel is available to see and feel for yourself in select stores across the country. Check out https://www.siddhiwear.com/where-to-buy


Do you deliver outside of Canada?

Yes, we are proud to offer free shipping on orders of $50 or more across Canada and the U.S. and reasonable flat rate shipping internationally!


How do I exchange my garment for a bigger/smaller size?

All returns and exchanges must be initiated within 30 days of receiving your items. We do not provide return shipping labels unless we’ve made a mistake fulfilling your order. Also, custom screened apparel is made to order and cannot be returned. That said, we’re also reasonable, open and cool people. Please reach out to us if you’re not happy with your purchase. We want you to be, and will do what we can to make it so!


Gifting to Multiple Addresses

Being a small family business means we can do things differently. We can accommodate lots of requests. So please reach out to us, we’re happy to help however we can! [email protected]

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