As a luxury lingerie brand, we’re certainly no strangers to silk. A foundational fabric of our designs from day one, we’re now taking steps towards a more sustainable output. This being said, it’s only natural that we would embrace the benefits of organic silk, both for ourselves and the environment. Let’s find out more about the conscious alternative we’re slowly but surely welcoming into our seaside studio.
What Is Organic Silk?
Simply put, organic silk fabric has been created without the use of chemicals, pesticides and AZO dyes, and is instead the product of a sustainable and ethically sound environment. While this process still uses silkworms, they are fed with a varied diet, including mulberry leaves, that grow within organic agriculture. This means that the trees are grown without the use of fungicides and insecticides, positively affecting the quality of the silk thread produced and reducing the water pollution of conventional silk practices.
The Benefits Of Going Organic
Priority is placed on environmental protection and preservation when creating organic silk. Primarily this is done by using fewer chemicals, which therefore has a reduced effect on local ecosystems, allowing for a continued thrive in biodiversity. Avoiding the use of synthetic chemicals helps similarly to reduce the carbon footprint of the traditional production industry, where chemical-intensive practices are commonplace. Organic silk production also uses less water and energy, as well as generating less waste.
One of the biggest ethical concerns of conventional silk is the labour exploitation, particularly of child workers. An investigation into India’s silk industry uncovered that thousands of children were working long hours exposed to chemical fumes and dangerous working environments. Organic silks that have a GOTS certification are required to meet the guidelines of the International Labour Organisation, ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions and zero-tolerance of child labour.
Selena Organic Silk & Lace Side Tie Knicker £58.00
Organic silk, much like the traditional fabric, is extremely kind to the skin and hypoallergenic (meaning it is less likely to provoke or trigger allergic reactions). If you have sensitive skin that’s often reactive to synthetic clothing materials, lingerie and sleepwear made with organic silk, a natural fibre, will be a welcome addition to your daily wardrobe.
Selena Organic Silk & Lace Triangle Bra £48.00
Silk has long been associated with luxury and opulence, and none of that is sacrificed when the fabric is produced organically. Smooth a sleek to the touch, organic silk reduces friction for total comfort of wear, as well as increased durability. Despite appearing delicate, this fabric is deceivingly strong and able to withstand stretching and tension. It’s for these properties we choose to use silk throughout our sustainable range, crafting pieces that you can love (and will last) for a lifetime.
Organic silk is a coveted material from the height of summer right through to the chill of midwinter. Possessing unique abilities to both warm you up and cool things down, silk is a natural temperature regulator. As with its traditional counterpart, organic silk has incredible moisture-wicking abilities, absorbing sweat and water to keep you comfortable and dry. This makes silk nightwear a great choice for those who are sweaty sleepers.
How Our Brand Embraces Organic Silk
Here at Ayten Gasson, we make our commitment to sustainable, ethical materials no secret. Adding organic silk to our repertoire is another small step in the right direction, allowing you to enjoy our collections more consciously than ever before. We recently started working with a new supplier that allows us to shop a diverse range of GOTS-certified, organic silk for use throughout our range.
This means that all silks we source from this supplier contain a minimum of 70% organic fibres and also ensures that the highest ethical standards are met, in line with our own practices. While not every garment in our timeless collections features organic silk (yet!), keep up to date with our blog and social media to find out when your favourite pieces will be going organic in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, find a few items you can shop right now below.
Shop Our Sustainable Edit Here: https://www.aytengasson.com/collections/ethical-lingerie
