heavy cotton for "jean style" trousers?

[cathach]

I have had good experiences in the past with a pair of hemp trousers. These were summer trousers though, made of a very soft and supple but still hefty hemp material. I remember they smelled good too, definitely not like cannabis; it could have been the dye. As canvas I do wonder whether the stuff does not become too rugged and coarse.

The varieties of hemp that provide fibres for spinning do not provide the material that so many smoke or otherwise partake of, so one should not expect the heady waft of oregano near your trews.

[T.K.]

I have had good experiences in the past with a pair of hemp trousers. These were summer trousers though, made of a very soft and supple but still hefty hemp material. I remember they smelled good too, definitely not like cannabis; it could have been the dye. As canvas I do wonder whether the stuff does not become too rugged and coarse.

The varieties of hemp that provide fibres for spinning do not provide the material that so many smoke or otherwise partake of, so one should not expect the heady waft of oregano near your trews.

It's just that the trousers had a rather particular smell unusual for clothing.

[hectorm]

so one should not expect the heady waft of oregano near your trews.

Bummer. But, you know, that could be easily fixed

[cathach]

Bummer. But, you know, that could be easily fixed

Sadly, the only vice I never managed to acquire

[Gianfrancesco]

I would suggest you an H&S cotton denim (they had a very good denim last year) or you can search for a good source of japanese denim too, maybe in a heavier weight.

[internationalist]

Naked and Famous Jeans in Canada makes a 55/45 hemp/cotton blend of Japanese selvage denim. Where to get such material?

http://pacificbluedenims.com/ does not seem to sell hemp.
Have you tried premiumdenimoutlet.com? They seem to have a good selection, though they are not really intended to sell online.

http://www.hemptraders.com/ 55/44 hemp/cotton blend seems to have a strange color (http://www.hemptraders.com/p/8478156/cs-d11.html) - and it seems quite expensive shipping to Europe. - http://www.thelondonlounge.net/forum/vi ... 907#p71907

Quote - http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/in ... 939AABTGrB

The biggest advantage of hemp clothing is it's durablity. Hemp fiber is at least 8 times stronger than cotton fiber. So clothes made of hemp will just not wear out. Most hemp clothing is actually a blend of hemp and cotton. 55% hemp and 45% cotton. The hemp cotton blend is more comfortable and more affordable. Another big advantage of hemp clothing, and this applies primarily to 100% hemp clothing is that it is more breathable. The hemp blast fiber is hollow and has a more open cell structure, so in the summer time, hemp clothing can feel very cool. In the winter time, the open cell structure acts as an insulator. But the biggest effect on whether the garment is more comfortable in the summer or winter is the thread count or weight. A 240 gram tshirt is going to feel much warmer than a 160 gram tshirt. Another huge advantage of hemp over cotton is the fact that it's not cotton. Of all the pesitcides used in farming in the world, 2/3's go to maintain cotton. Hemp requires very little if any pesticides. Even better, hemp is often used as a rotation crop with wheat or soybeans because the hemp root is a very strong and deep root. It kills off weeds, so the following year, the wheat field needs much less pesticides and herbisides because the hemp plant has killed most of the weeds. This was explained to me by a Canadian farmer first hand. Hemp is also blended with many other fibers including bamboo, silk and linen. The disadvantages is that hemp is a course fiber, so it ususally needs to be washed a few times. Often manufactures will garment wash the fabric to soften it and will often use softening agents which are bad for the environment. Just about all hemp fiber for clothing is grown in China, some is in Romania. But the fabric is often shipped to the US or Canada in spools and the garments are frequently cut, sewn and finished in the US or Canada. Just to clarify an earlier comment, hemp is not illegal. It is only illegal to grow it. The US is the only industrialized country that does not allow hemp to be grown commerically. But that may change soon. Hope this helps.
Source(s):
Hemp-Sisters.com

[Rob O]

Just cross-posting to let you know that a firm called Howies sells jeans made from hemp:

http://www.howies.co.uk/hobo-indigo.html

[internationalist]

Just cross-posting to let you know that a firm called Howies sells jeans made from hemp:

http://www.howies.co.uk/hobo-indigo.html

Nice find. In case anyone is interested in Japanese selvage hemp denim fabric - I know of a source.

[cathach]

Just cross-posting to let you know that a firm called Howies sells jeans made from hemp:

http://www.howies.co.uk/hobo-indigo.html

Nice find. In case anyone is interested in Japanese selvage hemp denim fabric - I know of a source.

Please let us know!

[internationalist]

Just cross-posting to let you know that a firm called Howies sells jeans made from hemp:

http://www.howies.co.uk/hobo-indigo.html

Nice find. In case anyone is interested in Japanese selvage hemp denim fabric - I know of a source.

Please let us know!

Sure. No secrets here:
http://www.japanblue.co.jp/collect/com_ ... index.html

You may want to contact "Ray" at yoshida@japanblue.co.jp
Be prepared his English is not perfect. Then let us know about the results.

[internationalist]

Now I wonder how might the

- 55-45% hemp-cotton blend - http://www.thelondonlounge.net/forum/vi ... 909#p71909 compare to the
- 100% linen - http://www.thelondonlounge.net/forum/vi ... 554#p65554
for a heavy, jeans style pair of trousers. Softness must be OK for both.

How do these two fabrics might compare in any of their important characteristics?

Besides the above mentioned Japanese cotton-hemp (selvage) fabric there is also an Italian blend of 40% hemp and 60% cotton (the above mentioned Howies).

Though I don't know nothing of possibly similar high quality linen fabrics.

[internationalist]

This one might be for your interest as well:

http://www.offsetwarehouse.com/
Eco Textiles for Fashion and Interiors

[Slewfoot]

Thanks for the revived interest here guys!