If the mere mention of clothing made from hemp conjures in your head visions of stoners, hippies or Woody Harrelson, well, you’re not alone. A quick Google search for hemp clothing turns up page after page of jokey, marijuana-based graphic tees, the sort you might find sold at a novelty souvenir shop in a tourist trap resort town, or outside of a Phish concert. But, hemp is becoming an increasingly common option for clothing labels, particularly those with an environmental edge.
Hemp lends itself well to t-shirts, because it’s a durable fabric that can stand the frequent wear and frequent washes many guys put their tees through. As Men's Journal noted in a 2014 article on hemp-enthusiast clothing brand Jungmaven, even a t-shirt made from a blend of hemp and organic cotton sees increased "strength, body, and durability."
Based on their enthusiasm for the fabric alone, Jungmaven is maybe the best poster child for the use of hemp in clothing production. Founder Robert Jungmann notes on his site that he's been working with hemp textiles since all the way back in 1993. Jungmann isn't been shy about his love for hemp: he's made it his passion project for everyone in the world to be in a hemp t-shirt by the year 2020. That's a lot of hemp.
But Jungmaven's goals are at least in part altruistic, aside from his understandable desire to move some product while spreading the hemp mantra far and wide. As Jungmann writes on his site, "The more farming of industrial hemp, the better for the environment. Hemp cleans oxygen, water and nourishes the land. Hemp uses very little to no pesticides or insecticides and needs a fraction of the water that cotton takes to grow.Hemp fields turn and strengthens the soil with their 6 foot roots, cleaning soil and scrubbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere."
That last point is supported, perhaps unsurprisingly, by the North American Industrial Hemp Council, Inc., too.
So, if you're sold on the strength of hemp as a fabric used for tees, and you're happy with the environmental benefits of growing and harvesting hemp, the only remaining question is: what do the tees actually look and feel like? Fortunately, when made well, there really isn't much of a visible difference between 100% cotton tees and 100% hemp tees. They can also be very soft to the touch.
Below, we've outlined a few of our current favorite hemp and hemp blend tees. Check them out for yourself to see if you're a full-fledged hemp convert after all.
Jungmaven is very passionate about hemp. This 100% hemp t-shirt is made in the USA, and an example of the brand's simple, straightfoward point of view that has helped them land in well-respected shops like Steven Alan and, on the women's side, Madewell.
Available at Jungmaven, $78.More »
This dip-dyed version from California's Mollusk Surf Shop is actually a hemp blend - it's made from 45% cotton. The shirt was first garment dyed, meaning it was colored after the t-shirt was made (as opposed to using fabric that had already been dyed). Then, to get the dip-dye effect, one half was colored by hand. The brand promises that it's extra soft, and, as with many Mollusk products, it's made in the USA.
Available at Mollusk, $50More »
The classic Vermont-based retailer Orvis has this ringer version for sale, crafted from a 55% hemp-45% cotton blend. They praise this tee's "supreme softness."
Available at Orvis, $49
More »
Hemp lends itself well to t-shirts, because it’s a durable fabric that can stand the frequent wear and frequent washes many guys put their tees through. As Men's Journal noted in a 2014 article on hemp-enthusiast clothing brand Jungmaven, even a t-shirt made from a blend of hemp and organic cotton sees increased "strength, body, and durability."
Based on their enthusiasm for the fabric alone, Jungmaven is maybe the best poster child for the use of hemp in clothing production. Founder Robert Jungmann notes on his site that he's been working with hemp textiles since all the way back in 1993. Jungmann isn't been shy about his love for hemp: he's made it his passion project for everyone in the world to be in a hemp t-shirt by the year 2020. That's a lot of hemp.
But Jungmaven's goals are at least in part altruistic, aside from his understandable desire to move some product while spreading the hemp mantra far and wide. As Jungmann writes on his site, "The more farming of industrial hemp, the better for the environment. Hemp cleans oxygen, water and nourishes the land. Hemp uses very little to no pesticides or insecticides and needs a fraction of the water that cotton takes to grow.Hemp fields turn and strengthens the soil with their 6 foot roots, cleaning soil and scrubbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere."
That last point is supported, perhaps unsurprisingly, by the North American Industrial Hemp Council, Inc., too.
So, if you're sold on the strength of hemp as a fabric used for tees, and you're happy with the environmental benefits of growing and harvesting hemp, the only remaining question is: what do the tees actually look and feel like? Fortunately, when made well, there really isn't much of a visible difference between 100% cotton tees and 100% hemp tees. They can also be very soft to the touch.
Below, we've outlined a few of our current favorite hemp and hemp blend tees. Check them out for yourself to see if you're a full-fledged hemp convert after all.
1. Jungmaven
Jungmaven is very passionate about hemp. This 100% hemp t-shirt is made in the USA, and an example of the brand's simple, straightfoward point of view that has helped them land in well-respected shops like Steven Alan and, on the women's side, Madewell.
Available at Jungmaven, $78.More »
2. Mollusk
This dip-dyed version from California's Mollusk Surf Shop is actually a hemp blend - it's made from 45% cotton. The shirt was first garment dyed, meaning it was colored after the t-shirt was made (as opposed to using fabric that had already been dyed). Then, to get the dip-dye effect, one half was colored by hand. The brand promises that it's extra soft, and, as with many Mollusk products, it's made in the USA.
Available at Mollusk, $50More »
3. Orvis
The classic Vermont-based retailer Orvis has this ringer version for sale, crafted from a 55% hemp-45% cotton blend. They praise this tee's "supreme softness."
Available at Orvis, $49
More »
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