Automologist MAC writes about apparel instead of automobiles. What has he been smoking?
Levi’s unveils sustainable Hemp/Cotton Jeans.
Okay, I know that this is a motoring blog. But after all of my references to tree-huggers wearing hemp trousers, this story was too good not to go with. So, ever since the US of A, in all of its infinite wisdom, decriminalised the growing of industrial hemp, there has been an absolute boom in farmers jumping on the bandwagon and planting a few acres of the green stuff. Current estimates put the potential size of the business among US farmers at about US$13.03 billion per year by 2026.
Levi’s, that iconic maker of the ubiquitous blue jeans, seems to be looking at getting into the tree-hugging business by starting to get serious about sustainable clothes and launching its very own hemp trousers. Well, 30% hemp at the start, as they do not want to lose that cottony feel to their garments. Also, 100% hemp would be very uncomfortable to wear.
Now, if you thought that cotton, the current choice of most jean-makers around the world, was sustainable, then think again. Apparently, it takes about 3,781 litres of water to make one pair of jeans. Using hemp would reduce this by about two-thirds.
Thus, hemp trousers could become trendy and I will be looking for a new phrase to use when I want to denigrate tree-huggers and other assorted hippies. Please feel free to email me any suggestion you may have. I do have a sneaking suspicion that we will hear more of these jeans in the coming months and, of course, I will be following the news very closely. And I will feel sorry for the first international traveller of these hemp/cotton mix apparel as they are cavity searched at an airport for suspected drug trafficking. Conversely, I am also looking forward to the first story about some broke stoner trying to smoke his jeans out of desperation.
Yes, it has been a slow day for car news stories, by the way.
For those of you out there who are not up to speed on plant names, hemp is the same plant as marijuana, taxonomically speaking that is, and both are species of cannabis. Worse still, they look and smell the same. The difference comes with the content of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the active ingredient that makes a user high. Hemp has less than 1% whilst cartel-grade marijuana starts at a low of 5% and may contain up to 20%. So, in other words, you can’t get high on hemp. Allegedly.
Honestly, Officer. I thought it was hemp…
