The Homebody Fabric
Homebody is consciously designed and lovingly made in the UK. All of our fabrics are sustainable and made to withstand the test of time.
Where does Homebody’s Modal Sens begin?
Modal is the key fibre used within our garments, deriving from raw Beech trees it has a soft smooth finish, drapes well, as well as being cool to the touch and body heat adjusting.
Beech Wood and Sustainability
At Homebody, we are committed to making sure that where we source our fabric from, is protected and enriched. Every year, 150 million trees are cut down to create fabric and that is unacceptable and why, at Homebody we ensure all of our Modal Sens is extracted from the beech wood taken from sustainably managed forests.
The way that the beech tree grows is quite special. It multiplies by "rejuvenation" which means that the trees propagate by itself. No artificial irrigation or planting is required and the forests are a completely natural and sustainable source of raw material that adhere to forestry legislation and only sustainable methods are used exclusively, protecting forests and biodiversity.
Healthy forests play a critical role in slowing down climate change because they soak up carbon dioxide, however on the other hand; their destruction (i.e. deforestation) is one of the key drivers of climate change, accounting for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
It is important to manage forests sustainably, in a way that maintains productivity, biodiversity, and regeneration capacity, as well as ensuring that they can meet society’s needs now and in the future.
Deforestation is the cause of habitat loss for millions of animal and birdlife. More than 80% of species that live on land (animals, plants and insects) reside in forests and once they have lost their home, most species do not survive.
Good sustainably forestry practices mimic nature’s patterns of disturbance and regeneration – balancing the needs of the environment, wildlife, and forest communities, supporting decent livelihoods while conserving our forests for generations to come.
The Modal fibres we use are produced in an environmentally responsible way from the pulp through to the fibre.
But it isn’t only the quality of our yarn that plays a major role. We give priority to environmental protection and sustainability. The various chemical and waste products from the production process are recycled or sold. One example is xylose, which is used as a sweetener by the food industry.
Full integration at the site where our yarn is produced in Europe, makes it possible to produce the fibre in an environmentally sound way due to the generation of excess energy and the recovery of component parts of the wood. Even pulp production is self-sufficient in terms of energy and is an important supplier of energy for the entire operation.
The Traceable chain
Our supply chain is fully traceable, transparent and entirely European. We carefully source pulp from trees, which is neither ancient nor endangered, ensuring we are not directly nor indirectly contributing to the destruction of forests.
So, we have the raw material from these sustainable forests and take a portion of it to our friends in Europe to produce our yarn and the rest is brought directly to England where our knitters, produce our Modal sens by adding in a very small percentage of elastane to give the material that movement, drape and silky sheen making our Modal so special. We ensure the British knitters of our fabric are certified to meet the highest environmental conditions and are certified by OEKO TEX.
This process means that the yarn has now been knitted to a very specific weight and width into our Modal Sens. It then leaves the knitter in its raw form – an undyed greige and we then divide it up into the exact quantities needed to fulfil our needs.
We do not hold stock of unused surplus fabric and indeed every single part of the greige is put to use, and used. It then goes to our dye house in the UK where it is dyed in small batches to our exact colour specification.
Our British dye house – one of the last of its kind in the UK, complies to all EU regulations regarding dyes and chemical substances and it is there that our lab matched our tiny swatches by hand and creates our sublime finishes to our very high specification. Our seasonal colours are carefully selected twice a year for their calming qualities and their aesthetic benefits.
Once the yarn has been knitted into fabric and dyed, it is then time for the final piece in the puzzle – the finishing process.
The Finishing Process
This is the key to our elevated luxurious Modal fabric and one that we at Homebody take great pride and pleasure in ensuring always meets our Homebody wearer’s exacting standards. Once complete, the rolls of freshly made fabric is sent on a short journey to our factory, where they will be divided into our various needs, fresh off the roll.
Experts, proficient in handling our very fine soft silk-like fabric then cut the rolls of Modal sens and they are immediately made into garments.
There are only three tailors able to work on our clothing and each piece can take up to a half a day to make. The reason is that unlike other fabric our very fine fabric behaves like a silk but has stretch, which means it is extremely challenging to put through a sewing machine. We know each of our machinists by name and have a strong relationship with each of them.
Our factory was carefully selected as it is known for maintaining ethically high standards and we visit frequently and always see a happy work environment where individuals are treated with respect, dignity, honesty and sensitivity.
An assurance of sustainability can be guaranteed with Homebody as each piece will last in the wardrobe for many years to come and colour fastness and shrinkage will beat any natural fibre ensuring homebody will always look as good as it first did when taken out of the beautiful box.
Once the garments are made they go to our dispatch centre and will then be gift wrapped with our Homebody packaging
We have been working with Modal Sens from the very beginning because it has the benefits of a technical fabric with its reliable after care and colour fastness and the look and feel of a natural fabric and thanks to both these qualities it is ideal for sensitive skin including eczema.
Homebody will be the most sustainable piece in your wardrobe for years to come. It doesn’t crease and can be wrapped in a bundle and packed into a rucksack and still look and feel fresh as new.
Trying is believing!