New Hemp Shirts

**Dreadbelly** · 27th January 07, 08:15 PM

I'd say go ahead and get the cotton blend. By the time the cotton actually begins to break down, at that point, the hemp will be softened.

Breaking down hemp can be a real bear. Even worse than denim.

**Dirka Skene** · 1st February 07, 12:45 PM

I have a pair of braided hemp sandals that have lasted for years. I bought a pair of hemp tribal looking hemp pants a few years back as well. They've broken in quite nicely and have become incredibly comfy. Hemp also doesn't hold a sweat stain very well, so that's good too. It's a very durable fabric and very cool.

**Riverkilt** · 1st February 07, 01:51 PM

My two shirts arrived today. They seem lighter weight than I'd expected...weight as in pounds. Looks like they'll be great when the hot weather returns to the high desert.

**Retro Red** · 1st February 07, 02:42 PM

I've had 3 hemp/cotton blend shirts from REI for over 3 years; wear them regularly with absolutely NO problem with lint or disintegrating anything!

Hemp is FABULOUS stuff! I love the feel & comfort of these shirts & I'd have more of them if REI hadn't discontinued them & YES, they are great in the summertime here on the front porch of hell.

Hemp, like linen does wrinkle pretty easily, especially when new, but the cotton blend helps minimize that. I never iron (irons are for golfing!), just wash in cold water & hang to dry (which in the desert takes about 5 minutes

).

And I'm not even going to get started on how great hemp is from an environmental stand-point... All I'll say is - insist on hemp!

GET HEP TO HEMP!!!
.

**thescot** · 1st February 07, 02:56 PM

I gonna have to get me one o' them hemp shirts. You guys have me really interested now.

**Dreadbelly** · 1st February 07, 02:59 PM

With really good cotton, the fraying might not be as bad. People rarely use good cotton though.

Also, is the shirt a knit weave or something else? This makes a difference.

Sounds good though.

**thescot** · 1st February 07, 03:20 PM

So tell us, Dread, how do we know we're getting a good hemp shirt? Where do we find tham?

**Dreadbelly** · 1st February 07, 03:29 PM

That I don't know.

I do know that a twill blend is better than a knit blend. In a twill, the warp and weft yarns are twined together and woven. The fabric is rather stiff, and not at all stretchy. The fibres stay put and don't move around as much. In a knit, the fibres are looped together and are kinda stretchy. There is some give in the cloth. This give is what allows different types of fibres to rub together and cause friction, like with some of the cheap poly cotton blended tee shirts.

I don't know quite enough about all of this yet but I'd venture a guess that you should ask if your shirt is a twill shirt.

**Canuck** · 1st February 07, 03:41 PM

I really like my hemp shirts, so much so that I had my logo embrodered on them and sell them as an accessory.
The ones I have are a twill and are 8oz fabric, So they are good and sturdy.

**Riverkilt** · 1st February 07, 09:57 PM

Okay, Duluth Trading's catalog clearly says in its copy that their hemp shirts have a 30% cotton blend.

They arrived yesterday and I hung them up on the run. Today I looked them over and the label in each shirt clearly says 55% Hemp 45% Cotton.

So, if you were thinking of ordering one, know that their catalog info is wrong.

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