Get in touch with usHow the fibres in your textiles shape durability, sustainability, and health—and why most of the world gets it wrong.
Every textile’s story starts not at the loom but with the thread itself. In today’s market, synthetic fibres dominate, often marketed as affordable and convenient. However, beneath the surface lies a narrative that connects our health, environment, and culture to the quality and integrity of the fibres we choose.
Let’s delve into the threads—their history, environmental impact, and why the type of thread matters more than most realize.
Cotton is the most widely used natural fibre globally, but not all cotton is created equal.
Egyptian cotton has long been marketed as the finest. However, much of what’s labeled “Egyptian” today is neither grown in Egypt nor composed of the long-staple fibres that gave it its reputation. The term has become more of a marketing label than a guarantee of quality¹.
The longer the fibre, the stronger and smoother the thread, resulting in textiles that are softer, more durable, and more absorbent. Turkish cotton, particularly from the Aegean region, is renowned for its extra-long staple fibres, contributing to its strength and softness².
Machine harvesting, now common even in high-end cotton, breaks the fibres, weakening the thread. Hand-harvesting, while time-consuming, preserves fibre integrity. In Türkiye, almost all cotton is still hand-picked, ensuring the longevity and quality of the weave³.
So in the competition, Türkiye wins hands down over Egyptian cotton.
Conventional cotton farming relies heavily on synthetic chemicals, including pesticides, herbicides, and sometimes even hormones, which can harm ecosystems and human health. The processing of non-organic cotton often involves chemicals aimed at removing natural lint and making the product absorbent at purchase. However, this process can damage the fibre, leading to reduced absorbency, hardness over time, and musty odours.
In contrast, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification ensures cotton is grown and processed without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms. This benefits the environment and results in a purer thread that’s more absorbent, releases moisture quickly, and remains soft and odour-free over time⁴.
Organically grown cotton uses up to 90% less water than conventional growing methods, ensuring our water table and soil quality is not contaminated. GOTS certification also encompasses the entire supply chain, ensuring ethical labor practices and environmentally friendly processing methods⁵.
Despite these benefits, organic threads come at a higher cost, making them less accessible to consumers.
Linen is one of the oldest textiles known to humankind, with evidence of its use dating back to around 30,000 BC in the Caucasus region⁶. By approximately 3000 BC, Mesopotamians had mastered flax cultivation and linen production⁷. In ancient Egypt, linen was widely used across all social classes⁸.
Unlike cotton, flax (from which linen is made) thrives in poor soil and requires minimal water. It’s naturally antibacterial, breathable, and long-lasting.
So why isn’t linen more prevalent today?
Modern industrial systems struggle with linen because its fibres are hairy and uneven, causing issues in high-speed machinery. To make linen compatible with machines, threads must be twisted tightly, and the little hairs removed—suitable for sheets but if these threads were used to make towels, the piece would be like sandpaper—not what most people want in their towel.
Processing flax into linen is labor-intensive, and weavers must slow down approximately 50% to handle the linen threads used for high-quality thick-looped towels or pestamel. Despite these challenges, linen remains superior in sustainability, absorbency, breathability, and longevity.Processing flax into linen is labor-intensive, and weavers must slow down approximately 50% to handle the linen threads used for high-quality thick-looped towels or pestamel. Despite these challenges, linen remains superior in sustainability, absorbency, breathability, and longevity.
Silk is an exceptional fibre derived from the cocoon of the silk caterpillar. Each cocoon contains approximately 1,000 meters of filament—that’s approximately 10 football field lengths of thread! Its strength has made it the choice for parachutes, and even a thin scarf can provide significant warmth while remaining breathable.
Today, most silk is machine-reeled, often using chemical treatments to speed up the process, which can weaken the fibres and reduce the silk’s natural luster. If you’ve ever purchased a silk garment that frayed or had threads break, it’s an indication of the chemical treatments used during machine reeling.
Hand-reeled silk, free from chemical treatments, produces one of the strongest natural fibres, known for its exceptional strength, softness, and sheen⁹.
In Türkiye, hand-reeling silk is an almost-lost art, preserved by a single family. Unfortunately, this family was severely affected by the earthquakes of 2022 and has not yet recovered. We hope to support their return to this craft by 2026.
In the 20th century, synthetic fibres revolutionized fashion—but not for the better.
Polyester and acrylic are derived from petroleum. They don’t breathe, trap heat and moisture against the skin, and shed microplastics with every wash, polluting oceans and entering the food chain¹⁰. These fibres are also highly flammable, leading to clothing being treated with flame retardants, which pose health risks—including endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, and cancer¹¹. One USA Today investigation into children’s sleepwear found links between flame retardant chemicals and hormone disruption, neurological issues, and suspected carcinogens¹².
Viscose, often marketed as “rayon” or “bamboo fabric,” is made from plant cellulose but requires a chemical-intensive process to convert into fibre. The production involves toxic chemicals like carbon disulphide, posing risks to both workers and the environment. Chronic exposure has been linked to coronary heart disease, neurological effects, and hormonal disturbances¹³.
Unlike natural fibres, synthetics don’t biodegrade, persisting in landfills for hundreds of years. Incinerating synthetic clothing releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, contributing to air pollution and global warming¹⁴.
When it comes to quality, sustainability, absorbency, and skin health, not all threads are created equal:
In the age of fast fashion, many people have stopped asking what their textiles are made of—or how those threads affect them. But the truth remains:
Opting for natural, sustainably produced threads supports ecological balance and protects the body from chemical exposure.
At Jennifer’s Hamam, we work with the finest threads we can find—and we don’t compromise.
We don’t mix natural threads with synthetics. Ever. We care deeply about this planet, and we care just as much about the health of our clients. Every textile is hand-woven on traditional shuttle looms by master artisans, preserving a quality that simply can’t be faked.
Because in the end, every piece we make is only as good as the thread it began with.