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I think Canadians have a flair for dressing well, even when it’s quite frosty outside. We’ve had a very mild fall here in Toronto, but perhaps in anticipation of the first snow storm, a lot of people have adopted down coats and wool pants as wardrobe basics. Sweater dresses with tights seem to be a favourite among the Homemakers staff!

Last week I tried a new kind of tights from Silks, made with 70% recycled nylon yarn. Made in Canada, these $16 “Eco-Chic” tights are manufactured from both post-consumer recycled material and recycled “pre-consumer” material (aka factory waste). True to their name, the tights are silky and comfortable to wear, and they held up well to machine washed and drying. Silks also makes recycled yarn knee highs and tights made with soybeans.

I’ve also seen tights from other companies made with bamboo. I’m trying to understand how good for the planet bamboo really is. It makes sense to me that bamboo could be a sustainable material, since it’s a fast-growing plant that, much like hemp, has strong fibres that make for durable goods. But apparently some are clearing land such that habitats are destroyed, and that to be made into the fibre rayon, bamboo has to go through an intensive chemical process. Not so good!

Perhaps the solution here is to support bamboo producers and processors who work in specific ways. I think we can all benefit from materials made with plants rather than petroleum, so hopefully we’ll see a sustainability certification standard for bamboo (and heck, other natural fibres) sometime soon.

I’m thrilled that we have new choices in legwear. Hopefully someday when I get a hole in my tights, I can just throw them in the compost.

What’s your favourite natural fibre?