Learn more about the materials we use
At Monsoon, we believe in creating
beautiful, timeless clothes you’ll love wearing for
years.
To make investment pieces that’ll stand the test of time, we take great care to choose our materials wisely, with the environmental impact of making them – and their longevity for you – in mind. Across our collections, we use natural fibres (from plants and animals), man-made cellulosic fibres (from wood), synthetics and recycled materials alike. Scroll to learn more about some of the materials your Monsoon clothes are made of.
Natural plant-based
fibres
We
use a mix of these natural, plant-based fibres across our collections:
Virgin cotton
Grown in a field, cotton is the
fluffy fibre that’s picked and spun into thread. Once it has been woven into fabric,
it’s light, breathable and durable.
The positives of choosing cotton
are that production doesn’t use fossil fuels and – when the fabric is 100% cotton
(meaning it’s not been blended with other fibres, coated or coloured with chemical dyes) – it is
biodegradable. However,
production does come with some environmental impacts through the conversion of habitat to agricultural land,
plus the
use of water and agrochemicals (especially pesticides).
Better Cotton
Better Cotton is a programme that WWF started in 2005. Better
Cotton’s mission is to help cotton communities survive and
thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. Through its implementing partners, Better Cotton
trains farmers
to use water efficiently, care for soil health and natural habitats, reduce use of the most harmful
chemicals and
respect workers’ rights and wellbeing.
In 2019-2020, Better Cotton
licensed over 2.4 million farmers from 23 countries on the five continents. Together, these
farmers produced 23% of the world’s cotton.
In 2019-2020, Better Cotton
Farmers:
- •In Pakistan, achieved 35% higher profits*
- •In India, used 23% less synthetic pesticide*
- • In Tajikistan, achieved 15% higher yields*
- • In China, used 14% less water*
- • In Turkiye, used organic fertiliser 3% more often*
We are committed to improving
cotton farming practises globally with Better Cotton. Better Cotton is sourced via a chain
of custody model called mass balance. This means that Better Cotton is not physically traceable to end
products,
however, Better Cotton Farmers benefit from the demand for Better Cotton in equivalent volumes to those we
‘source.’ As
a proud Better Cotton member, in 2024 we sourced 74% of our cotton from farmers who grow healthier crop with
less
pesticide, fertilizer and water overruns than other, conventional cotton growers.
Organic cotton
Organic cotton is grown without
using toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilisers to have a lower impact on the
environment than conventional farming. Organic-production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility and
build
biologically diverse agriculture. Third-party certification organisations verify that organic producers
comply with
these standards, such as Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
or Organic Content Standard (OCS).
Recycled cotton
The primary benefit of mechanically
recycling cotton lies in its environmental impact. It requires no water or chemicals
and consumes minimal energy. Based on assessments from the Higg Material Sustainability Index (Higg MSI)
V3.6, recycled
cotton outperforms conventional, virgin cotton across all categories: global warming potential,
eutrophication, water
scarcity, fossil fuel depletion and chemistry.
Conventional linen
Linen is an organic fibre, derived
from the inner stalk fibres of the flax plant. Naturally breathable, lightweight and
thermoregulating, it’s a summer staple.
There are many benefits to wearing
linen. For the planet it is a less water-thirsty crop to grow than cotton, the fabric
is strong and hard-wearing (meaning you can wear the pieces for years) and its biodegradable at the end of
its life. The
environmental area of concern is the chemical-retting process, which can use toxic acids to separate the
flax fibres
from the plant. This can be avoided entirely if farmer use a water-retting instead process instead – a
common feature of
certified organic linen.
EU flax linen
EU linen uses flax fibres from
plants grown on a wide swath of coastal land in Western Europe, stretching from Normandy
to Amsterdam. This area has a naturally humid climate, which linen farmers have utilised for flax growth for
thousands
of years. This type of linen is grown and made locally, in European countries like France, Belgium, the
Netherlands and
Germany. The European
Flax Standard certification makes sure that EU flax linen products are authentic and ethically
produced. Their production methods include:
- • Zero irrigation (barring exceptional circumstances) from sowing to harvesting, including dew retting vs water retting
- • Renewable resource with certified and GMO-free seeds, low-input crop (reasoned use of pesticides and fertilizers) to preserve soil quality
- • 100% mechanical extraction and zero waste fibre extraction – all parts of the plant are used (fibre, shives, seeds, dust)
Hemp
Hemp is a type of bast fibre, which
means it’s derived from the stems of a plant. It is like linen in texture but can be
woven to make a variety of fabrics, including jersey
and denim.
Environmentally, hemp production
has a lot of positives. It is a fast and densely growing plant that crowds out any
competing flora, meaning harsh chemical herbicides aren’t necessary during cultivation. This swift growth
also creates a
canopy over the soil weeks after seeds are sown, which, in combination with its deep root system, helps to reduce
water
loss and protect the soil from erosion. Hemp isn’t susceptible to many pests, so conventional
chemical pesticides aren’t
needed to maintain a healthy crop. It is also great for carbon storage – the European
Commission suggests that just one
hectare sequesters 9 to 15 tonnes of CO2, which is a similar amount of carbon stored by a young forest. Hemp
fabrics are
eight times stronger than cotton, so the clothes can be worn for many years, and are biodegradable at the
end of their
life cycle.
Natural animal-based
materials
Sometimes we use these natural, animal-based fibres to make
certain clothes, like jumpers, coats, shoes or accessories:
Wool
Wool is an age-old fabric that’s
shorn from sheep (the animal does not die) and is often used in knitwear for its
thermal qualities to make items cosy and long-lasting.
If left in its purest form (without
treating it with chemical dyes, wax or chemical water-resistant), it is
biodegradable, making it better for the environment at the post-consumer stage than synthetic fibres. But
the carbon
footprint of raising sheep means wool’s overall carbon footprint is quite high. Collective Fashion
Justice’s CIRCUMFAUNA initiative found that producing a wool jumper emits 27x more greenhouse gas emissions than a
cotton onen.
On top of this, pasture and arable
land used to grow feed for farmed animals represents almost 80% of our total
agricultural land and 26% of the earth’s ice-free surface is used for grazing. Cleared land causes a loss of
biodiversity; wild animals lose their natural habitat and have an increased risk of extinction.
Recycled wool
Wool is easily recyclable, which
extends the lifetime of pre-loved wool clothes.
Choosing recycled wool reduces the
use of virgin materials, helping to reduce stress on the environment. It diverts
used-wool garments from landfill, saves considerable amounts of water, reduces land-use, water, soil and air
pollution
and avoids the use of chemicals for dyeing.
Choosing recycled wool reduces the
carbon footprint of farming new animals, land use and the agriculture to produce
their food. Reducing this footprint, supports more land returning to wilderness and, in turn, supports a
wider
biodiversity.
Responsible Wool Standard
This is a voluntary certification programme that
recognises wool from farms that treat their sheep well and manage their
land responsibly. It prohibits mulesing and suppliers must meet rigorous animal welfare, land management and
social
requirements.
Alpaca wool
Alpaca wool is shorn from alpacas.
80% of the world’s alpaca fibre comes from Peru, where people have been wearing
alpaca fibre for hundreds of years.
Alpaca fleece doesn't contain
lanolin, so it doesn't need to be chemically cleaned after it's harvested, making it
better option for people with sensitivities to wool and for the environment.
Whilst alpacas have padded feet
that don't damage the land as much as goats and sheep, looking after these animals
requires a lot of land to be cleared for farming and the agriculture for food for them.
Responsible Alpaca Standard
The Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS) is
a voluntary standard that requires all sites, from alpaca farms through to the
seller in the final business-to-business transaction, to be certified. RAS farmers and ranchers are
evaluated against
animal welfare, land management, and social requirements set in the standard.
Leather
Leather is a long-lasting, natural
and biodegradable material. A leather item can last a lifetime, making it a great
investment to be handed down for years. But it is not perfect.
The carbon footprint of raising the
animals means leather’s overall carbon footprint is quite high. The LWG (Leather
Working Group) is an organisation addressing environmental issues, like the use of harmful chemicals
(chromium),
effluent treatment and traceability.
Recycled leather
Certified by the Global Recycling
Standard or Recycled Claims
Standard, recycled leather prevents pre-loved leather
pieces going to landfill, saves considerable amounts of water, reduces land-use, water, soil and air
pollution and
avoids the use of chemicals for dyeing.
Man-made cellulosic
fibres (MMCFs)
We
use a mix of these natural, plant-based fibres across our collections:
Viscose (also known as Rayon)
Viscose is one of the most popular
materials in the fashion industry. It’s a man-made cellulosic fibre, meaning it’s
made from plant-based pulp (often wood pulp). In the fashion industry, it’s a popular alternative to silk so is often
used to create flowing summer dresses, skirts, soft blouses and velvet alternatives.
- • As a plant-based fibre, viscose is derived from a natural and renewable recourse (e.g. wood pulp) and if produced responsibly can be biodegradable but there are two main areas of concern when it comes to the production of viscose:
- • The source of the wood pulp can be from wild trees, rather than grown trees (the production of viscose is contributing to the rapid depletion of the world’s forests)
- •The process in which it is turned into a usable fabric as the wood pulp is treated with chemicals, filtered and spun into thread. This can be a highly polluting process and releases many toxic chemicals into the air and waterways surrounding the production sites.
LENZING™ ECOVERO™ Viscose
ECOVERO, produced by LENZING™, is a viscose fibre made using more-sustainable wood from
controlled sources that are
certified in Europe by either the Forest Stewardship Council or
the Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification
Schemes. When compared with conventional viscose production, ECOVERO™ uses 50% less water, half the carbon
emissions and
nearly all the chemicals used during manufacture are recovered and reused.
In 2025, 56.64% of our viscose usage was
LENZING™.
TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal
Lyocell and Modal – also produced
by LENZING™ – are naturally soft, smooth and comfortable materials.
Using cutting-edge
technology, TENCEL™ fibres are made with at least 50% less carbon
emissions and water consumption than generic lyocell
and modal fibres.
Recycled viscose
Pre-loved clothes made from
plant-based fibres like cotton, linen or hemp can be turned into recycled viscose. Right
now, the available technology is focused on processing 100% cotton, as it is by far the most common natural
fibre.
The future of MMCF fabric developments
We’re always looking for ways to
make smarter material choices. Some developments we are watching include: Bamboo
Lyocell, REFIBRA, Eastman
Naia (specifically Naia Renew, made from a
combination of responsibly sourced wood pulp and
acetic acid derived from recycled materials) and Nanollose, who are looking to Indonesia to manufacture
commercial
quantities of Nullarbor fibre to develop a supply chain and ecosystem around food
waste. Watch this space.
Synthetic
fibres
Synthetics
are man-made fibres, derived from chemical resources. These are the ones we use in our
collections:
Polyester
Polyester is made from
petroleum-based chemicals. It’s a product of the oil manufacturing industry, which is the world’s
largest pollutant.
While polyester production has a
lower environmental impact than natural fibres in terms of land and water usage, the
energy required to produce polyester (125 MJ per kg), makes it a high-impact process. Research also shows
that a major
source of microplastics (plastic particles less than 1mm in diameter) are accumulating in marine habitats
around the
world because of wastewater being contaminated with the plastic microfibres that are released when washing
synthetic
clothes. When it comes to the afterlife of polyester, it is not biodegradable so at best, it can be recycled
again into
new polyester or plastic-based materials. If it does end up in landfill, it cannot biodegrade.
Recycled polyester
Most recycled polyester comes from
recycled plastic (rPET) bottles. It seems to be a more environmentally sustainable
solution to virgin polyester (a 2017
study found that manufacturing rPET generates 79% less carbon emissions than
producing virgin polyester), it reduces the need for primary extraction of crude oil and cuts the amount of
plastic
waste in landfill (for now), but is still not biodegradable, and recycling technologies are still at their
infancies.
Leather alternatives
Known widely as vegan leather,
faux-leather, PU, pleather or synthetic leather – leather alternatives remain the
most-common option to animal skin leather. Material Innovation
Initiative reporting has found that around 50 companies
are currently working on next-gen leather-free materials. While these alternatives have no carbon footprint
from raising
animals – it must be remembered that the sources are still widely synthetic, which require petroleum-based
chemicals
that aren’t biodegradable and release microplastics into our water systems when washed.
There are a few new materials
working on being fully plant-based and biodegradable, including cork leather and Mirum (a
mushroom based leather) – watch this space!
How to make the best purchasing
decisions?
Look for clothes that are made from plant-based, organic or recycled fibres (like cotton, hemp and linen). Keep in mind that some “natural” materials (like conventional cotton and wool ) have their own ethical issues regarding environmental sustainability, labour rights and animal welfare.
Make considered choices. Buy less – think quality over quantity to invest in pieces you’ll love wearing for years and that you can donate to charity for someone else to get years of joy out of, too. Choosing well, buying less and shopping vintage is a great way to reduce your personal impact on the environment