Bamboo T-shirts and other things Bamboo!

http://www.bambootextile.com/

It's gonna take over the world! Trust me.

Bamboo, that is.

[ Edited by: revbambooben on 2004-09-02 21:50 ]

[ Edited by: Unga Bunga on 2004-09-03 21:08 ]

[ Edited by: revbambooben 2006-04-14 20:34 ]

Ben I take it all of your clothing will now be done in Bamboo? I had heard something about this, heaven knows we need more affordable alternatives to cotten. Hey maybe you should do the first aloha shirt made of bamboo!

Bamboo jock straps?
This could get scary.

Bamboo Bra's... Call 'em "BamBoobs"

On 2004-09-02 11:42, MachTiki wrote:
Bamboo Bra's... Call 'em "BamBoobs"

That would make a great TC user name.

Ben, your ability to locate bamboo in any form of existence is uncanny.

Bamboo condoms (ouch).

What happens if you buy one of these shirts and wander too close to the panda cage?

On 2004-09-02 11:45, Unga Bunga wrote:

On 2004-09-02 11:42, MachTiki wrote:
Bamboo Bra's... Call 'em "BamBoobs"

That would make a great TC user name.

yeah, besides isnt there a bananaboobs already?

On 2004-09-02 16:22, Tiki_Bong wrote:
Bamboo condoms (ouch).

A low cost alternative to viagra???

I really can't wait for bamboo to revolutionize the building industry... and Ben as the captain. I remember reading somewhere that construction sights have %30 or more of disguarded wood because of poor designing... countless trees are waisted... but certain bamboo grow inches per day. I hope Bamboo changes our lives too!

Yeay Bamboo, bring it on. Don't forget bamboo flooring (beautifuland Hard), cooking utinsils, baskets and stuff like that. I was unaware of bamboo fiber and T=shirts made from it... Cool
Thr Honorable Mister Bamboo Ben Rules. ...WRONG..Walk the Plank

The Bamboo Ply Wood is pretty bitchen too. Solid core woven strips like Lauhala all glued up and hard as a rock! 1/4"-3/4".(but in metric). Just wait. My guess is that they (china) will be making "OSB" beams here pretty soon. The growth rate compared to a tree is out of control.

I've got a shirt in the mail as we speak. I'll be the Lab Rat for you all. I think the next round of Bamboo Ben t-shirts are going to be on Bamboo Fabric .

Anyone out there know hot to work a spinning wheel?? I need a suit made from this stuff for Hukilau!

The Lab Rat says,

I got my shirt today around 1:30 and it has been on and won't be coming off anytime soon. Soft? Softer than a babies bottom!! Trust me on this folks. These t-shirts are insane! Budget in 10 bucks and get one.
When they start making Pajamas, you will all be wearing Bamboo!! Tell them Bamboo Ben sent you. (No. I don't get a cut. Just trying to spread the word of this great new product.) They have a cool little tag on the bottom left side that says,
" SPUN BAMBOOtm." And, the tag on the shirt says, " 70% Bamboo 30% cotton. Made in China. I'm very stoked on this. If you get one, let me know your thoughts.

Bamboo Ben.

p.s. a more serious side.

Figures not supporting the big fellas! :( Maybe I will order the 2X just to see how roomy it is. The wife could always wear it as a night shirt I guess if does not fit.

When you wash them, they become even softer. A neighbor of mine use to work in the garment industry ( India, L.A., etc.)and was just totally freaking out about how soft it is. She's really tripping out on this. And, so are we. They are quite big at first, then shrink to the correct size after the first wash. Gonna try the socks soon. On my feet all day so they need a little spoiling.

When you's get your shirts, let me know.

After I went to the web site, I decided to order a couple shirts just to try them out. They showed up the very next day and they are pretty damn soft. Very light as well. I did wash them and RevBambooBen you are soooooo right - they got even softer. My wife wants to know when they are going to make pajamas?!

As far as the socks go... Rich (the owner) told me that he is planning on sending a free pair of socks (after he starts manufacturing them) to everyone that orders a shirt He swears that they are the most comfortable socks you will ever wear.

P.S. If you do order shirts from them; order the size you would normally buy. They shrink exactly like cotton.

I'm not insane after all!!!

I didn't say that.

On 2004-09-03 10:31, RevBambooBen wrote:
I think the next round of Bamboo Ben t-shirts are going to be on Bamboo Fabric .

Y'know, I've had my good ol' yellow Bamboo Ben t-shirt for quite some time now. I've worn it here, I've worn it there, I've worn it in 6 different countries and to countless tiki events - I've worn it so much it's pretty worn out! If I say so m'self, I think it's 'bout time for a new one! Ben, when do you think YOUR new 'boo fiber shirts will be available?

--The Good Doctor, always spreadin' the word for the Reverend...

On 2004-09-05 11:19, Doctor Z wrote:

On 2004-09-03 10:31, RevBambooBen wrote:
I think the next round of Bamboo Ben t-shirts are going to be on Bamboo Fabric .

Y'know, I've had my good ol' yellow Bamboo Ben t-shirt for quite some time now. I've worn it here, I've worn it there, I've worn it in 6 different countries and to countless tiki events - I've worn it so much it's pretty worn out! If I say so m'self, I think it's 'bout time for a new one! Ben, when do you think YOUR new 'boo fiber shirts will be available?

--The Good Doctor, always spreadin' the word for the Reverend...

I'm gonna try to get some by Hukilau but, I'm pretty slammed with Tiki Bar orders right now. If not before, definatly after.

Bamboo Bra's...

ahem
http://www.bambus.de/infos/1000/single.php?id=442
Looks.... scratchy!
No, I wasn't looking for it :) It just showed up while I was on a bamboo site jumping spree looking for how to build a bamboo bridge.

I did order a couple of the spun bamboo shirts - I'm a sucker for soft t-shirts, but new cotton ones take too long to break in. Can't wait!

[ Edited by: LAWebChick on 2004-09-07 14:48 ]

Next....Bamboo Jerky.

Ben, I ordered 2 of the t-shirts I'll let you know when they arrive. I was looking on that page and they will soon be offering socks. I'll be the tester on those.

i'm a sucker for bamboo shoots in my stir fry...

Put me on the list for one of your new bamboo shirts Ben!

On 2004-09-07 14:39, LAWebChick wrote:

Bamboo Bra's...

ahem
http://www.bambus.de/infos/1000/single.php?id=442
Looks.... scratchy!
[ Edited by: LAWebChick on 2004-09-07 14:48 ]

Plus it looks like it could be painful if one were to catch a chill

Just heard that the socks are gonna be here in a few days.

Hay Folks,

As you can see on my website http://www.versteegde.nl I’m also into the bamboo and very soon into a bamboo T-shirt. A few minutes ago I ordered my 1st bamboo T-shirt and in a few days it will be in The Netherlands. I’m using T-shirts to print in silkscreen the plans for my interactive bamboo projects, so every volunteer knows what we are doing…

Best regards,
Antoon Versteegde

Aloha Antoon and welcome aboard! That is some crazy stuff you are doing! If you're ever out in California, I'm sure you would have plenty of free help. How bout a Giant Bamboo Moai Tiki House??

On 2004-09-16 08:48, RevBambooBen wrote:
Aloha Antoon and welcome aboard! That is some crazy stuff you are doing! If you're ever out in California, I'm sure you would have plenty of free help. How bout a Giant Bamboo Moai Tiki House??

You name it, I'll make it.
The sky is the limit!

Here is an article that came out today in our local paper The Wave (Huntington Beach)
http://www.ocregister.com/huntington

BOOGIE IN DA BOO ~ The Wave, 09-29-04

By Corky Carroll

Today I am boogying in da boo. No, I am not talking about Mali-boooo as some of you might be thinking. I am talking about the BAM-boo. Yeah, bamboo. No kiddies, it’s not a bamboo chair. Nabas. Not a bamboo swing either. Mush nay. Nor a bamboo recliner, bamboo bed or even on a bamboo bike. O.K. shut up, and not with a bamboo walker either....you guys think you are so funny. Humph.

What I am talkin about is this nice new bamboo t-shirt that I just got. That’s right folks, I did say T-shirt. You didn’t know that they made clothes out of bamboo didja? Well, I just found that out myself.

A few weeks ago I got an email from my pal Bamboo Ben. As most of you know Bamboo Ben has an extremely cool bamboo store over on Yorktown, just west of Beach Blvd., right here in Huntington Beach. Ben of da bamboo is about the most deeply into bamboo dude that I am aware of on the planet Earth, and maybe a few other neighboring orbs. He wrote to clue me in on a new product, bamboo t-shirts. Said that I had to get one because they are really, really cool and if I was to be the same then I had better be the first on my block. So I did.

I took his advise went to the website he gave me, http://www.BambooTextile.com, and ordered my brand new bamboo T-shirt. And then I kicked back and waited to see what this new wonder fiber was gonna be like. I imagined something stiff. O.K., well at first I imagined something made out of bamboo, like the wood bamboo. Then I thought maybe it was gonna be like a silk screened image of bamboo on a regular cotton shirt. But when I got to the website I saw that it actually is a new fiber that is woven from bamboo and cotton. The following information is taken directly from the website:

“Bamboo T-shirts are the most comfortable and softest textile product. Once you wear one of our Bamboo T-shirts you will never want to wear another 100% cotton T-shirt. Bamboo T-shirts are 70% bamboo fiber and 30% cotton.

Bamboo clothing will never stick to your body or skin even on the hottest of days and will always make you feel extremely cool under any condition. Our T-shirts have much better moisture absorption with ventilation and are known for their breathability.

Bamboo T-shirts will spark new interest in the everyday-consumer that has only experienced cotton, nylon and "special" blends that cause odors and harbor bacteria. It is beautiful to the eye and nothing can adequately describe how wonderful Bamboo T-shirts are to the touch.

Bamboo fiber clothes are the world's most comfortable clothes, natural anti-bacterial, biodegradable and extremely soft. Our Bamboo fiber T-shirt is destined to revolutionize the T-shirt industry!!!

Bamboo fiber is made by grinding, wringing, and then combing the actual pulp from bamboo plants. Bamboo fiber is 100% made from bamboo only, a high-tech process that includes refining bamboo pulp through hydrolysis-alkalization and multi-phase bleaching. Nothing else is added to the fiber….. just bamboo! In hand, this fiber is cool, silky, and spins easily.

Bamboo fiber is a natural cellulose fiber, can achieve natural degradation in the soil, and it won't cause any pollution to the environment. Bamboo can be spun purely or blended with other materials such as cotton, hemp, silk, Tencel and Modal.”

O.K. so I was keen with interest in if all this was going to be true or just blah blah to get me to buy one. You never know what to believe these days, ya know? In fact I wouldn’t even be believin’ this if it wasn’t me tellin’ it. And even then.....?

Anyway, believe it or not, my shirt came in the mail yesterday and today is trial day. I can honestly say that it is really soft and really comfortable and it feels very nice on my delicate body. And I have had it on for about 6 hours today and it is pretty hot, yet I am still smellin’ sweet and nice. Not bad. I wonder if this baby will work as kindling for my habachi at the beach later?

So, all in all, I have to give this product a two fins up on my official Corkometer rating scale. I likes it. I don’t loves it, but I likes it a lot.

Go to http://www.corkycarroll.com for further info on him if you don't know who he is. His articles will crack you up! He has "Lot's o Wisdom!"

p.s. I wore a few of them down in Fl./ Hukilau and I have to say, I did not sweat. I even wore the socks on Hurricane " Mai Kai" Night. I do think they improved my dancing!

Glad to see Corky still riden the wild surf.
Nice article.

Just ordered 3 and since Rich is an old Newport dude he threw in an extra one FREE.
I can't wait to get them
One for my BIG brother
One for my little monkey/girl Lindsay (jammies)
And two for me!!!
I also told him to contact my friend Andy at Team Color Screen Printing in Costa Mesa.
I think the surf industry would get off on this product.
I will report back when I get them?

I wanted to give “Bamboo Ben” and everyone at “Tiki Central” a special Thank You for all your support over the last 4 weeks. The wild and crazy thing is, I have customers all over the World, but I had few customers in California, where I live. Then, I sold a Bamboo Fiber T-shirt to “Bamboo Ben” and that was it- my customer base grew, not only as a whole, but seriously in Southern California.

See! It is not me. I have nothing to do with this company but praise them!! BooFiber is da kine! I only push products that I like. And, I likes this product. I wore one down in Florida/Hukilau on "!"Saturday"!" and it was like I had my blanky with me! Kept me all comfy. Not one worry at all! ry one out and if you don't like it, send it to me and I'll like it for you!!! (just think, you can say, "Bamboo Ben is wearing my shirt that I did not like." That, would be cool!!!)

P.S. Welcome Aboared Rich!!! Arrrrrrr!! walk the plank matey!!

I went to ortder some for my husband, but could not figure out if you would ship to Canada. Can I get the bamboo shirts sent to Canada?

Hey Fishlips,
If they won't, they can send them to me and I will send them to you.
By the way we display our TIKI orn-a-mints all year in our "special" room
Rich welcome aboard.
Better start paddling, the wave is coming !-!

And Ben will you please like me so everyone else will too.
That would be cool

OK
Just woke up wearing one of my new Bamboo T-shirts.
YES, it is the softest shirt I own.
YES, you should own one.
Yes, I wish they had more products.
Thanks Rich

Mine are on their way! Woohoo!

Well, I just got mine and boy they are soft. I can't wait to wear them after a washing to see how soft they get. I got one in each color. Thanks for the tip Ben!

Well I have one and it is the nicest thing to sleep in all soft and fuzzy. I love it, cant waitto get a few more. MMMMMMMMM fuzzy.

I got one in each colour for Mr. Tikifish. They arrived yesterday and they are fantastic! all hail the mighty bamboo fibre!

Hey now, I just want you to keep updated.
I don't really know Rich
I don't make any money from this.
I just think that Ben is right
Bamboo is taking over the world
And we should ride the wave.
All that being said

Dear Customer:

I hope you have enjoyed wearing my bamboo fiber T-shirt! I'm telling you, there is no other feeling in the world than wrapping yourself in a luxurious fabric that breathes with your skin. I wanted to give you an update on my upcoming new colors and styles:

Four new colors will be added November 15th, yellow, sky blue, pink and maroon. I also have two new ladies style Bamboo Fiber T-shirts coming out November 15th. One is a 100% bamboo fiber V-neck and the other a 70% bamboo / 30% cotton scoop neck with crop sleeves. On December 15th, I will be adding an all-natural color, pure bamboo yarn, T-shirt with no dye added to the fabric. Bamboo Textile is offering 20% off all orders over 50.00. So take advantage of this offer. http://www.bambootextile.com

A new sizing chart for all seven colors will also be in effect starting November 15th. We made the shirts a little shorter in length but not anything crazy. Plus, from now on, all our Bamboo Fiber T-shirts will be preshrunk so you won’t have to worry about shrinkage anymore. We are now preshrinking the fabric before we cut and sew.

Many of you have been waiting for the socks and I want to thank you for your patience. The socks are still in production and should be out and ready for wholesale and retail sales January 2005.

Much of my time has been in developing and supplying Bamboo Fiber T-shirts and Bamboo Yarn to US and European companies. Soon you should be seeing other sites and retail stores selling Bamboo Fiber T-shirts and Bamboo Fiber products. Bamboo Textile has been supplying many of the sites/retail stores with yarn or products that will be going out into the marketplace. Some sites will be coming out late November and early January.

Thanks for all your support and we would like you to know that Bamboo Textile is going to be concentrating on the wholesale and distribution side. As a company, we have sold a total of 35,000 shirts and opened up wholesale customers in Nairobi, Netherlands, Spain, Philippines, Huntington Beach, Seattle, Indiana and India with many more cities and countries coming soon. I will still have this website, not only sell small retail, but also to keep developing new products for everyone to enjoy.

So again, thank you for your support and let's keep bamboo clothing in our consciousness and spread the word on this outstanding new fabric!

Regards,
Rich Delano
http://www.bambootextile.com

my shirts arrived today!

thanks Bax for posting about the online discount! i saw these same shirts retailing for 20 each!

oh geez, these are nice! so smooth and soft... so glad i got an assortment of colors.. and they even tossed in a v-neck girl shirt in brown!

now if only they made long sleeved tees i'd be set!

hokey smokes! i ask for long sleeves, and Rich writes back, and says warmer bamboo T's will be available in January!

i love this place.

On 2004-11-30 21:38, dogbytes wrote:
hokey smokes! i ask for long sleeves, and Rich writes back, and says warmer bamboo T's will be available in January!

i love this place.

Rich is "Da Kine"!!!

Designers Go Green With Sustainable Fabrics

By Khanh T.L. Tran
Manufacturing Editor

Kate O’Connor is known for creating ponchos and knits that languidly drape a woman’s curves. The Los Angeles–based designer— who typically uses alpaca, silk and other supple yarns for her designs— recently discovered something new: bamboo. “I was looking for an alternative to the silk,” O’Connor explained. She couldn’t afford the best silk, which costs $65 a pound. Cotton, she found, can be “sticky” and lacks silk’s fluidity. A few months ago, her supplier at Silk City Fibers in New Jersey gave her some dyed bamboo yarn. O’Connor said bamboo is like a cotton-and-silk blend. “It feels light but has a silky weight to it, which is so gorgeous,” she gushed.

In late October at her Spring/ Summer 2005 fashion show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, O’Connor unveiled, among other pieces, striped halters and long skirts knitted with bamboo yarn. Compared with silk and cotton, bamboo is “so much cheaper, and it’s really good for the environment,” she said. Of the approximately 2,000 knits she expects to ship for the season, at least half will be made of bamboo. “This is the perfect summer fabric,” she noted.

O’Connor is joined by a growing band of local designers and manufacturers integrating “green” fabrics such as bamboo into upcoming collections. Seeking a substitute for cashmere, Amanda Shi turned to bamboo for her Avita line. Linda Loudermilk, a fan of organic cotton, introduced sasawashi, a blend of Japanese paper and kumazasa herb, which resembles linen. Ventura, Calif.–based Patagonia Inc., which has used organic cotton fabrics in its collection in the past, is also exploring bamboo-based fabrics, although the company hasn’t yet incorporated them into its outdoor clothes, a spokesperson said.

In addition to being less expensive and more environmentally friendly than luxury textiles such as silk and cashmere, the green fabrics also enable designers to attract vegetarian and vegan customers who shun animal-based products. The novelty is a plus.

Avita by Amanda Shi

Unlike cashmere, there are no quotas on imported bamboo fabric, although the duty paid on bamboo totals 33 percent, compared with roughly 7 percent for cashmere. Even so, the duty and quota on a cashmere sweater would total about $12 to $14, whereas the duty on a bamboo sweater would be approximately $5, according to Avita’s Shi.

Yet, no matter what the message and motives are, fashions made from green fabrics will likely be judged by consumers using the same criteria they use to evaluate other textiles, said Kevin Jones, curator at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum in Los Angeles. “The public will accept any kind of material as long as it is comfortable and stylish,” he said, adding that paper dresses have been in existence for more than 300 years. He added that Japanese designers, including Issey Miyake and Commes des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo, have been using bamboo, paper and even pineapple fibers in their avant-garde designs since the late 1970s.

One reason Los Angeles designers are adopting the green fabrics now is because such materials are becoming increasingly available. Peter Sagal, O’Connor’s supplier and president of Silk City Fibers in Paterson, N.J., said he came across bamboo yarn two years ago. He waited until this past spring to offer the yarn because he first searched for vendors who could dye the bamboo fiber evenly and spin it into three different weights. Available in a minimum of 28 colors for an average price of $14.50 a pound, bamboo has been an easy sell, he said. He added that his company is developing cotton that is grown organically in Egypt and dyed ecologically in Germany.

Rich Delano, president of Bamboo Textile in Brea, Calif., imports Chinese bamboo yarn for six customers, including underwear maker Stone International LLC of Columbia, S.C. He said his clients are in the development stage. He pointed out that, besides being soft, bamboo yarn is antibacterial and nearly three times more absorbent than cotton.

Cashmere from plants
One year ago, Avita’s Shi asked her family’s factory in China to find a fabric that is lighter than a silk-and-cashmere blend and can be worn in the summer. Six months later, Wing Sun Textiles, which makes private-label knits, sent her a black tank made out of bamboo. Shi said bamboo was more matte than Tencel and viscose and thicker than Modal fiber. She also said bamboo yarn is stronger than cashmere and stretches more than a silk-and-cashmere blend. What’s more, bamboo doesn’t pill as easily as synthetic yarns, she said. Shi will debut the bamboo knits for Spring 2005. “People are calling it cashmere from plants,” she said.

The manufacturing process for bamboo yarn is similar to that for rayon. The bamboo stems and leaves are pummeled into a starchy pulp in hydrolysis alkalization. A finishing treatment transforms the pulp into soft fibers. The bamboo yarn is then bleached and dyed.

Shi said that a quarter of the 200 stores that sell her clothes, including Fred Segal in Santa Monica, Calif., have placed orders for bamboo knits such as asymmetrical skirts layered with Italian metal ($89 wholesale). She also gave samples to Wing Sun’s private-label clients, who, she said, liked them. Shi said her biggest challenge was deciding what to put on the care label; she concluded that it was best to dry-clean or hand wash the garments and then lay them flat to dry.

Loudermilk has undertaken the task of elevating eco-friendly fabrics from the realm of yoga and sportswear. “Environmental products can be of beautiful design,” she said, predicting that the green pieces will hold their own against clothes made by high-end labels such as Gucci.

Loudermilk will make 30 percent of her Spring 2005 collection from sasawashi, provided by Japan’s Katsu Kawasaki; 25 percent from bamboo; and l0 percent from Tencel. The remainder will consist of organic cotton and recycled fabrics. Loudermilk’s sasawashi skirt with frazzled seams and an asymmetrical hem will wholesale for $555.

Loudermilk, whose clothes are carried by retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue in Saudi Arabia, said a dozen stores have ordered the sasawashi garments. She plans to open a shop of her own in March on Croft Avenue in Los Angeles and stock not only her clothes but also what she considers the best of ecologically minded books, children’s toys and other items.

True black and other shades
Greg Niebel is one retailer attracted to bamboo. Niebel— who carries O’Connor, Miyake and other forward fashion at BNY in Santa Monica— said black is a dominant color in his shop. “Sometimes, with the natural fibers, you can’t get a true, true black,” he said.

O’Connor, he noted, successfully found a rich black in the bamboo yarn. He said 65 percent of his O’Connor order will be for the bamboo knits, including a drop-stitch dress ($220 wholesale).

The tints were important to O’Connor, an art-school graduate who dubs herself “a color freak.” While cotton offers the widest palette, bamboo comes in lavender, mint and additional hues that she cannot obtain in other yarns, she said.