Who knows how or why fashions and tastes change? Leather, which was used in medieval body armor, needed a few centuries to show up in exclusive clothing stores. Synthetic fabrics, once revolutionary, experienced a fall from grace with the emergence of both a fashion-centric and eco-conscious public, only to return to favor as new, more comfortable synthetics appeared to clothe an exponentially growing population. None of this is especially surprising. Change lies at the heart of fashion.
However, there are some constants in the clothing market, particularly as regards fabric. Wool has been around for millennia. So has cotton. Linen, a sometimes prized, sometimes not so prized fabric, was used as clothing and royal burial shrouds as far back as the ancient Egyptians.
Today linen is enjoying something of a vogue. It’s used in high-end drapery, bedding, and clothes. 100% Capri, for example, a producer of fashionable, high-quality, linen-based Italian clothing, has mainstreamed linen as its fabric of choice. As the company’s founder, Antonino Aiello, rhapsodizes, “I love linen. Linen is a timeless beauty, it is purity and perfection.”
It’s also among the coolest (in both senses of the word) materials for summer clothes. The more linens are washed, the softer it gets. Amazingly, washing doesn’t affect its smooth, almost sensual feel nor does it shrink the linen since its fibers have very low elasticity. Taking advantage of these properties, Aiello observes “We use linen as if it were part of your skin, it is a pure pleasure to wear. For us it is not just a fabric, it is the essence of simplicity and the purity of beauty.”
To ensure 100% Capri gets only the finest product, Aiello purchases his linen solely from non-GMO producers who reject the use of defoliants and do not rely on their output on irrigation. As a result, his premier, not to say, luxe, men's and women’s clothing lines are both biodegradable and hypoallergenic. Aiello believes beautiful clothing should exist in harmony with a healthy environment. His insistence on the purity of his product starts from the ground up. In a world saturated with fast fashion brands polluting our environment, 100% Capri is a welcomed pioneer when it comes to sustainable clothing.
Since the availability of linen is, relatively speaking, limited, it tends to be used mostly in high-end clothing. 100% Capri clothes often turn up on celebrities and other high net worth individuals, particularly during vacations where linen’s aesthetic virtues, combined with its lightweight and easy upkeep, make it the fabric of choice. To support this preference, 100% Capri maintains boutiques in vacation spots from the Greek Islands to the French Riviera. Ibiza, Miami, and Portofino are some of the many other places 100% Capri stores can be found.
So to answer the question, can a high-end clothing market co-exist with an ecological conscience? 100% Capri suggests it can. The light, breathable, hypoallergenic fabric sourced from environmentally conscious producers and transformed into fashionable pieces by skilled Italian craftsmen suggests that, in this particular case, you can have your cake and eat it too.
Find out more about Antonino Aiello, 100% Capri, and these ecologically sustainable and fashionable clothes at 100capri.com
