Yarnology Infused with Coffee, Gold and Silver Means Bye Bye to B.O.

The natural order of things is that you work out, you sweat, you smell. Now with technology advances, the sell part could be a thing of the past as innovative natural materials join forces with advanced technology to fight odor.

Combating body odor is no small feat. Many in the fashion tech space have tried and failed. That does not mean that it is not possible to neutralize the bacteria’s ability to digest the odor that creates a stink. It is very possible, and one of the ways is using natural materials, like recycled coffee grounds, gold and silver flakes.

Active Wear

The Proof Is In The Yarnology

Pure silver is one of the natural ways of tackling BO. Silver permanently stops the stink-causing bacteria that occurs when you sweat. It does this by releasing positive ions that are attracted to the bacteria’s negatively charged ions. A great example of this kind of  yarnology is the collaboration between Lululemon‘s Silverescent line and Noble Biomaterials Inc. Partners since 2013, they have created a collection that uses X-STATIC® technology embedded in Silverescent fabric bonds, making it 99.9% pure silver to the surface of every fiber. This means that the stink is conquered using technology woven into the fabric and the great thing is that it will never wash out or stop working.

On their product Tom Waller, senior vice president of Lululemon’s Whitespace lab stated, “Silver in our Silverescent yarn releases positive ions that attract to the bacteria’s negatively charged ions. When the two combine, the bacteria are inhibited and the stink that might otherwise become locked into the garment are stopped in their tracks.” The addition of silver is at such a micro-level, which means that your garment will look like any other. Lululemon Silverescent Fashion Tech line is made up of polo shirts, long-sleeve tops and socks.

Fashion Tech
Rhone uses the most innovative materials and advanced technology available in their Active Wear.

Other players in this space include Rhone. Mainly targeting male athletes, Rhone incorporates powerful encapsulated silver threading to fight off odor, sweat stains, and keep clothes fresh. Unlike typical antibacterial and anti-odorant treatments, Rhone’s SilverTech is permanent. Then there is Rhone’s Gold Fusion range. It blends both gold particles and silver into its garments. The brand does it by by applying gold particles to one side of the fabric and the silver in the other. The result is anti-bacterial, anti-odor fabric that is three times faster than the average workout gear.

Wick Away Sweat With Coffee

Besides gold and silver, there is recycled coffee grounds which UK based company Sundried is used to ward of smell. All their fabrics are developed with performance focused technology, including their sustainable Activewear range, which is made from the latest development in responsible sourcing, coffee. First developed by a Taiwanese company in 2008, the use of coffee grounds to make clothes has been on the rise ever since. The fabric produced has a number of benefits, especially for Activewear and gym clothing. It is fast-drying, sweat-wicking, and de-odorising, all benefits which are hugely important for performance clothing. Not only that, it does not require the high-temperature treatment that other materials require which reduces CO2 emissions leading to a greener planet.

Yarnology
Sundried Sustainable Activewear range

Designed for men and women and made from coffee grounds processed in a low-temperature, high-pressured environment founder Daniel Puddick, shared, “Scientific tests have shown that when treated with boiling hydrochloric acid, coffee grounds create a black powder, which has strong antioxidant properties. Once treated and transformed into yarn, the coffee grounds release polyphenol-rich compounds, which are plant chemicals with antioxidant capabilities that withstand damaging energies such as heat and light better than traditional fabrics.” The Active Wear range, which currently includes a couple of T-shirts, is available to buy online.

With constant research and exploration taking place in fashion tech, feeding into new innovations and developments in the anti-odor technology space, it won’t be long before all our garments will naturally have the ability to block odor.

Share Your Tips & Corrections

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

Founding Editor in Chief at FashNerd.com | editor@fashnerd.com | Website

Founding editor-in-chief of FashNerd.com, Muchaneta is currently one of the leading influencers writing about the merger of fashion with technology and wearable technology. She has also given talks at Premiere Vision, Munich Fabric Start and Pure London, to name a few. Besides working as a fashion innovation consultant for various fashion companies like LVMH Atelier, Muchaneta has also contributed to Vogue Business, is a senior contributor at The Interline and an associate lecturer at London College of Fashion, UAL.