There are of course environmental concerns about cotton clothing and Ventile have taken steps to address these with the introduction of Ventile Eco Cotton. They offered to have a smock made for me by Scottish manufacturers, Hilltrek, who have made a jacket for me before.
The smock is beautifully made and, as I did, can be ordered with a number of options relating to size, placing of zips and pockets and colour. Hilltrek make a number of different styles of jacket and other outdoor clothing from their Scottish Highland facility and their clothes are made with a strong practical knowledge of the outdoor uses to which they will be put.
My smock has withstood several hours of heavy Cumbrian rain without failing, even at the seams. Of course, no clothing is truly and completely waterproof, but one advantage of Ventile is that it seems to be more breathable than many man-made fabrics and I find it comfortable to wear on a hard walk. In warmer conditions lighter Ventiles can be used and a zip-front jacket may be preferred, but this smock is ideal for hard conditions and I would wear it in winter conditions with suitable layers.
I asked Jordan Henderson, who represents Ventile, to answer a few questions about the cloth:
Q: What is it that makes Ventile a waterproof cloth? Can you tell us something about the manufacturing process?
A: Ventile is made from densely woven 100% cotton yarns which when wet, swell creating a weatherproof fabric. The manufacturing process is so skilled that there are only a handful of mills that can produce fabric using this method. Customers can also choose to add a DWR coating to the fabric.
Q: What is it that makes Ventile a waterproof cloth? Can you tell us something about the manufacturing process?
A: Ventile is made from densely woven 100% cotton yarns which when wet, swell creating a weatherproof fabric. The manufacturing process is so skilled that there are only a handful of mills that can produce fabric using this method. Customers can also choose to add a DWR coating to the fabric.
Q: My jacket is made from organic cotton - tell us more about that? What makes it organic and how is it different to the cotton normally used to make Ventile?
A: Ventile Eco Organic is made from sustainably grown organic certified cottons that have not been exposed to pesticides or chemical fertilisers and use low-impact processing methods and materials. Ventile Eco Organic is woven from premium extra-long-staple cotton that represents only 0.04% of the overall cotton produced worldwide and the fibres used in Ventile Eco Organic fabric are GOTS (The Global Organic Textile Standard) certified.
Q: Is Ventile very different to the earliest forms of Ventile developed in the UK? If so, how?
A: To this day, Ventile is still sold to the British and Swedish Army. The fabric construction and properties are still comparable to what it was at the time. Today, Ventile are using modern machines which enhances the quality of the fabric.
Q: Where is Ventile made?
A: In 1930 Ventile was developed by a dedicated team of scientists from the Shirley Institute in Manchester. In 1980, as dyeing houses gradually declined, Talbot Weaving, the owners of Ventile, were no longer able to dye and finish Ventile in the UK. Production moved to Eastern Switzerland which has a solid reputation for quality finishing. Today, Ventile fabric continues to be produced in Switzerland.
Q: Are new forms of Ventile being developed for the future?
Ventile has recently launched Ventile Eco Blends which use blended fibres such as lyocell, linen and hemp: Additionally, Ventile recently launched the Ventile Eco Recycled range which is the first high-performance fabric made entirely from recycled cotton. The pioneering fabric has been designed to achieve the best balance of performance, comfort, and sustainability to reduce overall textile waste, creating a durable and environmentally friendly resource for designers and fashion brands.
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Previous relevant blog features
The smock was provided as a review sample by Ventile and made by Hilltrek, whose wonderful products I highly recommend.
