Our Fabrics

At Prana Vida, we are excited about bringing you environmentally friendly, ethically made fabrics. 

Our natural fibre Breeze and Euphoria leggings and Embrace Bras are made out of a blend of Tencel®Lyocell from eucalyptus, organic cotton, and a small amount of spandex (6%). Our recycled polyester leggings are made from Unifi's Repreve® recycled polyester yarns and spandex. 

All our fabric is STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified. The STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is a worldwide consistent, independent testing & certification system that tests for harmful substances used during all stages of production (raw materials, intermediate, and end product).This includes testing for illegal substances, legally regulated substances, known harmful (but not legally regulated) chemicals, and other parameters for health care. It provides manufacturers with a uniform benchmark when evaluating harmful substances potentially used in the production process.

Extensive product checks and regular company audits also ensure that the industry has a globally sustainable awareness of the responsible use of chemicals. We only source or fabric from mills that are striving to reduce our collective impact on the environment and are committed to creating safer working conditions for all employees. 

What is TENCEL Lyocell?

Lyocell is the new kid on the block when it comes to cellulose fibres. If you are interested you could dive into Lenzing’s 126 page 2017 sustainability report, or this article provides a clear summary and explains how lyocell compares to earlier generations of cellulose fibres), but I’ll just sum up some of the main advantages for you:

  • The Tencel® Lyocell we're using is made by Lenzing, a renowned Austrian company, and has won many environmental awards like the European Eco-Label, which means it complies with high environmental standards for production and products

  • What’s revolutionary about Tencel® manufacturing is that 99.8 percent of the solvent (magnesium bisulphite) is recovered and reused using a closed loop manufacturing process. The remaining emissions are broken down in biological water treatment plants. The solvent is not acidic, does not remain in the fibre, and has been proven harmless.

  • Factories producing Tencel® are designed and operated to achieve low levels of emissions and minimize energy consumption.

  • The eucalyptus forests from which its cellulose is obtained are also carefully managed and harvested. Eucalyptus grows quickly and without irrigation, pesticides, fertilizers or genetic manipulation; it can also be planted on marginal land that cannot be used for food crops.

  • Lyocell is the first cellulose fibre to use nanotechnology, which produces ultra-fine fibres (nanofibrils). The nanofibrils create an extremely soft fabric, optimize absorption of moisture, and regulate temperature.

  • It is naturally antibacterial and remains odour-free for multiple wearings, which means fewer washings and saving on water. Synthetics like polyester have hundreds to thousands of times higher bacteria count over the same time periods as lyocell.

  • The success of the Tencel® manufacturing process has provided a template for the potential improvement of production methods for other fibres and textile recycling.