Modal
According to the Sustainable Jungle article published on September 26, 2023 by Heather Seely: What is Modal Fabric?: Unravelling Modal Material’s Sustainability, “Modal rayon fabric, also known as High Wet Modulus (HWM) rayon, was first developed in Japan in 1951 as an alternative to silk.”
Similar to TENCEL™ Lyocell, Modal is made from wood pulp. TENCEL™ Lyocell can be made from the pulp of almost any tree, Modal is primarily made from beech trees. While TENCEL™ Lyocell is made using an environmentally friendly organic solution, Modal is considered a semi-synthetic fabric because it’s made using sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide to treat wood chips, a process that is similar to the production of viscose rayon. Modal is considered a more environmentally responsible fabric than rayon since it requires considerably less sodium hydroxide during the production process.
Most Modal today is made by Lenzing, the same company that makes TENCEL™ Lyocell. Lenzing makes a considerable effort to source responsibly grown wood fibers by only using wood from regenerative forests that are sustainably certified. Lenzing’s production process recycles and reuses the majority of the solvents and water used to make Modal. Beech trees require a fraction of the water that it takes to grow cotton, making Lenzing’s Modal an eco-friendly alternative to many fabrics.
Fibers used to make Modal are processed longer than rayon, which makes Modal stronger, breathable, and more comfortable. Modal is a stretchy, water absorbent fabric that doesn’t crease or pill. It drapes well, absorbs color easily, it doesn’t shrink, and at the end of its lifecycle, it’s biodegradable. Modal is easily blended with other fibers, and Lenzing has crafted lighter versions called MicroModal and Modal Air. Modal is a luxurious eco-friendly fabric that is very appealing to many fashion designers.
On a side note, I’ve promised Amber, the lady who’s doing a great job crafting our SEO and SMM marketing campaigns, that I’d incorporate keywords into our blog each week to help generate traffic to our website. I think she’s trying to make our website designer, Patricia at Crown Design, look good! Here are the keywords I’m supposed to add to the Modal blog this week: “Modal cotton fabric, micro Modal fabric, Modal fabric dress, stretch Modal fabric, short sleeve linen shirt (?), Modal fabric shirts, and what Modal fabric”. I think that about covers it.
