Why hemp
Hemp has been part of human life for thousands of years. We’ve made cloth and rope from its fibres, food and oil from its seeds, medicine from its flowers and shelter from its stalk. Today, as demand grows for materials that don’t depend on fossil fuels, we believe this ancient plant has a future worth re-discovering.
That’s why we founded The Ornament Hemp Company, to bring hemp back into everyday life and restore its reputation as a plant with a lot to offer.
One Plant. A Lot of Possibilities
Almost every part of hemp has a purpose. Its seeds become food and oil. The long, strong fibres around its stem can be spun into textiles or made into rope and paper. The woody centre can be used in insulation and building materials, while the leaves can be dried for tea. Hemp is also being explored as an ingredient in new materials that could replace some conventional plastics. One plant, many ways to make something useful.
Hemp grows quickly, taking CO₂ from the atmosphere as it grows. That gives it real potential, but the finished product’s footprint also depends on how the plant is farmed, processed, transported and used. For us, choosing hemp is a starting point. Understanding the whole journey is part of making better things.
A History Worth Rediscovering
In ancient China, hemp was woven into cloth and used to make rope, fishing nets and paper. Its seeds were valued as food, while its flowers also had a place in traditional medicine. Hemp appears in Chinese folklore through Magu, often called the hemp goddess and associated with natural healing and longevity. Our friend and artist Felix De Kapitein brings her to life in the illustration shown here.
Hemp also travelled through the histories of Egypt, Europe and countless working communities that depended on strong, useful fibre. In the Netherlands, it became part of life at sea: its fibres were made into the ropes and sails that helped Dutch ships cross the world. On land, hemp’s deep roots could improve soil structure, giving growers another reason to value the crop.
We’re drawn to that history because it makes hemp feel less like a new discovery and more like knowledge we’re ready to pick up again.
Why did we abandon it?
In the 1930s, public fear of cannabis grew alongside sensational newspaper stories. In the United States, Federal Bureau of Narcotics commissioner Harry Anslinger pushed for the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act. Publisher William Randolph Hearst’s newspapers were among the outlets that helped give frightening stories about cannabis a wide audience. Hemp growers, whose crop had long been used for fibre and seed, were caught in the same wave of restrictions.
There are bigger theories about timber and fossil fuel interests deliberately taking hemp out of the picture. Hemp had the potential to compete with established materials, but the claim of a coordinated plot hasn’t been proven. What we can say is that fear and policy made a useful plant much harder to grow and use. We’re still feeling the effects of that lost time.
Why We Wear It
Hemp brings strength, breathability and a natural texture to a garment. We blend it with organic cotton for a softer feel from the first wear, while keeping the character we love in hemp.
Heading out for a long hike? The fabric feels comfortable and breathable throughout the day. If your shirt has been worn but isn’t dirty, hang it somewhere airy overnight. It may be ready for another wear without an extra wash cycle.
When it does need a wash, machine wash at 30°C and hang it on the line until fully dry. The creases soften as it dries. No ironing necessary.
Hemp vs Cotton
Cotton has earned its place in our wardrobes. It’s soft, familiar and comfortable. But conventional cotton farming can require significant water and chemical inputs, depending on where and how it is grown. Hemp grows quickly, needs relatively little water to cultivate and is naturally resistant to many insects. Its long fibres bring strength and a distinctive texture to clothing.
We use 55% hemp and 45% certified organic cotton because the two fibres work well together. Hemp gives the fabric its character and strength; cotton makes it soft enough to reach for every day. The organic cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides, making the way it is farmed part of our material choice.
Neither crop tells the whole story of a garment. Processing, dyeing, transport and how long you wear it matter too. For us, this blend is a practical way to put hemp first while making a shirt you’ll want to keep wearing.
Where We Begin
We’re starting with clothing, but our vision for Ornament Hemp goes much further. We want to build a leading brand for hemp lifestyle goods: thoughtful everyday products that make use of more of the plant’s potential. Think of hemp home goods, soaps and shampoo, or products made with hemp-based materials, from sunglasses to lunchboxes.
Every garment we make today is made with intention and reason behind every stitch. As the company grows, we want to reinvest what we earn into developing more quality hemp products and help bring this remarkable plant back into everyday life.
We believe a company can grow while doing good for people and the planet. The Ornament Hemp Co. is our way of proving it.
