For centuries, ramie remained an overlooked fiber in the textile industry, its products rarely seen alongside the ubiquity of cotton and synthetic fabrics. The main barrier? Pure ramie’s higher price made it difficult to compete in the fast fashion world. 

However, the landscape is rapidly changing. Innovative blends now combine ramie with other fibers, making use of ramie’s natural breathability and moisture-wicking properties while keeping costs affordable.

Ramie is versatile for both casual and business-ready garments, while pure ramie fabrics offer premium quality for those seeking natural luxury. 

The Rise of Ramie: An Ancient Fiber for Modern Times

Ramie is a hemp plant native to East Asia (mainly China and Malaysia). Archaeologists have discovered Ramie fabric products in their investigations of Neolithic human sites, which means that ramie was used by people in East Asia 10,000 years ago or more. 

In fact, before cotton was introduced to East Asia, ramie clothes were the most commonly worn (silk was too expensive and only a few people could afford it). The natural breathability, moisture absorption, and anti-bacterial properties of ramie fibers made it comfortable to wear and less susceptible to disease for people who were mainly engaged in agricultural production at that time. Ramie fabric could even be used as an equivalent exchange item at that time and had monetary properties.

However, with the discovery of cotton by explorers in the Americas, this fiber plant soon spread throughout the world and became the natural fiber of choice for people all over the world. 

This was due to the fact that cotton had a better climatic adaptation (ramie is only suitable for growing in sandy soil in humid climates), as well as the fact that the British had improved the cotton spinning process, which resulted in a much faster processing speed, and greatly reduced the cost of the entire process of cultivation and production. 

Not only ramie, but also flax, jute, and other fibers were greatly affected by the rise of cotton. However, ramie was the most affected because the process of ramie fiber extraction and production was more complex and costly. 

Ramie Plant: A Sustainable Textile

Ramie is a bast fiber. There is a large amount of gelatinous material between the fiber bundles, which needs to be removed before spinning. 

In ancient times, before the development of chemistry, people relied on the ‘wet macerate’ method to remove the gums, and no pollution was produced. This technique for processing ramie fibers is known as ‘Shabu’, which has dozens of steps and is difficult to learn. 

It often takes decades of continuous learning before a person can master it. Currently, in China, the Shabu process is known as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. However, with the passing away of the older generation of people who were proficient in the Shabu process, the technique is at risk of being lost. 

In modern times, the extraction and processing of ramie fiber remains relatively complex. The chemical degumming process requires the use of large amounts of acid, alkali and water, which undoubtedly pollute the environment. 

It is encouraging to note that new technology is now available that utilizes biological enzymes for degumming. This technology can significantly reduce pollution during fiber processing, but at a much higher cost.

After solving the contamination problem of the degumming process, ramie, as a sustainable fiber, exhibits characteristics that are superior to most other fibers. This is reflected in the following aspects:

• Biodegradable: As a natural fiber, ramie is biodegradable, meaning that it naturally breaks down at the end of its life cycle, thus reducing waste and environmental impact.
• Less Harmful to the Soil Environment: Ramie is grown with minimal pesticides and chemicals, and uses less water than other fibers. Therefore, it has less of an impact on the environment.
• High strength and durability: Ramie fiber is one of the strongest natural fibers, and even stronger when wet, making it extremely durable in a variety of applications.

Botanical Spotlight: What You Didn’t Know About the Ramie Plant

Like any plant, ramie has a range of climatic conditions in which it can grow. In general, ramie grows best in tropical and subtropical hillside soils with a monthly rainfall of 75-130mm. Wild ramie also grows in temperate regions with lower temperatures and precipitation (but with lower yields). 

Moreover, research has found that some ramie varieties possess special properties, for example, ramie varieties adapted to cold climates have been found in the mountainous areas of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, where the locals would dry ramie’s bast fibers in the sun on the snow, which is impossible for the usual varieties —— because the cold weather would freeze ramie to death. However, this also means that ramie has good climatic adaptability and has the potential to be grown in a wider area.

Ramie has been proven to possess the ability to improve soil health. The ramie plant has a well-developed root system, which effectively retains water and soil and prevents soil erosion. Beneficial soil microorganisms, such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria and phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria, are densely distributed around the ramie root system, which improves the soil structure and enhances the nutrient content of the soil. Compared to conventional crops, ramie requires less pesticides and fertilizers, thereby reducing soil pollution and promoting a healthier soil ecosystem. 

Except for the bast part, which is used to obtain fibers for textile use, ramie has its own functions. Ramie leaves have a high protein content and can be used as a high-quality animal feed additive, effectively boosting the percentage of protein in feed. Ramie root was used by the ancient Chinese to treat bleeding wounds and for women’s postpartum care. Ramie seeds can be used to extract oil for making soap or for food. 

The Potential of Ramie Fiber in Fashion

Ramie is often referred to as ‘plant silk’ because of its natural luster and silk-like feel. Ramie fiber has a smooth surface, the fiber cell section is rounded and has a high reflectivity to light, and after proper treatment, it can show a luster similar to that of silk. The utility of Ramie is much higher than that of silk.

 Ramie has high strength and is durable. Most importantly, ramie fabrics are machine washable and can be cared for in the same way as ordinary cotton fabrics, without the need to pay higher costs.

Wearing Ramie fabrics is beneficial to the human body. Ramie not only contains antibacterial hemp sterol and other beneficial substances, but also contains ting, pyrimidine, purine and other components, which have a certain inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. 

In addition, because ramie fiber has grooved cavities and porous walls, it is rich in oxygen, making it impossible for anaerobic bacteria to survive. The ultrafine pore structure of ramie fiber gives it a strong adsorption capacity, which can adsorb formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ammonia and other harmful substances in the air and eliminate bad odors. 

After exposure to sunlight, the adsorbed harmful substances can be volatilized and the adsorption function is automatically regenerated. 

In the past, the ramie industry was not taken seriously (the overall market share of ramie products was negligible compared to cotton and synthetic fibers). This was due to the fact that pure ramie products were sold at a higher price, making it difficult to enter the fast fashion segment. 

Blends, which offer the benefits of multiple fibers at a significantly lower cost, are gaining traction. There are already blended ramie products available that retain the appearance, high breathability, and moisture-wicking properties of ramie. 

They are comfortable to wear, at a cost that is not much higher than that of pure cotton fabrics. If consumers want to obtain more formal, business-ready ramie-blended garments, there are also fabrics that look almost identical to cotton fabrics that have been developed. Of course, pure ramie fabrics still retain their premium quality. 

If you are interested in these products, you may visit our website to learn more: www.ramiefabric.com