organic bamboo clothing

So, let’s just get this straight right out of the gate: the clothes you wear have a drastic impact on the environment. Or, more specifically, what those clothes are made out of.

“What?!? Clothes?” you ask. “But I drive a Prius, I cook tofu for dinner, and I replaced all my lightbulbs with those long-lasting, expensive ones! I’m doing my part! And besides, I like fashionable clothes… that hippie stuff doesn’t do it for me- no offense.”

But it’s true- the clothes you wear, just like literally every purchasing decision you make, can have a big impact on the environment, for several reasons. And with the birth of eco-fashion, you don’t even have to wear scratchy hemp skirts and Birks. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. 

Eco-fashion is relatively new term that encompasses all the various fabrics and production methods that lessen the environmental footprint of the typically not-so-eco-friendly fashion industry. Eco-fashion includes natural fabrics made from bamboo, hemp, organic cotton and linen, as well as some new, crazy fabrics made from things like wood pulp, soy and seaweed. Fabrics made from recycled materials like plastic bottles (or just recycled clothes) are also cosidered eco-fashion. Some people claim that organic wool and silk are eco-friendly, but in my opinion there ain’t nothin’ friendly about animals in capitivity or dead worms in my shirt, so I’m leaving them out.

There are many, many reasons to not support the traditional fashion industry. The first, and probably the most publicly-known, is the good old-fashioned sweat shops and child labor these companies use so that we can enjoy $5 T-shirts. We all remember the Kathie Lee Gifford scandal.

The disregard that many of us have towards people in other countries is appalling, and turning a blind eye is simply supporting this disgraceful practice. Generally speaking, companies engaging in eco fashion don’t use sweat shops and they pay their workers a living wage, so you can sleep well knowing your karma is good to go.

Another big problem with your average $5 T-shirt from Walmart (or a $50 T-shirt from Macy’s, for that matter) is the cotton it’s made from. I know– cotton seems so earthy and natural, and the people in those cotton commercials look so comfy. But did you know that those people are sitting in a T-shirt that’s been pumped with pounds of chemicals since day 1? Chemicals aren’t comfy.

Traditional cotton is grown using a variety of pesticides, many of which are known to cause cancer. These chemicals don’t just wind up in your socks. They pollute the land, and they run off into rivers, killing animals and polluting our drinking water. They can even pollute the air when they’re sprayed with crop dusters.

Traditional fabric production also uses harsh chemicals in the production and finishing of fabrics. Many of the dyes and bleaches used on our clothing are linked to cancer, and in many parts of the world (usually the same parts with the sweat shops and child labor) these chemical processes aren’t regulated, and the waste is dumped into rivers. And most of these fabrics are treated with formaldehyde (yup, embalming fluid) to make them “wrinkle free.”

Eco-fashion attempts to solve these problems by using organically-grown fibers like organic cotton. Hemp, bamboo and linen, while not always “certified organic,” are actually naturally grown with very few chemicals. Bamboo actually has a positive impact on the environment; it can grow a foot per day, and when it’s mature it has a bio-mass 40% greater than a hardwood forest of the same size, making it great for the air.

Your average polyester pants suit, while sidestepping the pesticide problem, is no better for the environment. Synthetic fabrics are made out of oil, so not only are they increasing our dependency on this non-renewable resource, they are polluting the environment through every step of their production. From the massive oil drilling operations to the oil used as fuel to transport the oil and during the creation of the fabric, wearing oil-based fabrics is practically right up there with driving a Hummer.

To top it all off, even when you finally break down and toss out your polyester pants suit, it won’t be breaking down for a long, long time. You know it to be true; you’ve probably seen some polyester or nylon clothing out there, purchased in the 70s but still looking frighteningly new. It’s made out of oil, after all… just like your soda bottles. So into the landfill it goes, omitting toxins into the earth as it sits.

Eco-fashion seeks to remedy this situation in 2 ways. First, the eco-fashion industry relies on natural fibers that are biodegradable, and toxin-free so they won’t leak out chemicals once they’re in the ground. Ecofashion also tries to help out with the synthetic materials that are already here by promoting recycled clothing, including techniques to manufacture fleece out of recycled plastic as well as simply turning your polyester pants into a patchwork quilt (yes, I’ve done this- just back it with an organic bamboo sheet so it’s cozy).

Eco-fashion is a vital part of the overall enviromental movement. Purchasing things that are eco-friendly is important, and with all the new eco-friendly clothing companies out there you can find fashionable items made from things like bamboo or organic cotton, so you can look good and feel good. Check out our variety of bamboo clothing, and support fashion with a conscience today.

It’s pretty obvious that cotton is the most widely used fabric in the world. In fact, 5% of all the cultivated land in the world is covered in it. If I was a betting woman, I’d say you’re probably wearing some right now.

But did you know that traditional cotton farming poses a huge threat to our environment, and to our health as well?

Did you know that cotton production accounts for 25% of all the pesticides used in the whole world each year?

What’s more, the 5 pesticides most often used on cotton (cyanide, dicofol, naled, porpargite and triluralin) are scientifically known as Category I and II cancer-causing chemicals.

But as most of us known, pesticides don’t just pollute the plant they’re intended to “protect.” They run into the rivers, contaminate the groundwater, and even the air when they’re sprayed with a crop duster (less than 25% of the chemical actually lands on the plant when sprayed from a duster.) When you take into account that 1/3 pound of ferilizer is used for each pound of cotton produced, you have some serious environmental impact.

A few more cotton facts from www.ecochoices.com:

In California, it has become illegal to feed the leaves, stems, and short fibers of cotton known as ‘gin trash’ to livestock, because of the concentrated levels of pesticide residue. Instead, this gin trash is used to make furniture, mattresses, tampons, swabs, and cotton balls. The average American woman will use 11,000 tampons or sanitary pads during her lifetime.

The problems with clothing production don’t stop in the field. During the conversion of conventional cotton into clothing, numerous toxic chemicals are added at each stage— silicone waxes, harsh petroleum scours, softeners, heavy metals, flame and soil retardants, ammonia, and formaldehyde— to name just a few.

Buying organic and living an organic, eco-friendly lifestyle isn’t just about money or trends or rock stars throwing a concert. The choices you and I make every single day with our dollars are just as important as the votes we will cast in 2008. (And God knows those votes are important.)

Every time you buy an organic product, be it a T-shirt or a package of spring mix, you’re making a point - we don’t need to just accept chemicals in our food, clothing, personal products or drinking water. You’re also helping support companies who share your values.

We’re living in a great time of transition. Every day, more and more organic products are becoming available. Organic cotton clothing can now be found in a multitude of places - Nike even has an organic cotton clothing line (although I’m pretty partial to organic bamboo clothing!) Eco-fashion is a fast growing segment of the retail marketplace, and the new alternative, organic fibers hold even more opportunities.

Maybe someday “organic” won’t even be a label… just the way things are. Although I guess that wouldn’t be good for my domain name!