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In this article I have decided to look behind some of the hype about organic textiles and their sustainability and find the materials which are truly sustainable and eco friendly. Global awareness of the real price of clothing is growing and consumers are pushing for more eco friendly apparel. There are more reported cases of people experiencing health problems such as rashes, allergies, respiratory problems and difficulties with focusing mentally due to chemical sensitivities and many have found organic clothing to be helpful in reducing exposure to the vast amount of toxic chemicals we are unknowingly exposed to on a daily basis.

COTTON

Cotton is a wonderful fibre for making clothes but it is now recognized that conventionally grown cotton causes great harm both to the environment and to workers with its extensive use of pesticides and insecticides which cause ill health to people coming into contact with the chemicals and widespread pollution by soaking into water tables. Organic cotton is grown without chemicals and therefore does no harm to either environment or workers but is necessarily more labour intensive and furthermore fields must be free of chemicals for three years before the crop can be certified organic. There have been huge global increases in the demand for organic cotton and the problem now facing farmers is producing enough to meet the demand. LaRhea Pepper of Organic Exchange says” In order to encourage long term economically sustainable sources of organic fibre we need to be willing to discuss and implement models that acknowledge the value of the product from the farm gate and continuing right down the supply chain”.

HEMP

Hemp really does seem to be one of the good guys. It has many excellent properties being environmentally positive with no need of pesticides and insecticides it actually improves soil where it is grown. It is drought resistant and can be grown in most climates. Textiles can also be processed from the fibrous stalks without the use of toxic chemicals and because it does not require high technology to process it is ideal to be processed locally increasing local employment and saving transport costs and pollution. Hemp has been used to make clothing for thousands of years and it is in recent times that it has become controversial. Cannabis is produced from hemp and growing hemp in the United States is illegal but it is produced in Europe and Asia and is now legal in Canada. It would seem a great pity not to utilize this highly sustainable textile.

BAMBOO

Bamboo is a material whose luxurious softness has been compared to cashmere. As a plant it is fast growing and highly sustainable and is mainly naturally organic. It does not require replanting after harvest but will regenerate from its vast root structure. Bamboo helps to improve soil quality and helps rebuild eroded soil.

There are two ways of manufacturing bamboo mechanically or chemically. The mechanical way involves crushing the woody parts of the plant and then using natural enzymes to break it down into a mush so that the natural fibres can be mechanically combed out and spun into yarn. Bamboo produced by this method is sometimes called ‘bamboo linen’. However very little bamboo linen is manufactured for clothing because this method is labour intensive and costly. Bamboo fabric for clothing is mainly produced by chemical manufacturing which involves cooking the leaves and shoots in strong chemical solvents sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide in a process called hydrolysis alkalization combined with bleaching. Both these chemicals have been linked to health problems. Low levels can cause tiredness, headaches and nerve damage. Carbon disulfide has been blamed for neural disorders in workers at rayon manufacturers. Because of health problems associated with this manufacturing method and damage to the environment it is considered neither sustainable nor environmentally supportable. The good news is that other newer manufacturing methods have been developed and are more benign and environmentally friendly. Bamboo fabrics can be produced without any chemical additives but ensure that it is eco certified look for Oeko-Tex, Soil Association, SKAL, KRAV or similar organic or sustainable certification body.

SOYA

This fabric is renowned for its softness, comfort, luster and drape combined with wash ability and durability. It is more expensive than organic cotton or hemp at this time and is seen as a new luxury product. One of the positives being talked about is the fact that the cloth is produced from a by product of food manufacturing of the Soya bean. Some Soya has organic certification but it is a small percentage.

My research did not lead me to anything very positive about the growing of soy but I fully acknowledge that there may be additional facts that I did not discover. Soy has been very aggressively grown with GM seeds in Argentina which has embraced GM culture. Crops were treated with glyphosphate during the growing season and a mono culture developed as other crops were driven off both by low prices and contamination from soy farmers spraying. New weeds resistant to glyphosphate are now prolific and further chemicals namely gramoxone(paraquat) and gesaprim(atrazine) have been introduced prior to planting. These practices are causing damage to stock and plants in neighbouring farms.In less than decade soya farming has driven people off the land, created serious ecological and agronomic imbalances, destroyed food security and led to dependence on technology controlled by a handful of multi national companies. I would suggest that before buying Soya fabrics it would be wise to check its credentials and whether it is certified organic.

If you want to hear more about organic cotton visit http://www.sonesuk.com
Pan-uk

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Clothing with writing on, logos, ripped bits, any sort of ‘worn’ styling, too flared, too tight, too baggy, I can’t stand. I like stuff that fits slightly more tightly than regular and neutral colors. I don’t like making statements through what I wear, except understatements, if you know what I mean.

It doesn’t help either that I don’t like shopping on the high street. It’s busy man. Real bustling, noisy, hot and bothered busy on those streets. And once you get into the shops it’s even busier, noisier and nastier than outside. Every time I try and buy even a pack of socks more often than not I’ll bail out amidst the cacophony of modern 21st Century consumerism and head home for the tranquility and peacefulness of shopping for clothes online.

Once I even went into a clothes shop to get measured then went home and ordered a pair of jeans online from the same company that measured me, because I just didn’t have the time or inclination to queue amongst the melee.

Until I can afford my own personal Bond street tailor the web is my shopping mall when it comes to clothes. Why? Because it means I can, in the comfort of my own home, (importantly) find those clothes I like (you know, without silly slogans on, frilly bits, etc) and browse through without the worry of getting shouldered by some over-zealous mother dragging her screaming kids down the clothing aisle.

Shopping online for clothes is fun and easy. Rather than worrying about getting out of the shop into the fresh air, you are in a conducive environment for making rational decisions, rather than the environment that dictates: ‘it’s 5 minutes until the store closes, better get something, anything, otherwise it’s been a wasted trip to the busy and overcrowded shops.’

All you really need to know is what size you are, and even if something is too big or too small, most online clothes shops have easy to understand and helpful returns policies.

Apart from having to wait a little bit longer to get your clothes that you’ve bought online - often deliveries will be just the next day - shopping for clothes online is miles more convenient and tons less stressful.

For me it’s almost a victory over the clothing products that I dislike, and the shops that stock them. Getting label-less clothing seems like a marathon effort when you’re in the high street. There’s a kind of perverse monopoly on style. But online there is a garment democracy, because someone somewhere is making and selling the types of clothes you like.

Be it boxer shorts, denim jeans or cotton shirts - even organic and fair-trade clothing - I can find them so easily on the web. Given that most online clothes stores are UK based and are easy to reach by telephone or email if you need more information, I am sometimes surprised that I even bother to go to the high street.

Maybe I secretly like being shoved around by irate weekend shoppers; although somehow I doubt it.

Sarah Maple uses Shopping.com to compare lingerie prices and find new and exciting products.

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