Maybe you heard that Levi started a line of organic cotton jeans? Maybe you’ve seen the RED Gap ads, featuring numerous celebrities trying to raise money for AIDS in Africa? With a fractional amount of media coverage compared to Al Gore’s impeccably honest documentary, eco-conscious fashion is a key aspect of reducing your footprint on the planet.

Just as important as the food you eat, the clothing that you wear each day affects more than your own health. A whole host of farmers, field workers, factory workers, shippers, and sellers are involved; each purchasing decision you make has an impact on them and their business. If there is a clear demand for planet-friendly styles, then most brands will happily comply (i.e. Levi and Gap). But wait … why should you demand green fashions in the first place?

The Environmental Protection Agency considers seven of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton in 2000 in the United States as "possible," "likely," "probable," or "known" human carcinogens. It takes roughly one-third of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one T-shirt. With facts like these (provided by the Organic Trade Association), it is hard to believe that anyone would want to buy anything made of non-organic cotton. Over 65% of what comes into contact you’re your skin is absorbed directly into your bloodstream; makes me think twice before I buy another top. Sheep’s wool is another fiber that comes from a questionable background. Similar to issues in the meat and dairy industries, cruel acts against sheep raised for their wool have come to light recently, especially in Australia.

As savvy consumers, we have the ability to change the current state of the market by demanding safer and healthier products. Alternative fibers, such as organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp (much softer yet still as durable as it was in the 60s), are great options for fashion brands of all kinds. Unfortunately, fabrics aren’t the only issue to be addressed in modern-day clothing production; labor issues factor in as well. Sweatshops around the world; especially in South America, Asia, and Africa; continue to produce the major of our fashion purchases. As buyers, we owe it to give the creators of our garments an honest wage, as well as access to healthy food, clean water, medical care, and safe housing. Current conditions for millions of workers do not provide any of the previously mentioned daily needs.

Every dollar that you spend can be used to make a difference by buying organic, natural, local, or sustainable goods. You might be surprised to learn that it is becoming more convenient and affordable than ever to buy green fashions. The options are plethoric and I’ll be back next week to tell you all about them. Thursday, Feb. 22nd: How to find green fashions you can afford (a.k.a. why being stylish and green doesn’t have to be expensive.

I have long fallen prey to the “disposable clothing” phenomenon (NYT via Treehugger), buying clothes as absolutely cheap as possible. And of course, they fall apart rapidly. However, while Wal-Mart and Madison Avenue are not moving quickly towards sustainable clothing, there is a large movement towards shifting our manufactured clothing supply to use sustainable materials.

Organic Cotton

A few weeks ago I needed some new undershirts, and decided to go organic. There are a variety of manufacturers out there (see the organic cotton directory); I ended up going with Maggie’s Organics, due to their commitment to 100% organic cotton, as well as their utilization of fair trade in manufacturing their clothes. The shirts were certainly more than the disposable kind at Wal-Mart (13.95 for one shirt, rather than $10 for 3), but the payoff was great. The shirt is actually more comfortable than the bleached, poor-quality shirts I used to buy, and it can be worn with pride.

There are many other materials that are alternatives to plain old cotton. Of course the two conventional alternatives to cotton are wool and polyester. However, to me I feel that both of these fabrics have their own issues: wool is not always gathered in the most humane of ways (and sheep can be particularly environmentally destructive) and polyester is made of petroleum products. This doesn’t mean that you can’t find sustainable alternatives to the traditional wool and polyester (Patagonia utilizes recycled polyester for their clothes, and there is a humane wool movement). But there are two other fabrics that I’ve tired out: hemp and bamboo.

Hemp and Bamboo

Hemp clothing is widely available (see a list of hemp clothing retailers http://www.greenpeople.org/Hemp.html ) and has proven to be far more durable than conventional cotton clothing. I get my hemp from Patagonia , who make very nice hemp shirts and pants. Hemp also has the benefit of being typically a looser weave, so that it keeps me cooler in the hot desert sun.

Bamboo clothing is just starting to move into the forefront of the alternative clothing world. Bamboo is a very fast growing plant, which also takes in five times the amount of CO2 of an equivalent stand of trees (benefits of bamboo), and can be spun into fabric. I got a Bamboo shirt from Kavu—the fabric is tough but supple, and does not wrinkle much. There are lots of other bamboo retailers out there if you search for them.

All decked out in my sustainable clothes, I feel like I’ve made a small stab at changing the way I dress myself, and the impact what I purchase has on the earth. While it will be some time before I can say I have a sustainable wardrobe, buying some organic, hemp, and bamboo clothing is a small start towards a better world.