Organic Clothing - How Can You Tell What You Get?

Feb 3
08:25

2011

Farrah Dobson

Farrah Dobson

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Did you know about the hidden benefits of organic cotton? Read on to find outmore about why organic is good for the planet, the farmer - and your skin

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That is a question I often get,Organic Clothing - How Can You Tell What You Get? Articles therefore i thought I¼d complete a more in-depth discussion of organic clothing here. Allow me to alert you, this isn't going to be the typical tree hugging point of view.While I grew up in Europe, getting an apple meant wandering into the back garden and… you guessed it: picking one directly from the tree - yes I lived in the countryside for some years as a small child. Since that time grocery stores, modern distribution and mass production took over. And with this came a huge use of pesticides, herbicides and other substances best avoided.When it comes to organic garments, the status today is simple:
Only 4% of cotton is organic, but use of organic is on a rapid incline (growing 40 60% over the last number of years).There are a lot more organic T-shirts as well as other garments around these days than even just three years ago.
Organic merely means that the cotton has been grown without the use of chemicals. It is much better for the farmer and considerably better for the environment-you probably knew that already.
Only few clothing brands choose to be environmentally friendly to the core - simplybecause it¼s not that simple to do. And it¼s a lot more costly.
However a couple of brands have chosen to work with only certified organic cotton. The yield for the farmer is much less compared to when farming conventionally, therefore the purchase price is more than 50% over what conventional high-quality cotton costs, and more than four times what low cost short-fiber cotton costs.
However, the benefits are enormous.Better conditions for the farmer. While it¼s possible to source cotton for organic clothing much more cost-effective the quality does not stand up, and I believe paying a fair price is important.
Better for the earth. While cotton at any rate uses a substantial amount water, the elimination of pesticides herbicides etc is one of the major arguments for moving over to organic clothing.When you buy organic clothing you should always look into the certification of the producer. Having said that, being a conscious consumer doesn¼t stop there.
Better for you. My early experiments with producers in India demonstrated that much of the organic cotton is not fit for human bodies, it¼s harsh as a potato sack to the skin. It took myself seven months of experimentation across two countries to create an organic T-shirt fabric that's light, super yummy soft to the touch and doesn't involve additional chemical treatment in the processing.
So any time you go shopping (online or off), make sure you find those T-shirts that feel really yum to the touch whenever you¼re looking for organic clothing.To a greener planet!

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