Eco Friendly Fashion

With the growing trend in Eco friendly products, it is not all that surprising that there is a rise in sustainable fashion, or eco fashion. According to Wikipedia, sustainable fashion is part of a trend in sustainable design, "where a product is created and produced with consideration to the environmental and social impact it may have throughout its total life span, including its carbon footprint."

Keeping the idea of sustainability in mind, fashion designers are now introducing environmentally conscious methods of designing and producing their clothing. According to the May 2007 edition of Vouge, this trend in sustainability may prove to be long term, especially if you consider how popular environmentally conscious products are these days.

Earth Pledge, a non-profit organization committed to promoting sustainable development, states that "At least 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles and 25% of the world's pesticides are used to grow non-organic cotton. This causes irreversible damage to people and the environment, and still two thirds of a garment's carbon footprint will occur after it is purchased."

If designers are turning to earth friendly clothing, just what are they making it out of? And is it possible to make modern clothing without making them look like what Wikipedia calls "hippy clothing"? The answer is yes, but at a cost. The effort it takes to minimize environmental harm in the growth, production, and shipping of these products is far more expensive than products made conventionally.

Despite the high cost, eco friendly clothing is getting a lot of attention, especially from celebrities such as Stella McCartney, Rogan Gregory, Peter Ingwersen, Ali Hewson, Bono, and Summer Rayne Oakes who have recently drawn attention to eco friendly fashion. Other celebrities that have been associated with eco friendly fashion include Natalie Portman, Cameron Diaz, Alicia Silverstone, Adrian Grenier, Jennifer Aniston, and Salma Hayek. Portland Fashion Week, which has showcased earth friendly fashion since 2005, has gained international attention for its efforts to showcase 100% eco friendly designs.

Cotton, one of the top materials used to make clothing, has a very large carbon footprint due to the way it is cultivated and produced. Organic cotton, on the other hand, is far more sustainable and does not contain destructive toxic pesticides or fertilizers. Some designers have actually begun experimenting with bamboo fiber, which Wikipedia says "absorbs greenhouse gases during its life cycle and grows quickly and plentifully without pesticides". Unfortunately, bamboo fiber causes environmental damage due to the chemicals used to create a soft viscose from the hard bamboo.

So what is the best natural material to use in fabrics? Some people say that hemp is the best choice for eco fabrics because it grows easily. Sadly, it is illegal to grow hemp in some countries. It is arguable that recycled, reclaimed, surplus, and vintage fabrics are the best choice, since the raw materials require no agriculture and no manufacturing to produce.

Wikipedia states that "another alternative to sustainable fashion has emerged that uses synthetic fibers with a process called AirDye technology that eliminates all water from the dyeing and printing process. While critics still point to the chemicals used in making synthetic materials, this method significantly reduces water consumption and pollution, while cotton (organic or not) uses a tremendous amount of water during the growth and dyeing phases."

There is certainly a lot of controversy surrounding the use of eco friendly materials, so it is always a good idea to do a little research if you want to get truly eco friendly clothing. Even so, it is nice to know there are eco friendly alternatives out there.

If you are interested in buying Eco friendly clothing, here are a few websites you can check out: www.thegreenloop.com, www.whiteapricot.com, and www.happyhippie.com. You can also check out American Apparel, REI, Levi Strauss, Jonano, and Rawganique. More information on eco friendly fashion can be found at http://www.modelinia.com/articles/eco-friendly-fashion/5033 and http://environment.about.com/od/earthtalkcolumns/a/ecofashion.htm.