Organic
Organic fashion means clothing made with minimal use of chemicals. Much of today’s clothing is made from synthetic materials created using petrochemicals, which are harsh environmental pollutants.
Synthetic fabrics such as nylon and polyester don’t biodegrade easily and so are difficult to dispose of. When they do eventually break down they release harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Unfortunately when it comes to organic fashion, natural materials aren’t enough; cotton plantations utilise the highest levels of pesticides of any crop in the world, so you need to think about sourcing organic cotton, grown without the use of harmful insecticides and pesticides.
Once you’ve got your raw materials, examine your production process - many cotton and wool products are synthetically dyed and treated with chemicals. If your range is to be truly organic then you must think about using wool from organically reared sheep and vegetable based dyes, as well as avoiding cotton that has been treated with chlorine to make it whiter or formaldehyde to make it crease resistant; lots to think about?
Here are some useful links for finding out more about organic fashion:
pan-uk.org/Projects/CottonOrganic cotton
pioneerthinking.com/naturaldyes Making natural dyes from plants
soilassociation.org Organic textiles
