Especially now that more designers and manufacturers are recognizing the significance of organic and eco friendly fibers, there is a wide range of styles and designs at a variety of price points just as with non-eco-friendly fashion.
Organic fibers can even have some advantages over non-organic fibers. For example, many people, when first exposed to organic cotton clothing, remark at how soft it is and notice a distinct difference to non-organic cotton. This results from the organic cotton fibers not having been treated with the variety of harsh chemicals that are typically used in the processing of non-organic cotton.
Also, some eco friendly fibers are offering a really soft feel and wonderfully comfortable drape such as in bamboo and Tencel® clothing. Hemp clothing often offers a stylish “outdoor living” comfort for a casual day around town.
Stylish details noticeable in organic apparel collections are very much the same as those that distinguish collections on a runway. Necklines that vary from rounded to V to square; sleeve lengths from short to long and three-quarter in between; and lightweight tissue-knit cotton to everyday jersey-style cotton for varying degrees of softness. You’ll also find pointelle stitching and raw-edge seeming for simple trendy touches; and buttons, pockets, cuffs and pleats that make the simplest eco clothing pieces come to life like any other.
Current style trends showcased in fashionable eco clothing include ruffle-trimmed blouses, puckered bandeau sundresses, tunic tops that double as mini dresses, and bubble hems that flatter every figure.
Eco apparel is also not just neutrals and earth tones, as the stereotype would like to report. Many manufacturers of eco clothing are using low-impact, water-based and environmentally friendly dyes (look for certifications, not all eco fabrics use safe dyes) to add vibrance and appeal. Collections mix and match prints with solids while varying fabric knits and weights to add even more stylish touches.
As with non-eco fashion, you’ll find a wide range of price points and styles within many eco lines. Some clothing companies just start with a few pieces of organic and eco friendly clothing out of their entire line while other designers like Jonano, Beckons Organic, Dash Hemp, and Kate Organic use these fabrics throughout their entire collection. These fashion lines are all great examples of stylish organic and eco clothing at a great range of prices.
The bottom line is you can find all the stylish and fashionable elements in organic and eco friendly clothing that’s fun and healthy for you and the environment.
Ed Mass is President and Founder of Yes It’s Organic, an online store for Organic, Fair Labor, and Eco Friendly Green clothing including adult to baby clothing, bedding, towels, mattresses, sustainable furniture, organic logo wear and promotional products for organizations wanting to improve their environmental footprint, and more. After being an environmentalist for over 40 years, including designing solar energy systems in the 1970s, Ed decided to participate more directly in growing the organic, fair labor and eco friendly industries by educating consumers and influencing their buying habits.
Ask Ed a question about organic textiles here!
Karlin W. says:
I agree, organic clothing is becoming more and more trendy! When I was in Chicago this summer I found very unique and stylish designs at stores like H&M and Banana Republic, including dresses. It was surprising to me, as most organic apparel I had seen previously was limited to classic shapes and simple T-shirts.
Now the next step is to find organic retailers that are selling certified organic textiles (to GOTS or Organic Exchange, for example)... that's a bit more difficult!
Jude D. says:
Except when it comes to plus sizes. Seems like all organic lines (that's I've seen advertized here and upon my own searches) leave off at size L.
Dallas F. says:
This is a reply to Jude D... I own an online eco-clothing store, and about half of the styles I offer do have women's and men's XL's available. You're right, many green manufacturers do stop at Large, but some of them do make XL's as well, and I try to offer those whenever possible. I've been meaning to add a note to my t-shirt section as well, I can special order even larger sizes for men and women for an additional $5 fee (to cover added shipping costs from Canada). If you want to check it out, visit my store, Element EcoWear, at www.ElementEcoWear.com. Happy greening!
Jude D. says:
Thanks for the note. It took so many years for mainstrem stores and designers to begin making fashioable clothes in plus sizes (and good luck if it's larger than 24-26) that I hold very little hope for designers using organic materials. Unfortunately I'd still have to 'special order' because I'm currently in a 3x (down from a 6x at least!). Thanks for letting me know I can do so through your site, though!
Dallas F. says:
Hi, Jude... Congratulations on achieving a 3x! Yes, the manufacturer of all of my store's t-shirts, with the exception of the Classic/Feather and Earth Positive tees, can make 3x or higher. I offer more than 300 high-quality graphics that can be printed on the shirts as well, if you like graphic tees. If you want more info on customizing, you're welcome to send an e-mail to me (Dallas Fairbanks, owner) via: ClientCare@ElementEcoWear.com . I haven't set up my shopping cart for custom orders yet, but I can make a special option for you to use to check out in the meantime.
Also, note to all: There are some really cute and sexy, stylish organic clothes being created by green-only companies, such as HT Naturals, Of the Earth, Indigenous Designs and Jonano. I carry many of their styles in my online store, and you can also shop Jonano and Indigenous Designs directly online for more styles. The Indigenous Fall line this year is gorgeous (and Spring '10 is going to be gorgeous, too.) I've been very impressed by their quality, and the Jonano eco-kashmere feels amazing!
Ed Mass says:
Karlin...all of our cotton and wool in clothing and bedding is USDA NOP (National Organic Program) certified organic. This certifies organic at the farm. GOTS takes the farm organic certification and adds organic manufacturing processes and fair labor standards. Therefore, I agree that it is best to strive for GOTS certification. We have some GOTS certified items scattered throughout our store, e.g. our wonderfully soft and warm organic wool blankets:
http://www.yesitsorganic.com/vermont-organic-fiber.html.
I always strive to find suppliers that are GOTS certified.
Jude...check out our store also - www.YesItsOrganic.com. We have several very nice organic cotton and bamboo shirts that have 3XL. For example, one of our best sellers is a bamboo dress shirt you can find here:
http://www.yesitsorganic.com/women-long-sleeve-bamboo-striped-dress-shirt-sanr-l637.html
and that's on special at the moment.
Another really nice one is an organic cotton polo shirt here:
http://www.yesitsorganic.com/women-organic-cotton-pique-polo-shirt-bandr-8606.html
Look on our department page for Organic Logo Promotional Products which can be purchased as singles as well as quantity pricing:
http://www.yesitsorganic.com/organic-logo-wear.html
Ed Mass (author of the above article)
Karlin W. says:
Thanks, Ed! The wool blankets look very nice... might make a good Christmas present!
We have been trying to find some GOTS certified organic polo shirts that we can have embroidered with our company logo for trade shows and stuff. Are your organic polo shirts GOTS certified by any chance?
Ed Mass says:
Karlin,
Yes, we have a GOTS Certified Organic Cotton Polo shirt on our Organic Promotional Products division of our company. We have a tremendous number of items available that aren't shown on our web site. We are developing a new web site for this specific purpose.
In the meantime, please go to our Contact page and fill in the form and I'll get back to you personally -
http://www.yesitsorganic.com/www.yesitsorganic.com/contact.html
Thanks for asking.