Organic Cotton

Did you know that it takes 1/3 of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one T-shirt?  In fact, cotton uses approximately 25% of the world’s pesticides.  The Environmental Protection Agency considers seven of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton crops in 2000 in the United States as "likely" or "known" human carcinogens.  Traces of these chemicals remain in the finished product, even after repeat washings. The chemicals used to grow conventional cotton may have serious adverse effects on human health and the environment. 

Organic cotton is grown in fields where toxic chemicals are eliminated. Organic cotton is safer for farmers, for you, for the environment, and for all the creatures with whom we share this planet.


Hemp

Hemp is the strongest natural fiber with many environmental benefits.  Hemp is one of the world’s premier renewable resource.  It is naturally organic because is does not need to be sprayed with pesticides or herbicides.  Hemp is excellent for re-claiming unusable land because it can grow in virtually any soil condition.  Its strong root system holds important topsoil in place and prevents erosion.  Hemp is a non-polluting crop that is a very environmentally sustainable. 

Hemp is also makes the perfect seasonal fabric.  It is warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  Used as protection from the harmful effects of the sun, it naturally repels up to 90% of UV rays. 


Tencel

Tencel is a cellulose fiber that is derived from wood pulp from sustainably managed tree farms.  Tencel is produced in an advanced 'closed loop' solvent spinning process, with minimal impact on the environment with economical use of energy and water. It uses a non-toxic solvent, which is continually recycled during the production process.

Tencel is considered a break-through and revolutionary fiber.  It has received numerous awards for its environmentally friendly manufacturing process, including the “European Award for the Environment” by the European Union.

Many characteristics of tencel make it a very wearable and comfortable material.  Tencel prevents the growth of bacteria without any chemical additives.  The fiber has its own unique technology of absorbing moisture from the skin and releasing it. 

Tencel is a smooth fiber that creates fabric with beautiful shine and a feeling of softness and luxury. 


Tussah Silk

Tussah silk is also called wild silk or "peace" silk.  Tussah silkworms are able to live out their full and natural lives.  Their cocoons are collected after they have emerged as beautiful moths.  Unlike tussah silkworms, cultivated silkworms are boiled in their cocoons during their transformation.

You can feel good about wearing this garment because you are supporting an industry where people live with nature instead of taking from it.


Bamboo

Bamboo fabric is a great choice for the environmentally concerned. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet, making it an important renewable resource. It can be grown organically because of its own natural anti-bacterial agent, so no pesticides are needed. The bamboo plant cleans the air of carbon dioxide and returns oxygen at a faster rate than trees because bamboo forests are so dense.  The bamboo plant requires very little water to grow, and can survive drought conditions.  It will also grow in poor soil that has been damaged by over-planting or toxins.  It will clean the soil and re-claim lost land for agriculture.

Many characteristics of bamboo fabric makes it an excellent choice for performance and exercise wear, as well as everyday dress and casual wears.  Micro-holes in the fiber allow for absorption, and the porous qualities create excellent breathability. Bamboo fabric also contains an anti-microbial agent called kun, which prevents bacteria.  Bamboo clothing is excellent for all seasons because it is thermal regulating. This means it keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  It also has naturally added protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

Bamboo clothing is naturally soft, comfortable and durable.  It has a natural sheen and drape, which is comparable to silk.  Bamboo is a fabric that the whole family will enjoy.

The problems with leather

Raising animals for leather requires huge amounts of feed crop and pastureland, water, and fossil fuels. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has even acknowledged that livestock pollution is the greatest threat to our waterways.

Although some leather-makers market their products as
"eco-friendly," leather is, in actuality, far from it. Turning skin into leather requires huge amounts of energy and dangerous chemicals, including mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives, and various oils, dyes, and finishes, some of them cyanide-based. Most leather produced in the U.S. is chrome-tanned. All wastes containing chromium are considered hazardous by the EPA. Tannery effluent contains large amounts of pollutants, such as salt, lime sludge, sulfides, and acids. The process of tanning stabilizes the collagen or protein fibers in skins so that they actually stop biodegrading. People who work in and live near tanneries suffer too. Arsenic, a common tannery chemical, has long been associated with lung cancer in workers who are exposed to it on a regular basis. A large amount of leather comes from India and China, where animal welfare laws are either non-existent or not enforced. Many of the millions of cows and other animals who are killed for their skin endure the cruelty of factory farming.

With every pair of leather shoes that you buy, you sentence an animal to a lifetime of suffering. Instead, you can choose from hundreds of styles of
non-leather fashions! Wearing leather hurts animals, the environment, and the people who produce it.


The problems with fur

Eighty-five percent of the fur industry’s skins come from animals living captive in fur factory farms. As with other intensive-confinement animal farms, the methods used in fur factory farms are designed to maximize profits, always at the expense of the animals.

To cut costs, fur farmers pack animals into small cages, preventing them from taking more than a few steps. No federal humane slaughter law protects animals in fur factory farms, and killing methods are gruesome. Because fur farmers care only about preserving the quality of the fur, they use slaughter methods that keep the pelts intact but that can result in extreme suffering for the animals.

Contrary to fur-industry propaganda, fur production destroys the environment. The amount of energy needed to produce a real fur coat from farm-raised animal skins is approximately 15 times that needed to produce a fake fur garment. Nor is fur biodegradable, due to the chemical treatment applied to stop the fur from rotting. The process of using these chemicals is dangerous because it can cause water contamination. Although the majority of animals slaughtered for their fur come from factory farms, trappers worldwide kill millions of animals every year for the clothing industry, using cruel and painful traps.

Every year, dogs, cats, birds, and other animals, including endangered species, are crippled or killed by traps. Trappers call these animals “trash kills” because they have no economic value. State regulations on how often trappers must check their traps vary from 24 hours to one week. Some states have no regulations at all. Animals can suffer for days before they die or are rescued.

Contrary to fur-industry propaganda and deception, there is no ecologically sound reason to trap animals for “wildlife management.” Trapping disrupts wildlife populations by killing healthy animals needed to keep their species strong, and populations are further damaged when the parents of young animals are killed. Left alone, animal populations can and do regulate their own numbers. Even if human intervention or an unusual natural occurrence caused an animal population to rise temporarily, the group would soon stabilize through natural processes, no more cruel than the pain and trauma of being trapped by humans.

Compassion is always in fashion! Always choose faux-furs and encourage others to do so as well. Consumers need to know that every fur coat, lining, or trim represents the suffering of animals, whether they were trapped or farmed. This cruelty will end only when the public refuses to buy or wear fur.