Eco Friendly Clothing
More Than Green It's In Style Fashion

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A few years ago when I was researching clothing made from fabrics like organic cotton and hemp there wasn't a name that accurately described these fashions. It was often referred to as alternative clothing, which can have a very different meaning today, sustainable clothing or just organic or hemp clothing etc.

It has evolved enough to need a name that defines the whole field more accurately and at least for now eco friendly clothing or eco friendly fashion seems to be the most popular. It's all very new and it's a growing field.

Even if you are not someone who follows the latest trends you know the power of dressing well and being in style. The clothing we wear says so much about us and can play a big part in how we are seen by others or how we see ourselves making fashion a big force throughout the world.

It is a very large fast paced industry that consumes large quantities of materials and resources while giving little attention to those who make the clothing, how crops are grown, how synthetic materials are produced or the waste that is involved.

We are starting to see a shift in focus to being more eco friendly and ethical but many challenges lie ahead. Not only must the fashion industry make big changes but you and I must also be willing to change some of our buying habits. Learn more by visiting eco fashion.

Is it a trend or is it here to stay?

That depends to a great extent on you and me and whether we will include eco friendly clothing in our wardrobes.

We have more fabric choices.

New and different fabrics are being used that lend themselves to a wider variety of styles. Large and small retail stores are starting to carry at least a few items made from eco friendly materials. It may take some looking but they are there. It's a start.

There is more interest from designers.

More designers than ever are working with the new eco friendly fabrics and they have a bigger showcase as green fashions play a bigger part of Fashion Week each year.

A wider variety of prices makes eco fashion more accessible.

It seems most would agree that eco clothing is more expensive but growing organically, treating workers fairly or creating fabrics in the most environmentally sensitive way costs more. In fact, I am suspicious if I find cheap clothing with a tag that says it's green or organic. I suspect that upon closer look these clothes are not as green as they claim.

If eco friendly clothing is in your future the next step is to learn about the different fabrics both natural and manmade that are being used and how to make sure that what you are buying is really green.

Eco Friendly Clothing Fabric Choices

Natural Fibers

Natural fibers that have been grown and then processed in environmentally responsible ways have the added benefit of being biodegradeable while synthetic materials are not.

Organic cotton

This soft easy to care for fabric is the most used and most popular of all the eco fabrics. There are no limits to it's use. It's being made into clothing of all kinds from underwear to jeans and is a popular choice for infant wear.

Hemp

Hemp has suffered from a poor reputation but new ways of working with it has created some surprising results. It works well on it's own but also when blended with other fabric yarns. It offers quite a bit of versatility, making this fabric an eco friendly fashion choice worth considering.

Bamboo

This is a new environmentally friendly fabric and one of the softest. It is fast growing and needs little care so there is great interest in using it. For relaxed style you can't beat bamboo.

Soy

Another soft fabric that makes a good choice for baby clothes, yoga wear and pajamas.

Manmade Fibers

Tencel

This fiber is created by taking wood pulp and processing it to make fabric. Manufacturers are working on improvements in processing that are making this a good option for eco friendly clothing while giving us more flexibility to our clothing designs.

Eco Fi (originally called Eco Spun)

This fabric made from recycled plastic bottles is being used in clothing from fleece outerwear, sweaters, caps, totes and even t-shirts.

Recycled Fashion

Recycled Fashion

When looking to build a greener wardrobe consider adding resale and recycled clothing. Both take advantage of materials and clothing that already exist but are given a new life while saving resources and energy over creating new. Resale is particularly fun. You can wear designer clothing yet pay so much less. It's also exciting to see what designers can do with factory remnants that were destined for the trash.

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