May 26th, 2010 - Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese
 Organic doesn’t just apply to stuff you eat; lots of stuff can be organic – from household cleaners to clothing.
Take cotton, it’s a plant and plants can be raised organically, so that’s why you can now buy organic T-shirts and other apparel.
But organic clothes are harder to find than traditional clothing – and you know what that means! It’s more expensive.
Well, maybe so, but a steeper price and a tough U.S. economy wasn’t enough to slow the organic cotton market in 2009.
Published in the Organic Cotton Market Report 2009, figures show that despite the recession sales of organic cotton jumped up 35% from last year. In 2008, total sales of organic textiles and cotton were $3.2 billion, but 2009 topped it with $4.3 billion.
Cotton has long been in a mainstay in the United States and the processing of organic cotton cuts down the usage of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and helps promote agriculture diversity.
Someone bought me an organic Jimi Hendrix T-shirt once. It was awesome, but evidently my friend thought I was a gnome. It didn’t fit – way too tight! I looked like a tightly wrapped sausage…an organic sausage.
Image credit: Planet Protect
Read More: Tough Economy Hasn’t Hurt Organic Cotton Market
Tags: clothing, organic cotton
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May 22nd, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
Wedding season will soon be upon us, and the groom’s wardrobe is often overlooked.
An eco-conscious groom needs to look polished, dressing to fit his wedding’s tone and scope. Most weddings are formal occasions, calling for a tuxedo or high-end suit, which can be made from sustainable hemp, organic cotton or organic wool.
Generally, the tuxedo jacket is single-breasted, with three buttons and a satin trim—a style that’s universally flattering to most men’s frames. The classic wedding ensemble also includes a formal shirt, tie and vest.
Organic and Sustainable Options
To set themselves apart from the groomsmen and ushers, grooms tend to go with classic black and white, forgoing colors. On some occasions, grooms may choose to wear a white tuxedo. Conscious Clothing sells both black and white hemp suits.
Boll Organic is known for its organic men’s dress shirts, as is Culturata. Rawganique specializes in organic hemp dress shirts, as well as organic hemp dress pants and organic hemp dress jackets and vests.
You can often score bargains on bamboo tuxedo vests and ties on eBay. Ties (or bow ties) and vests can be completely black or can coordinate with the wedding party’s colors. For example, if bridesmaids are wearing butter-yellow gowns, the groomsmen can wear yellow accessories.
Casual Weddings
The exception to a tuxedo or suit is the casual wedding, such as one held at the beach or in a park. Ecolution’s Organic Hemp Palermo Sport Coat may fit the occasion.
At ultra-casual weddings, grooms have been known to wear eco-friendly shorts, shirts and sandals.
Read More: Here Comes the Eco-Conscious Groom
Tags: bamboo, clothing, coats, fashion, groom, hemp, men, organic cotton, pants, shirts, suits, ties, vests, Weddings, wool
Posted in Organic Living | Comments Off
April 27th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
Actress/singer Selena Gomez has teamed with Kmart to launch an eco-friendly clothing line in July, just in time for back-to-school shopping.
Aimed at tweens, her Dream Out Loud collection—featuring organic cotton and recycled materials—will include value-priced junior sportswear, handbags, belts, scarves, hats, hair accessories and socks/hosiery. Footwear will join the line in October.
Gomez, who stars in the Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place, “is a positive role model for teens, and her fans all over the world look to her for style inspiration,” says Kmart spokesman John Goodman. “We are delighted to offer our customers the opportunity to emulate her style with affordable apparel and footwear options.”
Gomez will star in the feature film Ramona and Beezus (opening July 23), based on Beverly Cleary’s beloved series of children’s books. Her first CD, Kiss & Tell, just went gold.
“I am proud to be able to join forces with Kmart to release my own fashion collection,” Gomez says. “This has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and I feel privileged to be able to give the consumer great product at a great value.”
Photo: Disney Channel/Bob D’Amico
Read More: Selena Gomez to Launch Eco-Friendly Clothing Line
Tags: celebrities, clothing, fashion, July 2010, organic cotton, Selena Gomez, shopping, teens
Posted in Organic Living | 4 Comments »
January 14th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner
Approximately 80% of all women are wearing the wrong bra size, often because we’ve never been properly measured or we believe our bodies haven’t changed over the years.
If your lingerie drawer contains bras you can no longer wear, consider recycling them through the Bosom Buddy Program, an Arizona-based textile recycling company that helps women in need. Recycled bras are sent to women’s shelters and other transitional housing facilities.
Founder Elaine Birks-Mitchell wants women to know that used bras often end up in landfills, so her program also offers a healthy dose of environmental education.
If you live in Arizona, many drop-off locations are available. Otherwise, follow Birks-Mitchell’s directions for mailing donated bras.
For your organic bookshelf: The Bra Book: The Fashion Formula to Finding the Perfect Bra
Pictured above: Ecoland Organic Cotton Wireless Soft-Cup Bra
Read More: Bra-cycling
Tags: Arizona, Bra, clothing, environment, landfills, recycling
Posted in Green Living, The Environment | 3 Comments »
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