Ninety-three percent of cotton grown in the U.S. is genetically modified, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, but that isn't stopping the market demand for organic cotton.

According the Organic Cotton Market Report 2009, Wal-Mart, along with Nike and Target, are major buyer of organic cotton.

This contributes to the global retail sales of organic cotton jumping to $4.3 billion in 2009, from $3.2 billion in 2008.

And this isn't new news for Wal-Mart, since 2005, Wal-Mart has been in the top five brands and retailers using organic cotton; number 5 in 2006, number 1 in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and number 4 in 2009.

Nice work Wal-Mart. Not too long ago South Park spoofed Wal-Mart for being an unstoppable force crushing local neighborhoods under the weight of their tremendous bargains and low-priced merchandise.

No doubt this supports estimations that global sales of organic cotton will reach $5.1 billion in 2010, and then $6.0 billion in 2011.

Image credit: In Search of Clarity

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

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.

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

I’ve taken a break from Thanksgiving menu planning to begin my eco-friendly holiday gift list.

The first item is Global Green Pals, five international-themed dolls made from organic cotton and stuffed with 100% post-consumer recycled plastic (i.e., PET bottles, usually used for soda and other beverages).

Each 12-inch, machine-washable doll wears clothing and accessories made from organic, natural and tested fibers, as well as low-impact dyes.

Both male and female Pals are available:

1. Clean Air Kate wears a sweater, denim pants, a matching hat, hiking boots and a backpack.  She’s a Chicago girl who rides a bike and plants trees with her family.
2. Pink Coral Laurel is an Australian snorkeler who cares about marine life, coral reefs, climate change and global warming. She’s dressed in a pink swimsuit, matching swim shorts, flippers, mask and snorkel.
3. Recycle Kyle is a Seattle skateboarder and dedicated recycler. He wears a T-shirt that sports a recycling symbol, shorts, sneakers and a recycling bag.
4. Carbon Offset Chet is an English pilot who flies a solar-powered plane in his T-shirt, bomber jacket with hood, pants, red bandana and aviator goggles.
5. Pani Rani is an Indian princess who helps conserve water. She wears a South Asian dress, sandals and hair bows, and she carries a fabric water bucket.

Each doll comes with an educational recycled-paper tag that explains his/her story. The company donates 1% of annual sales to One Percent for the Planet.

Angelina Jolie’s kids wear them.

Ditto for the children of Halle Berry, Gwen Stefani, Angie Harmon, Keri Russell, Melania Trump and Samantha Harris.

BabyLegs’ adorable organic arm and leg warmers have taken the world by storm. Available in more than 50 countries, they’re only $10 to $15 a pair and make a fashionably green baby shower gift.

The company uses SKAL-certified organic cotton and Oeko-Tex-certified dyes.

Check out these super-cute styles:

Natural cotton organic leg warmers
Colorful organic leg warmers
Funky Collection
Baby/toddler organic leg and arm warmers

Why is it important to buy organic cotton? Check out The Cotton Club.