Fashion industry beginning to see green

ECO-CLOTHING POISED TO MOVE INTO MAINSTREAM

By Marcelle Hopkins
Columbia News Service

A decade ago, environmentally friendly clothing brought to mind hemp smocks and Birkenstocks. But today, eco-fashion is low-rise, boot-cut jeans; little black dresses; Versace; and Armani.

With the help of name-brand designers and celebrities, environmentally friendly fashions are getting noticed and are poised for mainstream acceptance. Companies like Nike, American Apparel and Eileen Fisher are offering green items. Clothes made from organic cotton and wool, bamboo, and even soybean and corn-based fibers are showing up on the catwalks and in stores across North America.

Last month, Levi's began selling 100 percent organic cotton jeans. Organic versions of Levi's signature 501 jeans are dyed with natural indigo. The organic Capital E jeans, which retail for $245, have recycled buttons and rivets. Next year, Levi's plans to offer organic cotton jeans in more styles.

The use of organic cotton has increased as producers and consumers become more aware of the environmental costs of conventionally grown cotton. According to the Sustainable Cotton Project, a third of a pound of pesticides is used to produce the cotton for one T-shirt, and 25 percent of all pesticides used in U.S. agriculture are used on cotton.

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