Stylish Statement — Great Clothing Made from Organic & Sustainable Materials

T-shirts made out of hemp, baggy pants of bamboo, loose fitting tops of organic cotton? I’m here to attest that beautiful clothing does exist in the land of organic and sustainable fibers used for apparel. But first off you may ask why bother with clothes made from those materials? Because, they are coming from sustainable sources and not filled with harmful chemicals and pesticides that could pose a threat for you and the environment. I love the beautiful and practical garments and accessories that are being made from hemp and bamboo. A primer on hemp will give you the skinny on why it’s such a great product , but the quick takeaways: it’s made from the ever abundant cannabis plant, the plant produces long fibers which make it durable, and it’s a great insulator. In fairness about the style quotient for hemp garments, I would definitely stick to hemp for a drapey, long scarf — which we all need — or the cozy beach sweater.

Bamboo, dubbed the “other silk” or “eco-cashmere” should be considered if your wardrobe is going green, as bamboo is at the top of the food chain when it comes to a sustainable plant source. It grows super quickly, it’s a member of the grass family not the tree family, and can be harvested in 3-4 years. Bamboo is smooth and silky to the touch, hardly wrinkles and dries quickly. I really like the designer Jonano’s line of bamboo clothing.

When it comes to organic cotton clothing, the variety of styles is much greater and the price points do vary. You can really get some gorgeous pieces in organic cotton. Cotton is one of the first materials you should probably switch to organic while cleaning out your closet, here’s why: according to the World Health Organization (WHO) “…conventional cotton is one of the most chemically-dependent crops, sucking up 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of insecticides on 3% of our arable land; that’s more than any other crop per unit. That adds up to 1/3 of a pound of chemicals to produce enough cotton for a t-shirt, and 3/4 of a pound for a pair of jeans. And that’s just not bad for the planet; 20,000 deaths occur each year from pesticide poisoning in developing countries, many of these from cotton farming…” OK - so now let’s see what chicness we can find.

If money were no object, and even if it was, my favorite designer of all things green, Linda Loudermilk would be my first stop. Her clothes are sold at Greenloop one of my favorite online destinations for cool green clothing.

Some of my other hip favorites for men and women sold on Greenloop are, U2’s Bono and designer Rogan’s line, Edun and great jeans and tees by Loomstate. And for the athlete and folks out there who like their clothing with a technical, multi-purpose edge, Nau gets my vote. I’ve written on Nau previously (see piece in beYOUmag.com archives) and they continue to exceed my expectations as a company.

Once again, I’m giving choices: if you feel like turning your closet “green” there are ample reasons why environmentally and you don’t need to cut corners in style, value and durability.

Written by: Michelle Barge