Making "green" sexy: Eco-Boudoir

Too many journalists writing about eco-fashion trot out the tired old stereotype that environmentally-friendly fashion was once somehow about hairy legs and Birkenstocks. It's always been about making smart, planet-conscious and ethically aware choices. And, as this video from Eco-Boudoir demonstrates, that can be pretty darn sexy. Not safe for work!

I am not completely happy with this site; the fiber information under "Good Pants" manages to omit the fact that bamboo fabric=rayon, not some new material, and it ascribes unsubstantiated magical qualities to the fabric on the basis of their presence in the raw fiber. On the plus side, they do mention some of the industry's misgivings about bamboo rayon processing, and they do not attribute magical properities to soy fiber, as some sites have. (It's good for your skin!)

In the News: genetically engineered cotton "oops"

The FDA has announced that a small portion of an experimental genetically engineered cotton was harvested along with an approved GE cotton variety. They emphasize that there is no food or feed safety concern from the incident. From the news release:

Based on additional data provided by Monsanto on the protein produced
in the GE cotton--a variant of Cry 1A 105 that acts as a pesticide
against cotton insect pests--EPA has concluded that there would be no
risk to animals consuming small amounts of feed from the unauthorized
cotton, nor to humans from consuming meat or milk from these animals.
While EPA has concluded that consuming small amounts of the cottonseed
poses no food or animal feed safety risks, under that Agency’s LLP
policy, the presence of this material in food or feed would be illegal.

 I am merely reporting it as an example of the the reasons why ethical fashion mavens would like to see more organic cotton and less GE cotton. Note their use of "small amounts" to temper their reassurances. So larger amounts wouold be a problem? Keep this in mind when Cotton, Inc. tells you that today's cotton is grown using fewer pesticides; this is how the magic is done.

Looking for eco-friendly textiles? These tips make it easier.

I've been kvetching quite a bit lately about the lack of information -- and abundance of misinformation -- about eco-fashion's latest darling, bamboo. The short version is that most bamboo on the market is rayon made from bamboo, and that it may or may not have any number of miraculous qualities. My personal take on the general topic of eco-fibers, as a consumer who knows the difference between rayon, silk and cotton, is that I prefer to do business with designers and manufacturers who treat me like a grown-up. My list of tips is still a work in progress, but here's the latest snapshot.

1) What do they call it? Finding "rayon from bamboo" or "bamboo lyocell" on the label makes me feel a whole lot more confident that the manufacturer understands the materials being used and federal labeling regulations. Ditto "azlon from soy" or "corn azlon". There is a reason why the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act exists -- to protect consumers. When someone buys bamboo or soy clothing or yarn, thinking they are "natural", they are misinformed. When their mistaken belief is based on a label or online catalog blurb, that's misinformation. Until the FTC starts enforcing its own regulations, the buyer needs to beware and be wary.

2) Are they honest about the pros and cons and uncertainties? As anyone who's pursued sustainable living knows, it's all about compromises and tough choices. Every day I read a dozen or so fashion bloggers gushing about a new company producing eco-chic clothing. When I look at the website, it's all hype. I appreciate the honesty of companies that are more transparent about the complexities of sourcing and who make an honest attempt to educate consumers.

3) Are they trendiness wolves in sustainable lambs' clothing? What's the difference between some breathless flak telling me that skinny jeans are this year's must-have and her "green is the new black" cousin in ecstasies over some trendy item made from recycled Post-it notes that is designed to be out-of-style in a season? Sheesh. If you want to convince me of your green bonafides, try for well-made, classic, versatile styles, not sartorial one-night stands.

Here are a few of my nominations for companies trying to get it right. Feel free to post your own favorites, as well.

Nike (yes, Nike). Not only are they using their corporate clout to build the organic cotton market, but check the fiber content for their soy jersey line of yoga clothing: "57% soy azlon/38% cotton (5% organic)/5% spandex"

Fashion and Earth. At the other end of the corporate spectrum is this small Canadian newcomer. I sent them one of my NWL "didn't you mean bamboo rayon?" comments and president Adrian Desbarats answered,

"I think this is an excellent point that you bring up AND, you are correct. I have been so busy working on company development that this little, yet important distinction, escaped my notice. However, given that there is some debate regarding bamboo, I agree that there must be clarity when providing bamboo textiles for the consumer – is it bamboo fiber or bamboo rayon? I will have this changed."

And he did. Wow. Integrity and customer responsiveness.

Bamboosa was on the scene when the only bamboo on most people's radar was the stuff invading their back yards. Readers know that I've had some heated email and comment exchanges with Morris Saintsing, their head of sales development and operations. While they don't use the R_ word in their labeling, their website is a model of up-front consumer information about their products and processes, even when that information is technical, such as their explanation of their choice of dyes.

Patagonia's website is more than a catalog, it's a textbook on the environmental impact of clothing. Spend some time on the Environmentalism section of the site (especially my favorite part, the Footprint Chronicles, which lets you see the impact of various products). Their explanation of their e-fibers selections is required reading for the serious green consumer.

Additions to the NWL green honor role are welcome!

Organic Clothing bamboo article, green fatigue and a nifty green wardrobe calculator

I am about to officially begin my sabbatical from my university, and will be spending most of my writing time on the book I am supposed to have completed by December 2009. My plan is to aim for a substantive blog post here once a week, with pointers to items of interest on other days.

Today's morsel comes from Organic Clothing, one of my favorite sustainable clothing blogs. They address some of the most prevalent conflicting claims about bamboo fiber and bamboo rayon, leaving the hapless consumer wondering whose advertising to believe.

I have also been following discussions about bamboo yarns for knitting and crocheting on Ravelry (sorry, you need to be a member to read the discussions, but if you are a crafter,go ahead and sign up to be on the waiting list; you'll love it!) and it appears that savvy crafters are catching on to the bamboo labeling dance. Believe me, when they find out it's rayon, they are not pleased. (Though it does explain why their lovely, soft 100% bamboo handknit socks won't hold their shape.) I am worried that the current eco-fashion hype and hoopla (not at all confined to bamboo, by the way) will result in green fatigue or worse: backlash.

Few fibers on the market are 100% eco-friendly, and we all must make choices -- well-informed choices. To help you make better choices, try out the green wardrobe calculator at Ecotextile News. You may be surprised to find that the answer is not so much what you buy, but how you launder it, how long you wear it, and where it goes when you're done with it.

Sustainable Fashion -- An Array of Standards

In any emerging market, there is bound to be some misinformation and confusion. Consider, for example, the decades-long negotiation required before we finally had reliable standards for the term "organic". Before that, producers could make all kinds of claims and consumers needed to arm themselves with information -- and questions -- every time they went to the grocery store. The sustainable fashion market has exploded internationally in the last two years, and with the amount of information and misinformation available to consumers.

In this confusing scene, standards and certifications -- voluntary as well as mandatory -- can be an important consumer tool for sorting out the claims and making informed decisions. What follows is a summary of a few of the most common standards which you may find in advertising and labeling.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations - These are the granddaddies of textile rules, and they should carry the force of law. These statutes define what must appear on a permanently-attached label, in terms of fiber content, country of origin and garment care. I say "should" because, as I have pointed out repeatedly, the FTC has not been enforcing these statutes in the labeling of rayon made from bamboo.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards and accreditation - The National Organic Program (NOP) is responsible for the development and administration of the standards for organic agricultural products, including textiles. It is a national program, so does not apply to imported products.

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is an important worldwide standard. The international working group developing these standards has a very ambitious agenda which may make it the gold standard of certification for ethical fashion producers and consumers:

The aim of the standard is to define requirements to ensure organic status of textiles, from harvesting of the raw materials, through environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing up to labelling in order to provide a credible assurance to the end consumer.

GOTS looks beyond the fiber harvested in the field and looks at the entire process through a lens of environmental and social responsibility. Serious stuff!

Bluesign is an independent industry standard that particularly focuses on ways to minimize or exclude potential hazardous materials -- hazardous to the environment, worker or consumer. Bluesign certification can be applied to man-made and synthetic fibers and dyes, which the agricultural product standards can not.

Oeko-tex is a textile standard that also focuses on harmful chemicals in the production and finishing of textiles. It is an important standard for consumers to understand, because there are actually different levels of certification. Oeko-tex 100 certifies that the finished material contains nothing that will harm the consumer; Oeko-tex 1000 is more like GOTS and bluesign® in that it concerns the entire production chain. (In other words, bamboo rayon with an Oeko-tex 100 certification is not necessary "environmental friendly" to the worker and the land around the factory.)

I will probably continue with this anon; it's a big topic. Reader questions and feedback are always welcome, but especially now!

Feelgood Style: Kindred Spirit

Imagine my pleasure in finding a kindred spirit! Delia Montgomery, founder of Chic Eco, writes on sustainable fashion at Feelgood Style, part of the Green Options blog network. (My, that's a lot of links...). Her recent post "Bamboo Fiber: Greenwash or Treasure?" reinforces the message I've been trying to get across here. Here's a choice morsel:

Conscious fabric retailers need to look for certification from an independent and reliable certification company. Currently, Oeko-Tex is the most comprehensive label for insuring that the garment is healthy for consumers. Other certification bodies are Soil Association, SKAL, or KRAV. Bamboo fabric buyers are wise to ask specific questions about textile development in addition to a label demand.

Tomorrow I'll be winding up my FTC coverage with a post about certification and standards. Stayed tuned!

2008 FTC Workshop: Cotton Incorporated

On July 15, I attended the 2008 FTC Workshop: Green Building and Textiles in Washington, D.C.; this is the second of a series of reports about the presentations and discussions. (To see all, select blog entries tagged "regulation".)

Some of the most interesting moments of the morning workshop focused on the interplay between the representatives of Organic Exchange and Cotton Incorporated. They were, or course, thoroughly polite and professional when making their own environmental claims with only oblique references to each other. But anyone who has been following the changes in the cotton market could detect the cracks beneath the surface of Cotton Inc's very public embrace of the "sustainability" label. Spokesperson Patricia O'Leary made the following points:

• Improved methods of growing cotton have reduced the crop's impact on soil, water and workers in the field.
• "Environmental friendliness" has consistently ranked below fit, price, style and color in the leading factors in consumer decision-making.
• Consumers are overwhelmingly skeptical or uncertain about environmental claims they see in advertising.

To address the last point first, there's no question that many consumers -- including myself -- are confused and frustrated by the proliferation of information and misinformation available, and the very loose use of terms such as "green", "sustainable", "earth-friendly" and "natural". O'Leary's recommendation to the FTC was that the Green Guides need to clarify the language used in marketing textiles. But is Cotton Inc's newest commercial (Green Fields) part of the solution or an example of the problem?

Yes, conventional cotton growing in the U.S. and other developed nations is much cleaner than it was even a decade ago. But according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the top four producers are China, the USA, India and Pakistan. China produces nearly twice as much cotton as the USA, and while both are increasing their cultivation of organic cotton, in China and other developing countries, pesticides and fertilizers are not only still used in large quantities, but are applied by hand, posing a significant health risk to the workers and their families, since some of these chemicals are linked to birth defects. Consumers may also be interested to know more about the "improved methods" used by US growers have adopted, especially the genetically modified cotton seed which not only helps grow cotton, but which, in the form of cottonseed and cottonseed oil, ends up in our food supply via dairy cattle or processed foods. So when you read Cotton Inc's sustainability claims, pay special attention to what -- and who -- they leave out.

As for environmental concerns ranking above fit, style and other clothing features, that's not surprising and it probably won't change for most people. But with 50% of consumers indicating this was a factor in their decision-making, doesn't that suggest that retailers who offer stylish, reasonably priced clothing in a range of sizes and body types will soon discover that being able to make an honest and credible green claim will give them the edge over the retailer who doesn't?

2008 FTC Workshop: regulation and certification of organic fibers

On July 15, I attended the 2008 FTC Workshop: Green Building and Textiles in Washington, D.C.; this is the second of a series of reports about the presentations and discussions. (To see all, select blog entries tagged "regulation".)

LaRhea Pepper, an organic cotton farmer from west Texas, represented Organic Exchange. Her presentation focused on trends in the demand for organic fibers (cotton, hemp, linen and wool) and on current and emerging regulation and certification programs. Overall, consumer demand for organic textile products has been rising steadily, especially in clothing for children.

Reasons for choosing organic generally fall into two categories: quality of life issues (allergies and sensitivities to particular products) and lifestyle choices, particularly environmentalism. It's interesting to consider that these motives suggest that the harm done by misleading advertising may not be a simple matter of an annoyed customer who wants to be green and is made a fool. People choosing organic products because of chemical sensitivities or allergies depend on regulations and certifications to protect them and their families.

Pepper pointed out that the agricultural nature of natural fibers means that, since 2002, producers of organic cotton and other fibers are governed by the USDA standards for organic certification. In addition, textile products are covered by several FTC regulations. Still problems exist, as consumers can be confused by the use and misuse of "organic" on a clothing label. The term "organic" can be meaningfully applied to the fibers used, but what about the dyes and finishes? (I wrote about this almost a year ago!)

What about lyocell?

When I share my concerns about viscose-process rayon (including rayon made from bamboo), I occasionally get questions about lyocell (probably better known under the brand name Tencel®). Generally speaking, it is a better choice, since it is sustainable (made from wood pulp from farmed trees), low-polluting (the chemicals used in manufacturing it are captured and re-used) and recyclable (just like other cellulosic materials such as paper). Still, it helps to know the drawbacks in case they might be a concern to you. It doesn't take dyes and finishes as easily as rayon, and that means that manufacturers might opt for processes not friendly to people with chemical sensitivities.

Smokin’ Threads: Hemp Makes Fashion Sense

Apropos of the comment discussion on hemp, here's a timely article from Greenloop about the virtues and the thickheadedness of the DEA and its ban on growing industrial hemp. I note with chagrin their tongue-in-cheek headline, just the kind of thing that got me in trouble on the Kojo Nnamdi broadcast. I am pining for a pair of Simple Satire sneaks when my current athletic shoes die.