Lyocell, which is also sold under the trade name TENCEL® or Lenzing Lyocell, offers several advantages over conventional cotton and even rayon, another fiber made from cellulose. The trees Lyocell is made from are grown without pesticides, often in sustainably managed forests on land that’s not suitable for other crops. Though harsh chemicals are needed to soften the wood pulp so it can be converted into fiber, the chemicals are captured in a “closed loop” processing system so they can be reused rather than discharged into local water supplies. (NOTE: The Organic Clothing blog cautions people who are highly chemically sensitive to be alert to possible allergic reactions to TENCEL.)

Lyocell also offers advantages over cotton when it comes to water. According to this excellent analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council, unless the cotton is only grown using rain water, Lyocell can end up using far less water to produce than either conventional or organic cotton. Sustainable textiles expert Coral Rose notes, “I strongly believe Lenzing’s products are a key component to any sustainable fiber strategy, when considering all the environmental impacts associated with fiber growing and production.”

New Innovations in TENCEL® are giving way to several variations of the fabric. TENCEL® MICRO is a very smooth silky fiber, while TENCEL® with Multitouch can be used to make heavier fabrics like denim.

Shopping for TENCEL®

TENCEL® products are widely available, some at very reasonable prices. Forever 21, for example, offers a severl TENCEL-based garments like this blazer.

You can also find a huge selection of TENCEL® clothing at Tianello.

To try out a TENCEL® sheet set, check out Downlite  or even your local Bed Bath and Beyond Store.

Use Your Purse!

The U.S. has an extremely high average fiber consumption per capita, approximately 41.8 kg per year compared to the international average of 10.5 kg per year. Clearly, how we choose to spend our money on clothing directly affects the environment. The next time you are faced with a choice between TENCEL® and cotton, choose the most eco-friendly option: TENCEL®.

For More Information…

Don’t miss Part 1 of our series, “How to Shop for Eco-Friendly Clothing”

You can learn more about Tencel if you read this interview with Coral Rose, who has been a featured speaker at events such as The ECO-SHOW, All Things Organic (ATO), and Texworld-New York, to name a few. In this article Coral points out how rare it is to find a company that answers the questions “what is the source of our raw materials? [and] Where were the materials harvested, processed, produced?” Her opinion on the environmental impact of fiber growing and production is that Lenzing Modal and Tencel come out on top.

Modal
Modal, which is also manufactured by Lenzing, is made from beech trees. Modal is highly absorbent and, like Tencel, resists fading.  100% Modal  is most often made into towels or bedding, though it blends very well with cotton and is another great choice for clothing.

The post How to Shop for Eco-Friendly Clothes – Part 2: Try TENCEL or Lyocell appeared first on Big Green Purse.

The Green Moms Carnival tackles the clothing conundrum this month. Most of us bemoan how difficult it is to figure out how to buy environmentally-friendly fashions in the first place.

Mary of In Women We Trust regrets how few organic fabrics are designed for the boardroom instead of the beach, and points out the valuable role that the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) play in ensuring that textiles are produced organically.

Amber at Strocel.com compares polyester and acrylic, two synthetics made from fossil fuels, and comes down on the side of buying less clothing over all, and natural fibers over synthetics. “Reducing consumption pretty much always comes out ahead,” she notes.

Anna at Green Talk provides a comprehensive analysis of the use of recycled plastic bottles in clothing, as well as other textiles. A big concern is that textiles made from recycled plastic emit the chemical antimony, which has been linked to a wide variety of health problems in laboratory animals. Anna also reports that demand for plastic bottles that can be recycled into textiles has risen so much that some manufacturers are using brand new plastic bottles, rather than recycled ones. Talk about the law of unintended consequences!

Linda at Citizen Green points out several benefits to using recycled plastic, like the fact that “30% less energy is needed to down cycle the bottles into shirts than is needed to make them out of virgin plastic.” So what’s the worry? Plastic is still plastic, and will take hundreds of years to biodegrade.

Sarah of Practically Green provides a great set of tips if you’re shopping vintage. “Don’t keep it if you will NEVER be that size again,” she suggests — good advice whether you’re buying old or new. You’ll also love her pictures of the vintage clothes she’s snagged over the years, from a snazzy leopard clutch she lined with red leather (see photo, right) to her dad’s v-necked, cashmere sweater.

Keep reading. There’s more!

Lynn of OrganicMania goes for classics that never lose their style. While they might not be made from “eco friendly fibers,” these designs last forever – a real value in these days of fast, disposable fashion. Read Lynn’s post to get the inside scoop on her favorite retailer – a savvy store whose consistent color schemes and excellent craftsmanship make it possible to extend the life of any of the businesswear she buys there.

Micaela of Mindful Momma warns against actually buying clothes labeled as “smart” – since they may be loaded with “specialty fibers infused with all sorts of chemicals and technology” that may cause more problems than they fix. Micaela worries that “these products and technologies have not been thoroughly tested for safety on humans. Nor do we know the impact on the environment. Will the great new technology of today be the BPA of tomorrow?”

Jenn at the Green Parent suggests eco-friendly alternatives to clothes treated with fire retardants (aka, nasty chemicals that have been linked to a host of developmental health problems). High on Jenn’s list is organic merino wool, which is soft and naturally resistant to fire.

At Crunchy Chicken, Deanna raises a red flag about dangerous lingerie. While acknowledging that these garments “aren’t exactly meant to be worn for long,” Deanna notes nevertheless that the bustiers, bras, and corsets sold as “adult wear” are not made from fabrics you should be putting near your genitalia, “due to residual formaldehyde, flame retardants, and polyurethane.” A better alternative to these sexy but not-so-safe play clothes? A non-toxic or edible body paint. Chocolate, anyone?

At Big Green Purse, I tackle the question of bamboo. Is it green…or greenwashed? I compare bamboo to conventionally manufactured cotton (an exercise that would be so much easier if sustainable standards were in place) and find, that on several measures bamboo comes out ahead. However, organic cotton would still be my fabric of choice, and my post explains why.

Karen at Best of Mother Earth thinks the solution may be to sew clothes herself…if she knew how. That way, she’s sure the clothes she wearts will fit her criteria: “I have to feel and look good in it…it can’t cost a fortune…I won’t dry clean it…and does it even fit me?”

Maybe she can take a sewing lesson from Lisa at Condo Blues. Lisa learned how to sew without wasting fabric from her mom, and she’s heartened at the efforts the fashion industry is making to reduce its trash, too. Take a look at the knock-out Renaissance-era gown Lisa recently sewed, and you’ll be begging her to make some garb for you.

What about how much clothes cost? Lisa at Retro Housewife Goes Green reveals the costs hidden in the manufacture of clothes, noting that many designs today are manufactured in sweat shops that only pay a fraction of the decent wages laborers deserve. Lisa suggests buying designs certified as Fair Trade to ensure that workers receive a fair payment for their work.

Tracy at Inspire Planning addresses the cost issue as well – as in how much money you can save by buying “green.” To her that means, shopping for gently worn clothes that are fashionable, swapping clothes with friends and neighbors, and shopping online at reasonably-priced eco-designers. Another savvy tip? Peruse your favorite design magazines and websites to get a sense of current fashion trends, then dress up clothes you already have in your closet with accessories like scarves and hats.

Most of these posts link to additional resources on topics like eco-friendly shoes, handbags made from recycled materials, and more. Hope you’ll browse the “racks,” figuratively speaking of course.

The post Clothing: What’s Eco, and What’s Not appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Soft organic cotton T-shirts. Bamboo-based business attire. Versatile vests spun from recycled soda bottles. Raw silk scarves. Linen shirts, slacks, and dresses. Shoes carved out of cork and padded with refurbished rubber. From top to toe, our wardrobes are getting earth friendlier; they’re becoming snazzier, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mother Nature herself was inspired to accessorize her fig leaf with a charming little handbag hewn from hemp.

She’s probably also starting to breathe a sigh of relief. The apparel industry has never been a friend of the earth, given its often toxic impact on our natural resources. Every dollar we spend on clothing and accessories to ‘green’ our wardrobe helps protect our air, water, wildlife, and wilderness. Of that, Mother Nature would approve.

Shopping for ‘green’ a la mode, does not require the sacrifice of personal style or personal finances. I never travel without my trendy sienna-colored hemp sweater because it fits me perfectly, doesn’t wrinkle, and is easy to launder in a sink; I just wash it in a little hand soap and water, wring it out, and let it line dry. And guess what? It only cost $40. My organic t-shirts wear just as well as ones made from industrial cotton but are a lot softer. Plus, I get a kick out of the tongue-in-cheek messages on the shirts, like this one from Green Label Organics that takes Hummers to task.

The industry of sustainable clothing is expanding, providing you with a variety of trendy and affordable options. So choose ‘green’ this summer and dress your part.

American Apparel. Made in the United States and sweatshop free, American Apparel is notorious for providing customers with inexpensive basics like T-shirts, sweatshirts, light-weight sweaters, leggings, skirts, pants, shorts, bathing suits, and intimates. Their Organic Collection offers styles made from 100% USDA Certified Organic and pesticide-free cotton. The company also uses a low-impact dyeing process to eliminate chemical waste while recycling over a million  pounds of fabric per year.

Jonano. Supplies modish designer fashions for women and babies made from certified organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp fabrics. Their clothing is manufactured using Fair Trade Labor practices, and they use natural dyes with a low environmental impact. Added bonus? Jonano also uses recycled packaging and shipping materials. (Bloom Double Sash Shirtdress made from Organic Bamboo in Citron Yellow pictured right).

Rawganique Clothing. This company offers a wide selection of women’s and men’s clothing made from hemp and organic cotton. Rawganique also carries a large collection of accessories ranging anywhere from organic jewelry, handbags and footwear to organic sheets and towels. This company provides it all, and all at a reasonable price.

Fashion & Earth. Here’s another fair trade, sustainable and style conscious company. Fashion & Earth produces organic and eco-friendly clothing made from bamboo, organic cotton, hemp and soy. Their site is easy to browse, providing a large selection of chic tops, bottoms, skirts and dresses, jackets, intimates, and accessories. They also offer additional links to shop complete outfits, search green fashion guides, and read-up on why eco-friendly clothing matters. Get 10% off your first purchase.

Aventura Clothing. Manufactures beautiful and comfortable women’s clothing made from organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, and recycled polyester. Aventura’s clothing line includes halter tops, tank tops, blouses, jackets, bottoms (dresses, pants, shorts, skorts, capris), beachwear, bathing suits, and accessories. (Laken Bamboo Blend Dress pictured right).

Anvil Knitwear. Recently ranked the 6th largest organic program in the world by the Organic Exchange, Anvil supplies over 70 styles of men, women and children’s clothing and accessories in 80 different colors, including 17 eco-friendly styles in fibers such as organic cotton, recycled cotton, transitional cotton (or cotton in conversion) and recycled polyester from PET bottles. Don’t miss their TrackmyT.com website, which shows how a t-shirt gets made – and why sustainable manufacturing makes a difference.

The Greenloop. This eco-fashion shopping resource focuses primarily on sustainable apparel and accessories for women and men. Greenloop provides an abundant list of brands that employ a variety of responsible practices such as using eco-friendly, sustainable materials, and/or maximizing recycling and waste reduction. In addition to these practices, all companies listed on the Greenloop site engage in fair trade and sweat-shop free production. It’s an excellent site that will help you find most of the best brands, styles, and ‘green’ clothing available.

Of course, before you buy new, think about shopping at vintage or thrift shops. And don’t throw old clothes away! Make room for new eco-friendly fashionable finds by recycling your old-have-not-worn-in-two-years threads. To learn more, click here.

Also, be sure to check out Top Ten Ways to Green Your Wardrobe for other environmentally-friendly fashion ideas.

The post ‘Green’ is the New Black: Eco-Friendly Fashion Finds for Summer appeared first on Big Green Purse.

With the changing of the seasons comes the changing of the clothes, the cleaning out of closets, and the charging of the credit cards. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2004-2005 Consumer Expenditure Survey, women spend an average of $1,069 on clothing for themselves every year. Add another $823 to that if you shop for your husband, and several hundreds more for every kid you’re outfitting. With anywhere from $3,000 a year or more in purse power, choosing clothing that makes a difference could go a long way toward greening apparel manufacturers and the clothing industry. We can also put the three R’s to work-reduce, reuse, recycle-to improve our wardrobe’s eco-impact.

Reduce-Buy Fewer, But Higher-Quality, Clothes

Slow down. Buy fewer clothes that will last longer. The way the fashion industry works, what goes around comes back around. Beat the industry at its own game by building on your wardrobe, not trashing it.

Invest in good clothes. Buy brands that will last, even if you don’t plan to wear them every single season. You’ll save time and money-as well as resources-by not having to replace as many items every year.

Create a budget. Know how much money you can or want to spend, and track your expenditures the way you do other household items. You’ll limit the impulse buying that leads to over-consumption by becoming a master of the phrase, “It’s not in my budget.”

Reuse-Buy Gently Worn Clothes, Vintage Garments…or Swap

Buying used clothing offers another green alternative to new duds-and may ultimately conserve the most resources. Where to go?

Your neighborhood. An estimated twenty thousand resale shops offer fashion values and let you sell the clothes you never want to wear again for money you can take away or spend on other items in their stores.

Minneapolis-based Plato’s Closet offers the latest styles in name brands and discount prices. The company has opened some two hundred franchises since 1999 and planned to open thirty-five additional stores in 2007.

Crossroads Trading Co. is where shoppers can buy top-quality recycled and new fashions as well as   receive cash or trade credit for items they sell to the store.

Buffalo Exchange has thirty national stores whose offerings feature designer wear, vintage, jeans, leather, great basics, and one-of-a-kind items.

You can also swap clothes with friends and family members who are as tired of their outfits as you are of yours. Host a swap party. Set as the price of admission three or four articles of clean clothing and organize the rest however you wish!

Recycle Your Clothes

Clothes and shoes take up more space than any other nondurable goods in the solid waste stream, because, says the EPA, only 16 percent of discarded clothes and shoes are recycled. Despite the best efforts of charities and thrift stores, millions of tons of clothing are wasted every year.

However, dozens of charities like Purple Heart, the Salvation Army, and Goodwill will gladly take your clothes and get them to people in need. Here are some other options:

Dress for Success. This international not-for-profit organization promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire along with job counseling. Since 1997, Dress for Success has served almost 300,000 women around the world. You can donate suits, blouses, pants, shoes, jewelry, briefcases, black tote bags, and other appropriate business apparel.

Soles 4 Souls. Providing free footwear to people in need around the world, this nonprofit organization started after the Asian tsunami in December 2004, continued in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and today distributes shoes worldwide. It also partners with Dress for Success to provide career footwear.

One World Running. This Colorado-based nonprofit organization ships donated running shoes, soccer gear, and baseball equipment to athletes in Central American, Haiti, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe. The program grinds up and recycles discarded shoe material to build playground mats, basketball courts, and running tracks. Visit the website to find a drop-off spot near you.

Project Rejeaneration. Del Forte Denim lets you recycle your jeans. When you no longer want them, send them back (in the bag they came in) and they’ll be recast as a new piece of clothing. As a reward for recycling, you get 10 percent off your next Del Forte purchase (or you can donate your 10 percent to the company’s Sustainable Cotton Project).

The post Use Your Closet Clout to Positively Impact the Environment, Society and Yourself appeared first on Big Green Purse.