The company is also introducing a reusable shopping tote. The foldable, metallic brushed linen bag will feature a cityscape design representing every city where a Nordstrom store can be found. The bag comes in a little case that serves as the bottom of the bag when it is unfolded. Big enough to fit two shoe boxes, the bag will retail for  $21.95. Look for it first in the Northwest, Northern California, and Southern California.

Let’s hope Nordstrom’s next step is to sell clothing made from recycled, hemp and organic cotton fibers.

The post Nordstrom Bags It appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Because it’s botanically related to marijuana, many people believe that hemp is completely illegal to grow in the U.S. This is not the case, though it is not grown as widely as it should be. Industrial hemp is legal to produce, trade and possess in Oregon, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Vermont, though the federal Drug Enforcement Agency has imposed some restrictions. To be absolutely clear, hemp does not have any of marijuana’s psychoactive properties. You can grow it, process it, eat it, and wear it, but you sure can’t smoke it, even if you set it on fire! Meanwhile, Americans spend $360 million every year on imported hemp, and that number is growing. Wouldn’t it make more sense to develop the industrial hemp market here in the U.S.?

WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT HEMP?

Hemp grows very well in North America with no artificial fertilizers and pesticides required. The entire plant can be used, from seed to foliage:   as a diet supplement, for biomass fuels,  to make paper, boxes and bags,  even as home insulation.

Hemp is also wonderfully durable. I have a hemp sweater that never seems to wrinkle or lose its shape, and hemp shoes I don’t think will ever wear out. If allowed to flourish, hemp could become the foundation for an amazingly sustainable industry

So…what are the downsides? 

Hemp loses some of its appeal depending on how it’s harvested and processed.

The preferable harvesting process is called “field” or “dew” retting: plant stems are cut or pulled up and essentially left in the field to rot, which will naturally separate the bast fibers from the woody core. This is the process used in countries that have stronger environmental regulations.

The alternative “water retting process” is not so eco-friendly. Instead of letting the plant stems rot naturally, they’re immersed in fresh water, which then needs to be treated and disposed of.

Either way, once the fibers are separated from their woody core, then need to be put through a mechanical finishing process. In China, where water retting is common, chemical methods are sometimes used to make cottonized or flock hemp. These chemicals also strip hemp of its naturally strong characteristics. Like most other fabrics, including bamboo and cotton, hemp is sometimes cleaned and softened with caustic sodas. This is not an eco friendly practice as it releases harmful chemicals into the environment.

Hemp can be produced organically, just as cotton can be produced organically. Unfortunately, the hemp industry lacks precise consumer guidelines and it is difficult to tell whether hemp clothing was produced in the most eco friendly way or if harsh chemicals were used.

ECOLUTION® is a European company that is producing hemp in exactly the right way, as you can see on their website where they posted a visual of their processing steps.

Another company to consider is Sweet Grass Natural Fibers , an one online store that makes all of its clothing in the U.S., uses no plastic packaging in shipping, and invests in renewable wind power.

SHOP OUR STORE

In addition to the retailers listed above, we hope you’ll browse our store. We’ve found t-shirts, dresses, shorts, skirts, and even shoes, made mostly with a combination of hemp and organic cotton. At the least, you’ll get an idea of the variety of fashions you can now buy that are made from hemp.

 RELATED POSTS

How to Shop for Eco-Friendly Clothing, Part 1: Read the Label

How to Shop for Eco-Friendly Clothing, Part 2: Try Tencel or Lyocell

Clothing: What’s Eco, and What’s Not

Bamboo: Green, or Green Washed?

Dry Your Clothes for Free

The post Shopping for Eco-Friendly Clothes, Part 3: Choose Hemp 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.