Think Eco-Fashion Means Birkenstocks? Think Again.
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Today at 2:38am
Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Mommy Greenest:
I’ve always been a bit insecure in the butt department. Not that my posterior is particularly gigantic, but in the words of the fashion magazines that I devoured as a teenager, this was my “problem area.” I’ve long outgrown those mind-warping glossies and accepted that not all of us are long, lanky and lean—no matter how many hours we spend on the treadmill. But when I find a pair of jeans that lengthens my legs and minimizes my rear in the miraculous way that only good denim can, I wear them. And wear them. And wear them, until the thighs are threadbare and the hems tattered. And then I start looking for a new pair to replace them, because by this time the manufacturer has certainly stopped making the style I love, and any remnant pairs have probably been chopped up and made into eco-friendly home insulation.
Which brings us to today. The thighs of my favorite Levi’s are so thin, I’m afraid they’ll split when I bend down to pick up the Barnacle (read: Baby). So I’m on the hunt for a new pair. And given what I now know about denim…
* Most denim is made of cotton, which is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world and accounts for 25% of all pesticides used in the U.S., according to the Sustainable Cotton Project.
* It takes about two-thirds of a pound of pesticides to make enough cotton for one pair of jeans. (Put a pound of flour in a bowl for a scary visual on that one.)
* Pesticides like diuron and acephate used in cotton production are considered carcinogenic by the Environmental Protection Agency (not the most alarmist of organizations).
* Cotton production introduces these chemicals into the water table and food chain.
* 67 million birds die each year from pesticide poisoning; the chemicals have also been linked to mutant frogs found with extra legs and eyes.
...I’m going to want it organic. But all the sustainability in the world won’t make me squeeze into pants that make my butt look big. I tried on a pair of Linda Loudermilk’s ridiculously soft organic denim jeans last week, but they made my thighs look like sausages and gapped at the waist. Obviously destined for the long-and-lean category.
I’ve always been a Levi’s girl, but their organic cotton “green tab” line is so difficult to find. They seem to have phased them out online, and even at the Levi’s store, only a few styles are available at a time.
I’m heartened by the fact that oh-so-popular J Brand has introduced their eco-friendly Green Label and am heading off to the nearest haute boutique to try on a pair. After all, if I’m only buying one pair of $200 jeans every three years, that breaks down to just about twenty-two cents a day!
In the mean time, I’m just really, really careful when I bend down.
P.S. Some more eco-fashion facts to consider:
TRASHION
The average American throws out 68 pounds of clothes and textiles every year, only to have 2.5 billion pounds of the stuff diverted by the American textile industry for repurposing. Me? I’m recycling my denim into shorts, a skirt or, at the very least, patches. Because my new jeans are sure to wear thin someday. And I’ll definitely need something to shore them up while I search for a new pair.
COTTON-FREE ZONE
Most clothing is made of cotton, which is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world, accounting for 25 percent of all pesticides used in the U.S. according to the Sustainable Cotton Project. It takes an astounding one-third of a pound of pesticide to make one t-shirt and two-thirds to make a pair of jeans.
Dump a pound of flour into a bowl and keep that visual in mind the next time you go shopping—it’s easy to avoid conventional cotton when you’re searching for updates. Loyale Clothing makes amazing tops and dresses in organic cotton, plus the most perfect little black dress in environmentally friendly silk which will get you through a season’s worth of dinner parties. In the jeans department, Del Forte offers au courant styles in organic denim, manufactured under fair trade standards. Doucette Duvall’s little “green” dresses are made from rescued remnant fabrics and Viridis Luxe creates to-die-for hemp/ cashmere sweaters, perfect to layer up this Spring.
THE TRUTH ABOUT BAMBOO
Another cotton alternative is bamboo, which is a fantastic source for material because it’s totally sustainable–meaning it can be grown without chemicals and with a minimal impact on the earth. However, there are some downsides to bamboo productions. First, it’s currently grown primarily in China, and increasingly as a forest-clearing mono crop, which decreases biodiversity and can lead to an increase in pests—plus, the transit to production and sale in the U.S. is fossil fueled.
Bamboo can be mechanically processed without the use of chemicals into a soft, linen-like material. But chemical processing is less labor-intensive—and cheaper—which means most manufacturers working with the stuff use this method. Unfortunately, there has also been some question about the safety of the sodium hydroxide (or, lye) that’s predominantly used to “pulp” the bamboo from a fiber to a fluff that can be woven into textile.
Currently there is really no way to know exactly how bamboo fabric has been manufactured—unless it’s part of the designer’s marketing plan. However, the actual cultivation of the stuff is a clear environmental winner when compared to cotton. Conventional cotton is clear-cut at time of harvest, meaning the bare earth during that time is releasing more carbon into the atmosphere. In contrast, bamboo grows just like grass, sending up shoots continually, and is harvested in the same way–just like you mow your lawn. Plus, bamboo absorbs five times as much green house gases and produces 35% more oxygen than the equivalent amount of trees. No wonder the pandas are happy!
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SHOES
Greening your closet doesn’t stop at your ankles—the next time you reach for a pair of leather boots, think about the impact of the estimated 225 toxic chemicals used its tanning process. Yet vintage can be a little more challenging in the footwear department. Because most shoes mold to their wearer’s feet, it can be difficult to find pre-worn that fit right.
With so many faux leathers and suedes out there, it’s easy to eliminate leather completely from your footwear repertoire. Look for shoes made from dioxin-free polyurethane (a slightly more environmentally-friendly option that PVC) or natural elements like hemp. Kailia and Charmone both manufacture completely vegan shoe lines in artisan factories in Italy, and the drool-worthy hemp Nadia Ankle Boot from Sui Generis by Beyond Skin made sweatshop-free in Spain.
If you do plan to buy new and still want to wear leather, look for shoes made from so-called “eco-leather,” which is basically leather tanned without heavy metals like chrome, from reputable companies such as El Naturalista, Coclico and PURE by Rickard Shah, which also utilize eco-elements like recycled elements and packaging.
Oh and about those Birkenstocks, the symbol of social consciousness since 1966: They’re eco-leather, and the company uses every ounce of its scraps, and recycles the cork from the soles. Plus, with the right outfit, today’s Birkies can look downright chic!
Mommy Greenest is the brainchild of Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, a mother of three who reduces, reuses and recycles with her family in Los Angeles, CA. The site puts a voice—and a face—to the idea of gently persuasive, living-by-example, never judgmental, eco-friendly parenting. Rachel also publishes EcoStiletto.com, which dishes out daily eco-friendly fashion, beauty, lifestyle and celebrity advice to help shrink your carbon footprint from a ginormous boot into an oh-so-slender stiletto.
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of Healthy Child Healthy World.
image courtesy of bsdfm / CC BY-SA 2.0
