Eco-Friendly Fashion

By: Liz Connelly

Posted: 4/23/08

The new trend these days is going green. Whether it is buying a hybrid or recycling bottles, many people are doing what they can to erase their carbon footprint. One easy and fashionable way to do something good for the environment is to start wearing eco-friendly apparel.

"Organic clothing, like organic food, must be made form raw materials which have been grown without application of man made fertilizers and pesticides," according to actifwear.com.

Bamboo

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of bamboo is the panda bear's main entrée. What most people don't know is that bamboo is a very valuable resource, for not only clothing, but for the environment. The bamboo plant releases 35 percent more oxygen into the air than trees do. It is a very abundant resource and can grow three-to-four feet in one day.

According to natural-environment.com, clothing made from bamboo is said to be softer than cotton. It has a texture similar to silk or cashmere. The bamboo fabric absorbs moisture quickly and draws moisture away from your skin. It is a good fabric to wear when exercising or being in warm weather. With summer right around the corner, finding a bamboo sundress or tunic would be a great summer staple in your closet. Adili.com, fair trade organiza clothing, has plenty of bamboo summer wear to choose from.

Hemp

Hemp is another major eco-friendly apparel resource that also benefits the planet. The hemp plant helps to prevent soil run off and preserves topsoil. It also yields 250 percent more fiber per acre than cotton does.

Clothingmatters.com says hemp made clothing belongs in your closet all year long due to its temperature versatility. Hemp fabric is very breathable but it also has insulative qualities. This means when its warm out the clothing will keep you cool, but when its colder out the clothing can keep you warm. Hemp is used for many articles of clothing such as shoes, sweaters, T-shirts and sweatshirts. You can find a lot of hemp articles of clothing at clothingmatters.net.

Soy

Soy clothing has three times the breaking strength of wool and has been called the "vegetable cashmere." According to futurewire.com, soy clothing is very popular in Asia and is just beginning to appear in the U.S. and Europe.

It has superior warmth retention and moisture transmission. Babysoyusa.com says, "Soybean fiber has joyful silky luster with perfect drape and elegant feel. It has the same moisture absorption as cotton but with better moisture transmission than cotton, making it more comfortable to wear."

Recycling:

Shopping for your clothes at thrift stores has many benefits, especially as college students. Not only are clothing from thrift stores much cheaper than clothes from the mall, but because you are essentially recycling the clothes, you are helping the environment.

Shopping at thrift stores puts less of a demand on retail clothing, according to Catherine Pomposi, one of the coordinators for the Ecohusky fashion show, which cuts down on production of new clothes, waste from production and pollution from the transportation of the clothing.

If you are looking for places to find clothing that is better for the economy, the Internet has countless online stores where the apparel is available. If online shopping isn't your thing, American Apparel has clothing made with organic cotton and Homeward Bound sells hemp and organic cotton clothing, along with creative recycled gift ideas.

Contact Liz Connelly at Elizabeth.Connelly@UConn.edu.