Ethical lifestyle choices can and should permeate every area of life – if you can make ethical food choices and use eco friendly energy sources or green building/building materials, why not do the same when it comes to fashion? As in everything else, we can make ethical and responsible choices by choosing eco friendly fashion as well. But we often lack information on what kind of clothing is eco-friendly and where to get it from.
In this article, we look at some options for eco friendly clothing, footwear and accessories for men and women.
What makes clothing eco friendly?
Organic materials that are grown without the help of toxins such as fertilizers, pesticides and other harmful chemicals are eco friendly. So look clothes and furnishings made for organic cotton if you’re looking for eco friendly items.
There are several other materials that are also considered eco friendly because they are sustainable and renewable. For instance clothing that is made from bamboo (which can grow without pesticide), hemp, jute, and so on can be eco friendly and earth friendly. Then there is linen which is sourced from flax which is also naturally resistant to pests, needing little or no artificial control, which is also a good choice.
Then there is some debate about whether silk, leather and wool can constitute eco friendly fabric choices. Some people think that these materials are natural and long-lasting and that they are friendly so long as they are sourced naturally and without chemicals. However, others believe that they are intrinsically cruel and unethical, because they are sourced from animals and therefore not eco friendly.
Another aspect that makes clothes eco friendly is the dyes used in coloring the fabric. Fabric made using natural or vegetable dye is obviously more eco friendly than fabric made using toxic chemicals for dyeing and processing.
Something else that makes clothing eco friendly is when companies use fair trade practices (no sweatshop labor, fair wages and good working conditions for workers) using eco friendly manufacturing processes, sustainable power and so on.
Where can you get eco friendly clothing?
You can find bricks and mortar stores as well as shops that sell online if you’re looking to buy eco friendly clothes for men and women. There are many specialty stores that specialize in ethical clothing that is sourced in a cruelty free manner, and which doesn’t rely at all on any animal products. Typically this would be called ethical or vegan clothing and which faux fur, leatherette etc for shoes and accessories. Then there are stores that sell clothing made from hemp, bamboo, linen, and similar earth friendly material.
