greener dressing

What do you think of when you hear "dressing green"? Do visions of brown, scratchy, unflattering items dance in your head? Well think again...

Dressing organically has never been more easy or stylish...the fashion team has highlighted many different items and lines of hot, organic clothes but why bother buying organic?

Well to begin with conventionally-grown cotton occupies less than 10% of the world's farmland, but uses 25% of the world's chemical pesticides and the EPA considers 7 of the top 15 pesticides used, much of which ends up in our lakes, streams, and rivers, on cotton as known carcinogens! A 2000 USDA study revealed that eighty-four million pounds of pesticides were sprayed on cotton in the U.S.A, ranking it second behind corn, YES that popular side dish many eat, and cotton is also a food crop; cottonseed oil is used in many processed and snack foods and cottonseed is used in cattle feed. During processing, cotton is subjected to chlorine bleach, heavy metal dyes and formaldehyde resins (used for "easy care treatments".)

Organic cotton is a return to safe, sustainable practices. It is grown with natural fertilizers and free from toxic chemicals. Organic cotton fields must be pesticide-free for at least three years to be certified organic, and the cotton must be processed according to international organic standards. Farmers rely on crop rotation to replenish and maintain soil fertility and botanical or biological means are used to control pests and weeds. .

People with allergies and chemical sensitivity especially benefit from organic cotton clothing because conventional cotton may retain harmful toxic residues, even for those who don't have sensitive skin, organic cotton will just feel better against your skin.

Check out some of these hot lines for baby and childrens clothing made of organic cotton: Misha Lulu, Speesees and Sckoon
Bamboo is another eco-friendly material mainly because it's naturally pest-resistant, requires little water and is amazingly regenerative.

This amazing material contains a natural element called "bamboo kun" which is a natural antibiotic that protects the wearer from nasty germs as well as body odor, caused by bacteria living in our armpits. The fiber is also biodegradable and comfortable. Fabric made of bamboo is silky smooth and because it naturally "wicks" away perspiration, it doesn't have to be washed as frequently as clothes made of polyester.

Some lines that are using bamboo include: Sprout kids clothing, New Balance and again Misha Lulu

With all this talk about eco-friendly, organic clothing we can not overlook, hemp. Hemp cloth is claimed to be warmer, softer, and stronger than cotton, and only gets better with age. Hemp, also has few enemy weeds or insects so it needs no pesticides and leaves the soil in better shape than it was originally (an acre of land planted with hemp can yield about two to three times more fiber than the same area planted with cotton.) Although industrial hemp cannot be grown legally in the U.S., forcing all hemp-wear manufacturers to seek suppliers from other countries.

My experience with clothing lines made of hemp is limited so far but doing recent research i came across some cute lines: Mountains of the moon and Sweetgrass

Some of these lines are available for sale at pretty little pumpkins and many of the other hot little boutiques from some of the POSHEST mamas online!