What to Look for in Eco-friendly Clothing

   By scentednights  Aug 17, 2011
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There are a lot of eco-friendly clothing choices that you can invest in. These fabrics cause less harm to the environment than many traditional fabrics. They're increasingly becoming easier to find as the eco-friendly movement grows in popularity. Here are a few of my favorite eco-friendly materials.

Organic Cotton - Cotton is breathable and easy to wear. It's versatile and can be used in just about any type of clothing item. Organic cotton is grown without the use of harmful pesticides that are used in traditional cotton clothing.

Bamboo - Bamboo is a crop that grows very quickly which makes it sustainable for use in clothing. It can also be grown without the use of pesticides making it better for the environment. Bamboo is super soft to touch and is anti-fungal. One of the most common uses for bamboo I've seen is in sheets but you can also find more bamboo clothing popping up recently.

Silk - I don't wear a lot of silk but it's certainly found in some beautiful clothing. Be aware that in the production of traditional silk, the silk worms are killed. If this concerns you, you can find vegan silk although it's much more difficult to find. Silk is perfect to wear in the summer because it keeps you cool. It's also lightweight which is ideal for traveling.

Linen - Linen comes from the flax plant and is generally easy to grow without pesticides. Most of the linen fashions I've seen have a slightly wrinkled look to them and it's often blended with cotton or silk for a less wrinkled tendency. Not the best fabric to travel with given how easy it wrinkles but it's very versatile and can easily be dressed up or down.

Hemp - Another easy to grow crop that requires no pesticides and very little water. It's naturally absorbent and breathable which makes it great for summer wear. Hemp is easy to care for and can be washed in both hot or cold water. It doesn't need much in the way of special care unlike some of the other eco-friendly fabrics like silk and linen.

Cashmere and Alpaca Wool - Animal fibers can be woven into wonderfully warm clothing. Provided the animals are cared for properly and the fibers have not exposed to harmful chemicals or dyes they can be great sustainable choices for winter wear. 

Like anything else, make sure you read the labels and know how it's produced. Not all clothing is created the same and laws in other countries for disclosure are not the same as ours. Have I missed any that you really love to wear?

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DianeHoffmaster by DianeHoffmaster | LILBURN, GA
Aug 23, 2011

how about second hand :) Less packaging, cheaper, better than throwing it in the landfill!