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PERMACULTURE MAGAZINE
Article 56
This is a sample article from a previous issues of Permaculture Magazine. Other recent articles are listed in articles
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Green, Ethical Clothing - It's Your Choice
Georgina-Kate Adams takes an in-depth look at the environmental and ethical cost of fashion and investigates t
Article first published in 'Permaculture Magazine' No. 56
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A few months ago, my eco-conscious styling tutor asked my class at the London College of Fashion, “Which industry do you think has the highest carbon emissions of all?” I immediately raised my hand and confidently declared, ‘Aviation’. To my surprise, she revealed that the fashion industry is in fact the most unethical trade in the world and growing competition, to provide lower retail prices, is only making this problem worse. Since then, I have begun to consider the various factors that affect our wardrobes and I started to research what the environmental and social costs of the way we dress really are (see box in left hand column).
However, in recent years there has been an encouraging emergence of ethical clothing companies, who guarantee moral practices at every stage of development. I have recently been exploring the clothing ranges of some of these ground-breaking, ethical fashion retailers.
Green Fashion
London-based company, People Tree (www.peopletree.co.uk) are said to be the pioneers of the green fashion movement. They have certified organic and Fair Trade status and sell beautifully soft, organic cotton pieces. People Tree work closely with 50 Fair Trade groups in 15 countries and seek to benefit both people and the planet at every stage of production, from growing to weaving, dyeing, embroidery and stitching. Their designs are smart, classic and wearable and with the high quality of production that goes into the manufacture of each piece, the styles really are timeless. People Tree have the best range of men’s and women’s formal wear on the ethical clothing market in the UK and, though slightly more expensive than most high street brands.
Organic Cotton
People Tree’s promotion of organic cotton is admirable. At present, organic cotton only makes up 0.01% of the UK market, though this is slowly increasing. Growing organic cotton is good for the natural environment. It is largely rain fed and the soil is fertilised with natural organic materials, making it better at retaining moisture and fertility. Instead of chemical pesticides, organic cotton is usually sprayed with a mix of chilli, garlic and soap, which keeps pests off but does not destroy natural predators, which survive to control numbers naturally. Another technique to keep pests at bay is intercropping, a technique by which secondary crops, such as sunflowers and millet, are grown between and around small plots of cotton, through which pests cannot smell their favourite food. This natural barrier often provides another crop for farmers, as well as helping to promote biodiversity.
As chemical use is avoided, organic cotton growth is much better for farmers’ health. What’s more, because they don’t have to pay for expensive pesticides, it is good for farmers’ income too. Most organic certifications include social welfare standards as well; though you may want to think twice before assuming Primark’s organic cotton range can guarantee this. On the whole, organic cotton tends to have a shorter supply chain and lends itself more to an artisan culture. By leading by demand, we can hope to see much more of it.
Another forward-thinking company endorsing organic cotton is Howies (www.howies.co.uk), a Welsh skate/bike clothing company with a focus on longevity. Every piece is made to the highest standards to assure this. Though the focus at Howies is on active wear, their extensive organic range has well-cut, casual clothing to suit nearly anyone.
Zque Merino Wool
Many of Howies range use merino wool. Their Zque merino comes from New Zealand and carries the Mapp symbol, which is a guarantee of quality, source and supply. Zque is a particularly revolutionary fibre as it has the world’s first traceable merino fibre value chain. It also has one of the world’s first accreditation pro-grammes, ensuring animal welfare, environmental, social and economic sustainability and traceability.
Their Zque merino wool thermal range, is particularly good and is designed to keep you both warm and cool all year round. I tried the Zque, women’s homerun vest in the heart of winter and was very satisfied with the breathability of the wool. The body-hugging cut made the fabric feel like a cosy second skin and the built-in bra makes this piece a versatile base layer for day or night.
Hemp
Howies like to experiment with fibres and their Spring/Summer men’s collection includes a hemp-mix polo shirt. Hemp is an environmentally friendly fibre that can substitute cotton. It is extremely durable and long lasting and was historically used for ropes and sails. Sailing ships were for centuries full rigged in hemp, for example. As the longest and strongest plant fibre in the world, it is abrasion and rot resistant. Once woven, it can be fashioned into anything, from food containers to military uniforms.
Currently, most hemp is imported from China and Eastern Europe as a lack of local processing units and the UK climate has made it hard to make a business from growing hemp in this country. Recent advances in processing wet hemp from UK companies look set to change this and, as the second fastest growing plant on earth, hemp looks set to become one of the most profitable crops in the country.
Hemp grows about 3m (10ft) tall in four months, which works out as three to eight dry tons per hectare per annum. Farmers can earn between £500 and £800 per hectare, which is much more than most crops. As contractors often hold the farm hands through the whole process, from seed to factory, hemp encourages much more people care than with conventional cotton growing. Hemp grows very densely, which does not allow room for weeds. It is also naturally resistant to most pests, meaning it requires little or no chemical use and there are no other adverse effects known to growing it.
Richard Whistance, of the eco-band Seize the Day and a co-founder of The C-Change Trust, is a great advocate of hemp. “I wear hemp products because they are light, attractive and comfortable,” he says. “Plus their eco-credentials mean they play a beneficial role both in soil health, carbon capture and sustainability.”
Bamboo
A fibre that has long been under-rated for clothes is bamboo. It is 100% naturally grown, requiring no human intervention and it spreads rapidly across large areas. It is known to improve soil quality in eroded areas and offers a lot more photosynthesis than other clothing fibres. It beats even hemp to the title of the fastest growing plant in the world, reaching its maximum height in just three months and full maturity in three to four years. Bamboo is seldom eaten by pests because of a unique bioagent it contains, called ‘bamboo kun’. This bioagent is retained in bamboo fibre, giving it antibacterial and antifungal qualities. In tests in which germs were incubated on bamboo fibre, there was over a 70% death rate of bacteria, even if the fibre had been washed 50 times.
Bamboo fibre is also luxuriously soft and smooth. It is to cotton what cashmere is to wool. At a microscopic level the fibre has a smooth, round surface and this makes it non-irritable, draping like silk next to the skin. It is remarkably breathable too, keeping the body 2-3 degrees cooler in warm weather and always remaining cool to the touch. This is because the cross section of the fabric is filled with micro gaps and micro holes. These allow better ventilation and stop the bamboo fibre from ever sticking to your skin. It naturally wicks away moisture from your body, absorbing and evaporating sweat very quickly. Likewise, when necessary, this cross-section can keep heat in, making bamboo a great base layer for winter.
David Gordon, founder of Bam Bamboo Clothing (www.bambooclothing.co.uk), became convinced of the benefits of bamboo during an expedition to walk across Greenland. “I can honestly say that my bamboo long sleeved tops out-performed every other thermal I had,” he said.
Bam Bamboo Clothing is an inspiring little company selling versatile bamboo basics and working tirelessly to promote the benefits of bamboo as a fibre. A particularly useful product is their set of bamboo socks, which due to the qualities of the fibre are odour-free.
Bamboo is extremely durable too and can be thrown into the washing machine or dryer without losing any of its unique qualities. It also has a natural UV filter, making it a great, protective fibre for baby clothes. See Bamboo Baby (www.bamboobaby.org) or in North America, Baby Bambu (www.babybambu.com).
Children’s Clothes
For more ethical baby and children’s clothes, look at the range available from Bishopston Trading Company (www.bishopstontrading.co.uk). They are a certified Fair Trade retailer and all their profits go towards benefiting the people of K.V. Kuppam through their registered charity, the South India Development Trust. The patchwork baby dungarees are particularly sweet and all of their clothes are made to an excellent quality. They also sell men’s and womenswear, however their cuts and sizing can sometimes be a little unpredictable, so it is best to visit one of their shops rather than buy online. I would also recommend Belle & Dean (www.belleanddean.com), which sells organic cotton garments for little people, with endearing, illustrated logos.
Underwear
A real gem in the ethical clothing market is the humorous, underwear company, Green Knickers (www.greenknickers.org). Their quirky, 100% organic, 100% Fair Trade designs, include sexy, frilly knickers made from a hemp-silk mix and their global warming knickers and boxers, which have a globe on the front that thermally reacts to your body heat, to show how sea levels will rise over the land. Priced at between £15 and £25 per pair, you are unlikely to be able to fill your whole underwear drawer with them but they would make a really unique present, especially as an eco-alternative to lingerie (take note men!). The best fitting piece in their range is probably the hipster bamboo knickers. For more bamboo underwear, there is also a selection for men and women available from Bam Bamboo Clothing. Howies also has a range of men’s boxers, including two styles in Zque merino wool.
Online Boutiques
One of the easiest ways to shop for ethical clothing is on one of the many online boutiques. Adili (www.adili.com) sources from a huge variety of ethical companies and has a fantastic range of clothing for all the family, as well as shoes, jewellery, skincare and home products. Devidoll (www.devidoll.com) also has a wide variety of clothing, from basics to more fashion-forward pieces and both have a really encapsulating, boutique feel to their websites. Gone Green (www.gonegreen.co.uk), Natural Collection (www.naturalcollection.com) and Greenfibres (www.greenfibres.com) all have a good range on offer.
The Best Of The Binned
Although it is good that there is now such a huge range of green clothing companies in business, one of the most ethical ways you can shop is second-hand. If you live in the right area, vintage and charity shops can be real treasure troves and now there are new eco-boutiques emerging that sell only the best of the binned.
Traid (www.traid.org.uk) was founded in 1991, by the Charity Commission, who wanted to raise funds by reusing unwanted clothes and shoes. They have since expanded their vision to include a huge number of shops and recycling banks across the UK. They sell only the best of the donated clothes, using those that are ripped or stained in their award-winning TRAIDremade brand, which reconstructs old clothes to create new, one-off designs.
“We do not have infinite resources in the world and we need to do as much as we can now to stop dumping our rubbish in landfill sites which are filling up fast,” said Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. “By donating your old clothes to one of Traid’s recycling banks you are doing your bit to cut down on the amount of waste we produce and supporting a great charity at the same time.”
Following in Traid’s footsteps is Loop (www.loopkids.co.uk), which recently opened in Ealing, West London. It was founded by Alice Whiteley, after she found that her son was growing out of the clothes that she bought him faster than he wore them out. Loop is designed to eliminate waste by selling pre-owned kids clothes, bought direct from parents. It only sells items that are in good condition and it is rumoured that you can pick up designer pieces for your little one at bargain prices.
I have come to realise that ethical clothes shopping is really just about knowing where to go. Sourcing green clothing may seem overwhelming at first, but there are actually plenty of companies to choose from. Although at present, green consumers may be in a minority, if we lead by demand then hopefully soon ethical fashion won’t be about choosing a company by its organic or Fair Trade status, for all retailers will realise that this is the only clothing that consumers will buy. If we recycle our clothes and are selective about what we purchase, then fewer clothes will be produced and they will have to be sold at a price which is truly reflec-tive of the cost of production – Earth care, people care, fair shares
Georgina-Kate Adams is currently studying journalism at the London College of Fashion. She has been published in The Independent and worked on a human-rights newspaper on a Liberian refugee camp in Ghana. She is a media and communications volunteer for People&Planet and works on the issues of climate change and the environment.
Useful Websites:
For updates on green clothing and lifestyle products:
www.hippyshopper.com
www.newconsumer.com
International ethical clothing retailers:
USA
www.bamboosa.com
www.levisstore.com/searchHandler/index.jsp?
searchId=21859138703&keywords=levis+eco&y=3&x=19
www.edunonline.com
EU
www.machja.com
www.markoviec.eu
www.les-racines-du-ciel.com
Cost of the Cotton Industry
http://www.ejfoundation.org/page152.html
www.peopleandplanet.org/redressfashion/briefing/uzbekistan
Sweat Shopping
www.peopleandplanet.org/redressfashion/briefing/sweatshopping
www.labourbehindthelabel.org
www.nosweat.org.uk
Hemp
www.houseofhemp.co.uk/hemp
http://thtc.co.uk/index.php?p=farming
Bamboo
www.livingethically.co.uk/Pages/InFocus/sep06-bamboo
www.bamboofibre.net
Zque Merino Wool
www.howies.co.uk/content.php?xId=443&xPg=1
The fully illustrated version of this article appears in PM56
and can be purchased as a back issue.
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