Sustainable, green, eco-friendly – these things mean something different to everyone and can be hard to define.  One definite thing about eco fashion is that it is an innovative and advancing industry, with newer and better ways surfacing all the time on how to do things.  Another definite thing about eco fashion is that it can be damn confusing – there are conflicting, even controversial viewpoints, the information is always changing, being updated.  In this aspect, one must assess their own values and do what they feel is appropriate for them.  Don’t let anyone make you feel like you aren’t doing enough; Eco Fashion (and the green lifestyle in general) is not about guilt, but about learning and doing the best we can with that knowledge. You don’t have to be an activist, just be an educated consumer, and make choices you feel comfortable with.

PART 1 – The Fibres

Alpaca:

Alpaca fleece is a lustrous and silky natural fibre. While similar to sheep’s wool, it is warmer, not prickly, and bears no lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic. Alpaca sheep don’t require insecticides to be injected into their fleece, are fairly self-sufficient, don’t need to be treated with antibiotics, and don’t eat very much.Alpacas are fibre-producing animals; they do not need to be slaughtered to reap their product, and their fibre is a renewable resource that grows yearly.  Alpaca wool is also long lasting, which may help make up for the fact that the alpaca product you buy will likely be imported.

Bamboo:

Bamboo is naturally organic  and is quick to replenish itself without reharvesting or a lot of water, making it a very renewable resource.  Another bonus  is that bamboo fabric is naturally antibacterial and has ‘wicking’  properties:  The air permeability of the fibre releases the hot air (sweat) out of the body, keeping the skin fresh and cool.  The transfer of moisture happens due to capillary action, which  gives the fabric have more surface area and makes moisture evaporate faster,  therefore the fabric will dry faster.  And don’t worry about the pandas…clothing is made from Moso bamboo, which is not the species eaten by Pandas.

Many people who experience allergic reactions to other natural fibres, such as wool or hemp, or have sensitivity to chemicals used in pesticides from non-organic and synthetic fibres,  do not complain of this issue with bamboo. The fibre is naturally smooth and round without chemical treatment, meaning that there are no sharp spurs to irritate the skin.

It’s when the processing starts that it potentially loses its eco status:  Bamboo is a very hard wood, and turning it into a soft fabric involves a pretty toxic chemical process to the manufacturing. Bamboo has gotten a bad rap, and some would say it isn’t justified:  The new techniques and lower impact systems are closed loop systems, which is similar Lyocell/Tencel and Modal production and reusing the solvents throughout the pulverizing and combing process, such that environmental damage is minimized.

A clothing line based out of Vancouver, BAHMBU, has helped me with some excellent resources on this subject. The BAHMBU fiber is a regenerated cellulose fiber made from natural organic bamboo, which is processed using a non-pollution and highly innovative process which is 100% recyclable. The bamboo is processed in a hermetic container where 100% of the chemicals used are trapped and contained – not released into the factory, environment or atmosphere. 73% of CS2’s are recycled and 26% are recycled into H2SO4, both of which are non-harmful chemicals and do not pollute any part of the environment. When handled properly, Bamboo is a highly sustainable and renewable material.

Banana Fibre (Abaca):

Banana fibre originates from Southeast Asia but is gaining rapid fame in other banana-growing countries like Ecuador. The raw materials come from the stem that farmers leave in the garden after a banana harvest. Different layers of the stem yield fibres for specific uses: the outer layers can be hand-knotted into silk-like Nepalese rugs while the inside layers can be used for the finest Japanese kimonos.  In Japan, banana cultivation for clothing and household use dates back to at least the 13th century.

Cashmere:

Cashmere comes from combing out the under-hairs of Kashmir goats, a breed native to the Himalayas but now raised worldwide. Perhaps best of all from en eco-perspective, it’s also long-lasting. However, cheap cashmere has become popular but to keep its price down, has probably been treated with chemicals and dyed with carcinogenic dyes.  It may also be blended with other fibres, such as polyester. A truly green cashmere piece will likely be an investment but you’ll also keep it for a lifetime – making it one of the most eco-friendly wardrobe items you own.

Hemp:

Hemp is (in my opnion) one of the best renewable resources out there. On an annual basis, 1 acre of hemp will produce as much fiber as 2 to 3 acres of cotton. Hemp fiber is stronger and softer than cotton, lasts twice as long as cotton, and will not mildew.  It is not the burlap-y fabric it once was, these days hemp is softer than bamboo or cotton.  Peridot Kiss uses all hemp in their collection and as you can see from the pictures, it is beautiful fabric. Hemp is capable of producing significant quantities of paper, textiles, building materials, food, medicine, paint, detergent, varnish, oil, ink, and fuel. Unlike other crops, hemp can grow in most climates and on most farmland throughout the world with moderate water and fertilizer requirements, no pesticides, and no herbicides.  Hemp has enormous potential to become a major natural resource that can benefit both the economy and the environment.

Ingeo:

Linda Loudermilks's Ingeo dress

Ingeo is a NatureWorks LLC‘s trademark for a man-made fibre made from renewable resources (plants), as opposed to oil. This is a new fabric made from fermented plant sugars, usually derived from corn. This is actually one of its pitfalls; since conventionally grown corn is one of the most chemically-dependent crops in the world (conventional cotton and corn are the top two), using roughly 25% of the world’s insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides. Another problem is that these ‘bioplastics’ are said to be biodegradable, but only under the right conditions. Corn is also a huge land hog, and uses a LOT of water. But making Ingeo requires almost half as much energy as it does to make cotton, even organic cotton, which gives it some advantages.  If you don’t know the name Linda Loudermilk, you soon will! She’s at the top of the eco fashion scene and has used Ingeo in her collections.

Linen:

True linen is made from flax, a crop that requires very little pest-controlling chemicals. It’s also best when it’s a teeny bit wrinkly, so you can conserve energy by putting away the iron. Look for linen in natural shades, or dyed with natural dyes. Try to purchase linen that’s been made by an eco-certified clothing or fabric company. And, as usual, watch out for linen blends or cheap, chemical treated garments.

Lyocell:

This is the generic name for the Tencel brand.  It’s made from wood pulp, so it’s both biodegradable and recyclable. Lyocell is created through a process called solvent spinning. The wood pulp is dissolved in N-methylmorpholine N-oxide, creating a solution called “dope” which is then pushed through a spinneret to form the individual fibres. After the dope has been spun the fibres are washed and the chemicals retrieved from the water, purified, and recycled. Producing this fabric involves less emissions, energy, and water usage than other more conventional fabrics, and it doesn’t get bleached, either.  Not all lyocell fabric is made from sustainable wood though, so check labels carefully. And, as usual, try to find a product that’s been dyed with a low-chemical or biodegradable colourant.

Merino Wool:

The Merino is a breed of sheep originating in Spain, but are now also bred in New Zealand and Australia.  Merinos are regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep.

Merino wool is common in high-end, performance athletic wear.  Several properties contribute to merino’s popularity for exercise clothing, compared to wool in general and to other types of fabric.

• Merino is excellent at regulating body temperature, especially when worn against the skin. The wool provides some warmth, without overheating the wearer. It draws moisture (sweat) away from the skin, a phenomenon known as “wicking” (see Bamboo for a detailed description). The fabric is slightly moisture repellent (keratin fibers are hydrophobic at one end and hydrophilic at the other), allowing the wearer to avoid the feeling of wetness.

• Like cotton, wool absorbs water (up to 1/3 its weight), but, unlike cotton, wool retains warmth when wet^, helping wearers avoid hypothermia after strenuous workouts (climbs).

• Like most wools (excluding Alpaca) , merino contains lanolin which has antibacterial properties.

• Merino is one of the softest types of wool available, due to finer fibers and smaller scales.

• Merino has an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio compared to other wools, in part because the smaller fibers traps body heat similar to the way a sleeping bag warms its occupant.

Another rather controversial fibre in the eco world, merino is  used in the eco fashion industry for all sorts of beautiful things -  sweaters, scarves, knitted hats, and more fashion forward pieces like the Vancouver line Red Jade, as darted cigarette pants and beautifully draped cropped equestrian pants.  Merino wool has been condemned by some as inhumane due to the treatment of sheep for flystrike (this has a pretty gross picture of attached to it, so only click the link if you aren’t squeamish), although it is possible to get cruelty-free merino if you look for it.

Modal:

Modal is essentially a variety of rayon; a cellulose fibre made by spinning reconstituted cellulose from beech trees. It is about 50% more water-absorbent per unit volume than cotton,  it takes dye just like cotton, and is  resistant to shrinkage and fading. Modal is made in the same manner as Bamboo and Lyocell, and you can read about the process under those headings in this article. The only real difference between Modal and Lyocell is that Lyocell is made from a variety of wood pulp, and Modal uses only Beech wood.

Lenzing Modal is a registered trademark of Lenzing AG, an Austrian company specializing in textiles and fibers, particularly natural fibers made from cellulose. Modal has been used alone or with other fibres, and often has some percentage of spandex in it.

Nettle/Nessle:

Nettle fabric (yep, the stinging kind) is developed from the Brennessel plant and was very popular in the Middle-Ages when upper-class ladies preferred it over silk. This plant grows in almost all types of soils and it requires very little fertilization because the minerals are not leached out of the ground. Brennessel is naturally resistant to vermin and many parasites and can be grown without pesticides and herbicides. It can be more finely woven than cotton and can have the gloss of silk. The fibre is hollow and this makes it possible for nettle fabric to breathe and be insulating at the same time.

Organic Cotton:

It’s cropping up everywhere, from Walmart to H&M. But if the organic cotton you purchase isn’t also assured to be fair trade, or is processed using conventional dyes, or treated with chemicals such as formaldehyde to keep it from wrinkling on its trip overseas, that cute T-shirt is still leaving a sizeable footprint on the earth.  So be forewarned that labels won’t tell you everything and that you have to dig deeper to get the whole story. Whenever possible, try to buy organic cotton in the shades it’s naturally grown in: cream, pale green, and light brown OR ask if the dyes are biodegradable, (meaning the dye is non-toxic and chemicals are not used) because you can get everything from sky blue to hot pink that way too.  Also look for garments that  bear credible labels (such as Eco-Cert) indicating the product is certified organic, sustainable, and eco-friendly. One (of the many) reasons I promote shopping in smaller, independent boutiques is that you likely will get the owner of the business, or an educated employee that knows the philosophy of the store and it’s designers, as opposed to a corporate employee who probably doesn’t know the details on sustainable fibres, and for sure doesn’t know who designed it, who manufactured it, etc.  Here is a straightforward explanation of the methods of conventional VS organic cotton, from seed preparation to harvesting.

Organic Wool:

In order for wool to be certified as “organic,” it must be produced in accordance with federal standards for organic livestock production.  Federal requirements for organic livestock production include:

• Livestock feed and forage used from the last third of gestation must be certified organic;
• Use of synthetic hormones and genetic engineering is prohibited;
• Use of synthetic pesticides (internal, external, and on pastures) is prohibited, and
• Producers must encourage livestock health through good cultural and management practices.

Organic livestock management is different from non-organic management in at least two major ways: 1) sheep cannot be dipped in parasiticides (insecticides) to control external parasites such as ticks and lice, and 2) organic livestock producers are required to ensure that they do not exceed the natural carrying capacity of the land on which their animals graze.

Third-party certification organizations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production.  The Organic Trade Association has developed standards that apply to the processing of organic wool.

Piña (Pineapple Silk):

Piña is made from pineapple leaves and originally turned into wedding attire in the Philippines. The fibre is scraped from the pineapple leaf using a piece of broken plate or coconut shell: a fast scraper can extract fibre from over 500 leaves per day. It can be combined with other fabrics like silk, hemp, and polyester.

Polyester (& PET):

Bales of plastic bottles for recycling into polyester

Regular polyester is made from petroleum, which is a byproduct of processing oil, and far from eco-friendly. Natural polyesters and a few synthetic ones are biodegradable, but most synthetic polyesters are not. While it still requires heavy processing, companies are now finding ways to create polyester (PET) out of recycled plastic bottles or even recycled polyester fabric.  ECOALF is an example of a company using PET to make products such as clothing and luggage.  Polyester is likely greenest when it’s vintage: second-life boutiques are brimming with great finds that require no new resources to make.

Seacell:

Seacell is a fabric made out of lyocell  (a 100% wood pulp fiber) and seaweed. The theory is that your skin will absorb nutrients from the seaweed, which is quite mineral and vitamin-rich. The fabric was devised in Germany, and has been certified by the European “Eco-Label“, which promotes green products. The manufacturer, Zimmer AG, says that the porous, open structure of the Seacell fibers ‘breathe’ well and absorb what your skin expels.

Silk:

Silk is inherently natural because it’s made by silk worms, not chemical-based synthetic processing. But there’s a drawback: some vegetarians/vegans don’t wear silk because  silkworms (larvae) are boiled alive in their cocoons.  If that seems cruel to you, look for a new generation of the fabric: peace silk , ahimsa or vegan silk  (it’s always clearly labeled, so accept no substitutes). This kind of silk is made from the worm casings (cocoons) that are allowed to hatch and breed, and the silk is processed from the hatched cocoons. To make things even more difficult, here is an opposing viewpoint on Peace Silk.   Also try looking for silk that’s been dyed naturally and made as close to home as possible.

Tencel: See Lyocell.

Upcycled:

Dress made from vintage wedding gowns, leather jackets, and corsets

Upcycled clothing requires no new resources to produce, and is is a term commonly used to describe clothing made from discarded fabric. It can either be  recycled fabric, i.e. old clothing turned into a new design or fabric that has never been ‘used’ and could be remnants, discards from factories, vintage, deadstock,  or otherwise. Three (very different) examples of this are: Looptworks (Portland), Adhesif (Vancouver), and Dahlia Drive (also Vancouver).

Vintage:

Wearing vintage clothing is recycling! Every time you buy or wear vintage clothing instead of newly manufactured clothing you are recycling. That clothing is getting a second chance and being saved from the landfill every time you wear it (an average of 11.8 million tons of clothing per year gets thrown away in the US).  Buying vintage and/or “upcycled” clothing is not only the most sustainable practice out there, it also means you are getting something that cannot be found at every chain store by the thousands, classics that have never gone out of style, or unusual pieces to set yourself apart from the mainstream.

Get Savvy

The bottom line when shopping for environmentally friendly clothing is to do your homework, or shop at a reputable eco-friendly store or online supplier who will weigh the facts for you in advance.   Shopping local and supporting independent boutiques has the added benefit of supporting your own community and economy – for every $100 spent in local, independent brick and mortar businesses, more than $68 returns to the local economy; when spent in a big box or chain, the amount drops to only $43 (American stats, but you get the idea). Spend it online, and unless you live in the exact same community as the e-tailer, nothing comes home.