Organic and ethical fashion are two new trends that have recently
taken the fashion world by storm, with various well known brands
launching organic and natural clothing ranges in their stores. But
what on earth does it mean? Well, the two things are closely linked -
ethical fashion involves paying people a fair wage, and employing them
in good working conditions, according to ethical practices. This has
arisen directly from scandals around child labour and sweatshop
factories, and is seen as a committed drive to get away from these
exploitative working practices, particularly in third world locations
where factory and labour costs are cheaper.
Similarly, organic fashion means looking carefully at responsible
ways of producing clothes. Traditional manufacturing may often be
unsustainable or use damaging chemicals – either to the environment or
to the workers. For example, synthetic fabrics such as nylon are made
from petrochemicals, which pollute the environment and ultimately
contribute towards global warming concerns. They also are not
biodegradable, so they they are difficult to dispose of. Furthermore,
their manufacturing process emits dangerous gases such as Nitrous
Oxide – again contributing to warming greenhouse gases and causing
climate change concerns.
For this reason, ethical, organic and eco fashion is now a major pull
for consumers. At every stage of organic fashion, sustainable
materials such as cotton or hemp will be used, grown without damaging
pesticides. The fabrics will also be coloured with natural dyes made
from plant sources. Organic production is more difficult and
time-consuming, but the producing communities are better off,
sustainable and avoid the health and environmental concerns of
chemically-laden `traditional` fashion manufacturing processes.
Ethical and organic fashion for both men and women is an easy and
relaxed look to wear, tending to focus on soft cottons and linens, or
hemp. Look for classic t-shirts, combat trousers, casual linen pants
or hooded tops. The look is often about simple lines and soft layering
- and often offers strong functionality and minimal detailing for a
very clean and modern look. There`s a lot of fun to be had with
accessories too, with funky tote bags now replacing plastic bags in
many people`s homes, and quirky items such as handbags made from
reused juice bottles or old newspapers – they look fantastic! Equally
you can find wonderful scarves and hats from natural wools from
organically raised sheep, or even jewellery containing precious stones
and metals from ethical mining sources. Look as well for beautiful
gifts such as natural fibre writing paper.
If you`re interested in keeping up to date with the latest fashion
news, then consult your online sources regularly for new organic
lines – for example, several high street brands including Dorothy
Perkins, Banana Republic and Gap introduced their very own lines this
year and more are set to follow – and there`s a huge number of bespoke
and boutique brands available too, perfect if you are looking for
something a little different!