Responding to this demand are three High street stores, bringing ethical fashion into the main stream.  Oasis, Topshop and Marks & Spencer are launching ethical or eco-friendly lines to hit the rails this spring.  A YouGov survey conducted for Marks & Spencer last month revealed that most shoppers want feel-good, guilt-free clothing.  An alarming 87% of those questioned believe retailers have the responsibility to ensure the products they sell are manufactured in a fair and humane way; 78% of those questioned wished to be better informed about the way clothes are made.

What is ethical and eco-friendly clothing?

Clothing that has been manufactured adhering to the Fair Trade principles adheres to rigorous guidelines.  Some guidelines include paying workers fair wages, equal opportunity employment, and ensuring healthy working conditions in factories.  Fair Trade also follows environmentally sustainable practices to decrease factory pollution into the environment.

In order for clothing to be called Eco-friendly it should be made from fibers that have been untouched by insecticides, pesticides, and defoliants.  While almost one third of the world’s insecticides are used on conventional cotton, eco-friendly cotton would never be exposed to any chemicals.

Eco-friendly meets Fashion:

Future Organic will be launched by Oasis and consists of an eight piece capsule collection.  The organic T-shirt and denim range will consist of the ever-so-popular skinny jeans, skirts, shrunken jackets, and T-shirts.  The collection will be sold in 12 stores and consists of 100% denim and jersey produced from naturally grown cotton sourced in Turkey. 

Topshop is jumping on the organic train with a trio of Fairtrade-certified babywear brands on Oxford Street flagship and High Street Kensingtong stores.  This is the young chain’s first babywear collection and it will be designed by ethical brands such as People Tree and Hug.  The new line will be sold alongside their current maternity collections.  Fairtrade-certified products are said to be added to its adult mainline range later this year.

Marks & Spencer will open its organic collections to the masses this March.  It will include T-shirts for men and women starting at 7 pounds.  This launch is part of its Look Behind the Label campaign, which was created in reponse to the YouGov survey last month.  The campaign will span 420 stores on Marks & Spencer lorries and in the national press.

Why Organic Now?

It’s always been common sense that fibers are genetically engineered and children sew them at sweatshops, what made shoppers care after all these years?  Some trend experts suggest that consumers want a product with a story behind it that makes them feel they’re making a difference.  And with the organic products at low prices, the market has finally taken off.

Is there a symbol that certifies the product is organic?

No.  There is not a symbol to assure the product on the shelf ensuring its organic credentials.  But the Soil Association has developed new standards for organic clothing, and use their symbol on clothing. 

The assumption of many is that the adjective “natural” means organic.  This is not always truth.  For consumers to be sure they’re buying strictly organic clothing, they can research if the manufacturer is a member of Freetrade.  Another assumption is that unbleached cotton is organic.  This is misleading because it was likely grown using pesticides.

Feel-good alternatives to High street fashion

The organic-loving subculture may see eco-friendly and organic clothing as a bittersweet triumph.  Consumers are finally putting thought into their purchases, which is good.  But earth-loving is more than a fad to this group of people, it’s a lifestyle.  Two of the innately organic fibres may be an eco-friendly alternative for those anti-mainstream folks.

Fibres of the Future?

Crops that do not need special treatment may be our organic future. 

Hemp was once a vital crop that has gotten a bad wrap since the anti-drug lobby.  Due to its remarkable nature, it’s making a comeback.  Hemp outgrows weeds so no pesticides are needed and it also is resistant to pests, therefore no pesticides are needed.  This has been coined the crop of the future, and contrary to popular belief, the crops grown for fibre contain virtually none of the active substances used in the production of marijuana.

Linen has been pushed to the side in the past because of its low resiliency.  The flax plant grows more quickly than cotton and does not need chemical weed control.  Linen is dirt resistant and is perfect to wear in the blistering summer..