Cotton On To Organic Clothing

By Lisa Jackson

With 1st December nearly upon us and those Christmas shopping days few and far between, panic is setting in already... not only is the dreaded date fast approaching, but these days, with the amount of pressure from every angle to do the right thing ethically and environmentally, shopping for gifts can be fraught with stress. Buying clothing for babies, children and even adults as Christmas presents is now even easier with large lines available in stores and even supermarkets, and the time-saving temptation of throwing gifts in with the weekly shop can be so alluring but the reality is that although you may not carry the cost for bargain clothing, those involved in the manufacturing processes certainly do.

Organic clothing may seem an unattainable, elusive and unnecessary option, particularly at times when quantity rather than quality is more pressing, for example, buying children's school uniforms and clothing fast-growing babies, but it is exactly at these times that organic cotton and even bamboo clothing should be a serious option. GM and conventional cotton is responsible for a whopping 16 percent of annual global pesticide use, with over $2 billion worth of highly toxic chemicals sprayed on cotton every year. Virtually all cotton (99%) is grown in developing countries, and pesticides used to treat the crops are responsible for 3 million poisoning cases every year. Not only this, but cotton farming can be highly abusive with record numbers of exploited workers, in particular women and children. As well as the effects of agricultural poisons and poor working conditions on these labourers and their families and the toxic effects on the local environment, once the cotton is manufactured and turned into clothing for us to wear, these highly toxic pesticides actually remain, even after many washes, causing no end of possible health risks. For people, particularly children, susceptible to allergic reactions caused by industrial toxins, the choice of wearing organically produced clothing is essential to their health and comfort.

Organic clothing has been shown to be beneficial to sufferers of skin conditions such as eczema, presumably because of the absence of these highly noxious substances, which can include organophosphates and even cyanide. It's estimated that around 17 teaspoons of fertilizers and one of active ingredients are used for every average sized T-shirt - with 60% of what we put onto our skin actually absorbed into it, why on earth would we want to choose anything less for ourselves and our families than the purest, softest and ethical materials for their clothing?

Whilst shopping for organic cotton clothing may seem a little daunting in our fast paced have-it-all consumerist society, there are many wonderful manufacturers out there, producing children's and babies' clothing from fairly traded, non-toxic organic cotton, so maybe with Christmas approaching, this might be the time to take the plunge and choose one or two special items as gifts which can be treasured and worn guilt-free into the next year. Tatty Bumpkin has a lovely organic cotton range for children aged 1-7 incorporating little motifs based on yoga moves, such as a lion, bee, frog and sun. Each item comes with a little card explaining the yoga move associated with the image. The Cat's Tail range of organic cotton clothing is equally as attractive, ethical and long-lasting.

It's not just cotton that can be ethical and beautiful - unique bamboo clothing by Bam introduces a range of men's and women's organic clothing made from sustainable and naturally breathable, antibacterial bamboo fibres to the highest fair trade policies. All these ranges are available on mail order this Christmas through www.buyorganics.co.uk and can be gift wrapped to help save time and give that personal touch. And, for every item of Bam organic clothing bought via www.buyorganics.co.uk a tree will be planted. Buying someone or even yourself, something made from an ethical material which hasn't contributed to poverty or harmed the environment could be the most special gift you give this Christmas.

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