ORGANIC CLOTHING

Photo: Although fleece isn't organic it is still a versitile fabric made from fecycled products.

Now that the weather is getting colder, we may be shopping for our winter woolies. If you read the labels to see what the material is that you are buying you might be in for a surprise. The synthetic fibres that are on the market are very varied a lot of them hail from the petrochemical companies such as nylon and polyester. Polyester or PET is the same polymer that is used for many soft drink bottles and it is becoming increasingly common to recycle them after use by re-melting the PET and extruding it as fibre. This saves valuable petroleum raw materials, reduces energy consumption, and eliminates solid waste sent to landfills. There are products on the market that claim to bring us nanotechnology. These intelligent items of clothing are supposed to change with the conditions, much like the pores in your skin do. At present one of their main use is in protecting soldiers in chemical and biological warfare.

Cotton is the people’s choice and there are moves to produce more and, more organic strains. This is just as well as cotton is almost exclusively grown using the most intensive methods and accounts for a staggering one third of world pesticide use. More than this, chemicals have to be used to scour off the fibres waxy outer layer to allow dye retention, raw cotton is bleached white with chemicals like chlorine, and cotton crops can be genetically engineered to resist the bollworm pest. Conventionally produced it's a nasty product! The Soil Association has developed new standards for organic clothing. Under the new Soil Association guidelines, clothes that display their symbol will have met a number of rigorous standards. A small proportion of the world's cotton crop is 'organic', meaning it is free of chemicals and pesticides, or 'green' which generally means that no chemical finishes have been used. Unbleached cotton may have been grown with pesticides so this label means little else.


Fleece
Fleece is very popular at the moment. These garments are generally made from plastic bottles. About 25 bottles will go into making your jacket.


Hemp
A once vital crop that has fallen out of favour with the final nail in the coffin being driven in by the anti-drug lobby. Now making a comeback due to its remarkable nature, outgrowing weeds so no pesticides are needed, and being highly resistant to pests, its high yields make it the crop to watch in the future. A point of interest is that crops grown for fibre contain virtually none of the active substances that have made marijuana so popular.


Linen
Having been pushed into the background by synthetic fibres Linen is now starting to reclaim a tradition going back to Roman times. The fibre flax plant grows more quickly than cotton and needs fewer chemicals weed control. It produces a strong, dirt resistant fabric that is exceptionally cool in summer


Bamboo
Bamboo clothing is the new kid on the block. It was first developed around 2001 and is produced by pulping bamboo like wood.


It's the fastest growing plant in the world, because of it's ability to absorb water, which is retained permanently in fabric form, making it a natural moisture wicking fabric. Viscose is a polymer made from wood pulp but it is much easier to create. It's also antibacterial, which also helps its colonising growth pattern and this is also retained permanently in fabric form, so it stays fresher and more hygienic. Bamboo has a massive yield per acre when grown wild and doesn't need any pesticides or fertilizers. Bamboo is also pretty much the softest fabric imaginable, as soft as silk. It is highly breathable, and bamboo keeps you cooler in the heat and warmer in the cold than normal fabrics because of its unique capillary structure. A natural successor to all the oil based performance fabrics, it's also good for casual wear. It is normally mixed with 30% cotton to help keep its proper structure. Bamboo clothing is also anti static, which means it doesn't stick to you on a hot day. Its microstructure shows completely smooth fibres, not the usual jagged edges. With the softness, the moisture wicking ability and its natural coolness in the heat, bamboo clothing is very comfortable in the heat. It's also just about the warmest winter thermal, so pretty handy!

Environmental.