Wearing organic is cool. Literally. Besides the fact that natural fabrics allow your skin to breathe, the lack of toxic chemicals in organic fabrics protects against skin trouble. “Harsh chemicals that go into clothing manufacture can lead to allergic contact dermatitis, especially in the very young and very old,” says Dr Jaishree Sharad, author of Skin Talks , Vice President of the Cosmetic Dermatology Society of India, and Founder-CEO of Skinfiniti, Mumbai. “In severe cases, it can also cause eczema.” But before you start adding ‘organic’ clothing to your shopping cart, here’s what you need to know:
Your choice of materials
Most of the organic market comprises organic cotton, grown without the use of pesticides, insecticides and fertilisers. Consider this: Conventional cotton is only 2.5% of the global agrarian produce, but accounts for 16% of the pesticides used globally, according to the Rodale Institute, US.
That’s more than enough reason to encourage organic cotton cultivation. Besides cotton, organic clothing also comprises ahimsa silk. Popularised by designers like Mumbai-based Payal Khandwala, the silk is extracted from the pupa, after hatching takes place. The technique, patented by Hyderabad-based Kusuma Rajaiah, takes on an average, about 10 extra days. His company manufactures their own garments and is also a worldwide organic silk vendor. Brands such as Organic Clothes India and Do U Speak Green are also propagating clothes made of bamboo fibre. The claim is that bamboo clothes keep you 2 degrees cooler in warm weather and warmer in cool weather. Brands like Bumberry (available at most multi-brand baby stores, Firstcry.in and Amazon.in) also use bamboo fabric for baby cloth diaper inserts.
You need to check certification
All organic clothing has to carry the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) label — brands won’t get this even if they are GMO. For a garment to be certified organic by GOTS, at least 70% of its fibres need to be organic, and the entire composition, including manufacturing processes, needs to be free of harmful chemicals, toxic dyes and finishes, adding up to 95% organic.
The process is evaluated, from cultivating and harvesting, right through to labelling, to ensure the garment is environmentally and socially responsible, including ensuring a functional waste-water treatment plant for all wet-processing units involved. Certification is granted following on-site inspections at every stage of production, by affiliated agencies.
Organic fabric is not the same as organic clothing
Just because a manufacturer claims to use ‘natural’ or organically cultivated fabric, it does not automatically imply that the garment is organic, too. For a garment to be 100% organic, it needs to also use non-toxic dyes, and you need to watch out for permanent press (wrinkle-free) and fire-retardant finishes (baby clothes from brands such as Zara carry a fire hazard warning — these garments are fire-retardant free, so as to be baby-friendly). In fact, chemical finishes are a greater threat than pesticides. The latter can, in fact, be washed away, but the former doesn’t leave the fabric and releases formaldehyde against the skin.
You don’t have to break your bank for it
If you’re looking to buy silk, then yes, you have to be prepared to shell out more. But for organic cotton, you only need to spend big (and only relatively, at that) if you’re looking to buy from designers like Urvashi Kaur or HUEMN, or if you’re buying international brands like Burt’s Bees Baby (available on the Amazon Global Store, which requires you to pay an added shipping and import cost) and L’ovedbaby (available on Amazon Global Store and Hopscotch.in). But more viable brands, such as Sunbird, Moriko Organic, Anokhi, Samtana, Do U Speak Green and No Nasties have far more competent pricing.
The reason, explains Apurva Kothari, co-founder of No Nasties, is “In the long run, organic cotton is more sustainable to grow — it requires less investment, on the part of the farmers, by way of pesticides, insecticides and fertilisers. It keeps the soil healthier, and in the event of a bad crop, it is also less distressing to the farmers.”
You’re helping a cause, too, while helping yourself
“Our organic line is our way of doing our bit for the environment and contributing to ethical fashion,” says Pranav Mishra of HUEMN. “We buy from a certified vendor, and our organic clothing is entirely chemical-free.” While the primary concern at HUEMN is the environment, that at No Nasties and Do U Speak Green is farmers, their community and fair-trade practices, besides being eco-friendly.
“We would hear of cotton farmer suicides, and my wife and I really wanted to do something for them,” says Kothari. “So we started No Nasties, with the aim of helping them out. We buy our cotton from Chetna, a certified co-op, and the fabric is woven at Rajlakshmi Mills, known for their ethical production processes.” And when you buy from Samtana, 10% of the sales goes towards the Mid-Meal Programme for children.
Published - March 27, 2017 04:46 pm IST
