The Case For Organic

The typical conversation involving organic cotton goes something like this:

Person #1: "I love that shirt you're wearing, it's so soft."
Person #2: "I know, I'm in love with it. It's made from organic cotton."
Person #1: "Oh. Cool."
Person #2: "Yeah."

Unlike organic foods, whose purpose is a bit clearer (and for more on that, go out and and get yourself a copy of The Omnivore's Dilemma), organic cotton hasn't yet received quite as much press. Often times people find out that a garment is made from organic cotton, but they're not really sure what that means. It might as well be made from "locally harvested wool", or "dynamically fused rayon". Without a clear understanding of what organic cotton is, we just toss it in to the mental "it sounds expensive" bin.

So what is organic cotton?

It's cotton grown free from pesticides, from non-genetically modified plants. This reduces the environmental impact significantly, as cotton production accounts for 16% of the world's pesticide use. And you thought that your fruit was sprayed with a lot nastiness!

Simply put, the impact of organic cotton is twofold. First, less chemicals mean less pollution, which is good for the earth and good for your karma. And secondly, it means that your piece of clothing will be free of chemicals, which will just make it feel better. All that, just from a t-shirt!

Stop by the shop and check out some of our favorite organic cotton lines including The Battilion, Stewart and Brown and Loomstate.