Organic Cotton

Native to South America and Southern Africa, cotton is by far world's most popular fabric. Unfortunately, conventionally grown cotton happens to account for 16% of all pesticides used across the globe. In fact, any shirt made of conventional cotton has seen anywhere between 1/4 and 1/3 of a pound of pesticides and harmful chemicals. Seven of the top fifteen chemicals used on conventional cotton in the United States are considered potential carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency. Producing organic cotton is much more expensive than producing conventional cotton, but the means by which organic cotton is produced is much less detrimental to humans and the environment.

Not all organic cotton clothing and textiles are created equal. Aside from chemical dyes, synthetic or non organic fibers like polyester and spandex are often used to enhance the fit or feel of organic cotton garments. If you're concerned about the content of an organic cotton garment or textile, we suggest you research all available information and product labels. While purchasing a 100% organic cotton shirt may a good choice, be aware that many of the dyes used to color organic cotton fabric may not organic and can sometimes contain harmful chemicals. However there is a growing solution to this problem. Many people think of cotton as being "white", when in fact cotton can come in a variety of naturally occurring colors. Found mainly in South America and Mexico, this naturally pigmented cotton survived the cotton gin boom and is now experiencing a resurgence in demand. Green and brown varieties of cotton were also mass produced by the Soviet Union during WWII as they did not have access to mass produced dyes. Many of these naturally pigmented organic cotton strains have a lint that is shorter in staple length when compared to white cotton, and is therefore harder to work with.