The fashion industry has woken up to embrace an altogether new trend by the name of “green trend” or “eco trend”. This Go Green culture actually refers to use of eco-friendly ways to produce things of use like clothes, bags, and other accessories. According to STEP (Sustainable Technology Education Product), eco fashion trends pay special attention to “the environment, working conditions of the people in the [fashion] industry and the health of the consumers.” Hence these efforts are oriented towards striking a perfect balance with nature as well as keeping everyone happy.
Green fashion clothes have to meet certain criteria before living up to its expectations. Eco-friendly clothes are made of raw organic materials that cause no harm to the environment. It is vital for all eco-friendly products to be organic so that they can serve the purpose of their existence. Around 70% of our clothes are made of cotton. These days, cotton crops are fed on pesticides which are poisonous to the environment. Hence use of organic cotton becomes obligatory.
Organic cotton is grown without the use of pesticides and insecticides. Besides being very expensive to the farmers, pesticides and insecticides spell immense harm to the environment. Hence cutting them off from the production process is the healthiest option.
Besides organic cotton, linen, organic wool, natural dyes, and hemp are being used widely in the fashion industry under the Go Green banner. Linen is made from flax and uses minimum amount of fertilizers. Use of natural dyes made from plants, vegetables and roots keeps off those polluting contaminants which can be highly poisonous once they enter the food chain.
Hemp is one item that can be used to produce eco friendly clothing as well as reusable shopping bags. Hemp is the common name for plants of the entire genus Cannabis. Industrial hemp is used in the following- paper, textile, biodegradable plastic, health food, fuel, bags.
With environmental concerns making headlines every other day, the fashion industry has done well to keep pace with people’s inclinations. Today’s style mantra is being eco-friendly but with style.