If you knew your underwear was laden with pesticides would you still want to wear it?
Today you can walk into most any store selling food and I bet you’ll find hundreds of organic, natural and healthy options. As consumers, we demand a vast array of organic foods in our favorite grocery stores and at last check, the organic food business had become a 43 billion dollar industry.
So why isn’t the demand for organic, “healthier” clothing the same? Yeah, we may not ingest the stuff we wear, but we put it on our bodies and it covers some pretty… well… sensitive parts.
Why doesn’t the average consumer care what they wear in the same way they care about what they eat?
Given the choice between organic grapes and those sprayed with Round-Up, I’m pretty sure most of us would pick the organic chemical-free option, regardless of the cost. Given the choice between the pesticide laden underwear and the organic, I’m pretty sure the organic would win here too.
Now that the food industry has evolved, the clothing biz could use some new standards too. How can we get there?
Origin of Certified Organic
Once mass food distributors realized it was profitable to sell “organic,” they started throwing the word onto all of their packaging making truly organic food harder for consumers to recognize. That’s when organic farmers and distributors demanded regulation in their industry.
Due to this mounting pressure growing in the late 90’s, the U.S. Agriculture Secretary, Dan Glickman finally created a set of standards that food growers and distributors had to abide by before labeling their product “USDA Organic” and getting the coveted stamp on their packaging.
This little stamp completely changed the organic food industry. Consumers were assured the food labeled “USDA Organic” was actually grown without using pesticides or genetically modified seeds, which helped justify a higher cost. This one little stamp created a new reliable niche, making the Organic Food industry what it is today.
So why isn’t it the same for our clothing? What if clothing had a firm set of standards they had to abide by before calling their garments “sustainable,” “eco-friendly,” “natural” or “organic”?
Just like the organic farmers of the nineties, I’m getting a little frustrated that there’s no official stamp assuring consumers that they’re actually buying responsibly made clothing like MAJAMAS EARTH. Why do I care?
Natural Nonsense
Fast fashion companies have noticed that customers are beginning to care what they wear, so they’re preying on our ethos to profit. Aside from falsely promoting their “natural beauty” collections that “benefit us and our environment”, they’re sending out superficial slogans to cover up cheap quality, harmful production processes, and unethical business practices. They often suggest a variety of ways to recycle their cheap clothing or donate to people in need, which are important messages, but don’t be fooled… None of these actions resolve the real issues or prevent the problem!
These efforts won’t clean up the continuous waste polluting our planet, the mess made of a town’s water supply or the exploitation of our natural resources, unless these companies actually plan on changing their entire production process.
Without official validation that a garment is responsibly-made, those of us who pay more to make our clothes in the U.S.A. with ethical and environmentally conscious practices look as if we’re just taking advantage of our customers by selling our clothing at higher price-points.
Let ME assure you, it’s quite the opposite! We #CAREWHATYOUWEAR!
True Cost of Clothing
No environmental regulations exist for garments made outside of North America, South America and Europe, one reason MAJAMAS EARTH is 100% USA MADE. We source quality fabrics (including Certified Organic Cotton) from California mills that operate under strict environmental regulations. (The fabric for one garment alone costs more than what the fast fashion guys sell their finished garments for!)
Our garments are cut and sewn using clean, family run shops right here in the U.S. (Chicago and Jersey, in fact!) Operating locally ensures our employees are treated ethically and earn fair living wages while our factories are operating the in the most environmentally friendly way possible. We take time to ensure our products are up to the highest standards from beginning to end.
We’re responsibly made, and that my friends, ain’t cheap!
Finding Eco-Friendly Fashion
Thankfully, we’re not alone! There are lots of us who care what we wear, care who makes our clothes and where our clothes are made, but there’s still no official stamp for the average consumer to know for sure if the clothes they’re buying are “organic”, “eco-friendly” or “sustainable”.
So how do we find the good stuff?
Unlike the time when food was transitioning for the better, we have the internet and plenty of smart, informed people out there who know what it takes for a clothing line to be considered conscious and Earth-friendly.
Hello bloggers!
Follow ME and these guys and check their lists of companies that care what you wear… and eat, sleep on, listen to and so much more:
Still being Molly
Done Good
Going Zero Waste
I guarantee you’ll feel empowered knowing you’re doing the right thing for your health and for the planet. Who knows? You may even help us change the clothing industry and that would be a worthy feat!
– Germaine Caprio, Company Owner & Designer
#CAREWHATYOUWEAR
Get started with an Au Naturale Gift Box featuring Certified Organic Bras & Panties
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What are your favorite organic and eco-friendly products?
Please share your own thoughts with us – let’s get a conversation started in the comments below! Your comment may even win you a free MAJAMAS garment this week!