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ECO-FASHION
At Lotus Blossom Style, our clothes are made from earth-friendly materials and methods. We use bamboo and organic cotton, dyed with low impact dyes and silkscreened by hand with non-toxic water-based inks.
WHAT IS ECO-FASHION?
Eco-Fashion is a term used to identify clothing that is made from ecologically friendly materials and methods – taking into account the environment, the working conditions of everyone involved in making the product, and the health of the consumer.
Eco-fashion clothing is made:
• without the use of pesticides or other harmful chemicals
• to last so that people can wear them for longer
• with social responsibility – the people who make the clothing are paid a fair price and have decent working conditions
WHY ECO-FASHION?
The products that you buy make a difference in this world. You can actually make a difference in this world with what you wear! The power to make change comes through what you choose as a consumer. Choosing fashion products that are made from ecologically friendly materials and socially responsible methods are healthier for the earth’s soil, water, animals, farmers, manufactures and YOU. In other words, choosing eco-fashion products is healthier for your body and healthier for our Planet.
  
More and more we are withdrawing from nature as we heavily modernize and develop highly advanced technologies. While positive in many regards, these modernizations have thrown us and our earth out of balance. The truth is that nature and humanity are and will remain infinitely connected and it is not possible to draw a dividing line between us. The more we care for, respect and recognize our infinite connection, the more we will be able to rebalance the current turbulence of our environment and our Planet.
ECO-FASHION DEFINITIONS:
Organic: Clothing made through a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, or other toxic chemicals.
Sustainable: A term used to describe products that are produced naturally and don’t waste or misuse natural resources.
Sweatshop-Free: Importance is given to working conditions and wages of the people who make the clothing.
Fair-Trade: An organized social movement and market-based model of international trade which promotes the payment of fair price as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production of the clothing.
Socially Conscious: Awareness and responsibility in all aspects of the production of the clothing – environmentally, socially, and spiritually.
SOME TRUTHS ABOUT CONVENTIONAL COTTON
Conventional grown cotton consumes approximately 25% of the insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides in the world. It takes 1/3 lb. of pesticides and fertilizers to grow enough cotton for just one t-shirt and routinely millions of Americans are consuming water contaminated with pesticides from traditional agricultural farming techniques. Chemicals used on conventional cotton farms are dangerous and harmful. They pollute the environment, kill wildlife and can make people sick. In contrast, organic cotton farming eliminates the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and helps small farmers around the world take back their identity as stewards of the land.
ORGANIC COTTON
Choosing organic cotton helps to support organic farmers and gives motivation to conventional farmers who are trying to convert to organic practices. Farming cotton organically improves soil fertility, safeguards farm and textile workers’ health, and also preserves the quality of air, water, and land for future generations. Spreading the word to friends and family about organic cotton will help to raise global awareness about the benefits of choosing organic cotton. Hopefully, over time, this can reduce the amount of chemicals consumed by conventional cotton farming and help contribute to a healthier planet.
HOW IS ORGANIC COTTON GROWN?
Through crop rotation and the use of organic compost, organic farmers support the soil to retain water more efficiently through increased organic matter so chemical fertilizers are unnecessary. Farmers also introduce beneficial insects in a timely fashion throughout the growing season to control cotton pests, thereby eliminating the need for insecticides. Rather than using herbicides, they control weed growth through hand hoeing.
Most organic growers hand-pick the cotton, though some farming operations still use machines for harvesting.
BAMBOO
Bamboo is quickly becoming many people’s first choice for clothing. It is softer than cotton, smooth as silk, and has the coziness of cashmere. Aside from these delicious aspects, it is one of the most earth-friendly materials we can use for our clothing!
Other qualities of Bamboo:
- moisture-wicking
- quick-drying
- anti-bacterial
- anti-fungal
- anti-static
- bio-degradable
- keeps you cool when it’s warm, and keeps you warm when it’s cool
WHY IS BAMBOO ONE OF THE MOST EARTH-FRIENDLY MATERIALS TO USE?
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world and is grown on five continents. It has a massive yield per acre and because no pesticides are required for it to grow, it can be harvested again and again. Bamboo reaches harvesting maturity in under four years versus the average tree that can take decades to grow. When cut, bamboo grows back in 3 to 4 years. Some species of bamboo can even grow one foot in a single day!
Unlike cotton, no irrigation and no chemicals are needed to grow bamboo. Bamboo is inherently organic. By this we mean it grows wildly and thrives naturally with no pesticides needed for growing it because it is naturally resistant to all bacteria and microbes. Bamboo fiber has its own anti-bacterial properties unlike other clothing materials that are treated with chemicals.
Since the bamboo fiber is filled with micro-gaps and micro-holes allowing it to be ultra-breathable, it wicks away moisture from the skin and keeps the wearer dry, cool and comfortable. It absorbs and evaporates perspiration quickly and keeps the wearer odor free. In short, it doesn’t get as dirty or stinky as your other clothes!
HOW IS BAMBOO TURNED INTO CLOTHING?
Bamboo is crushed and pulped and then its natural cellulose, which contains the bamboo 'kun', is extracted to make the fiber. The process is very much like the way wood is crushed and pulped in the paper making process. The viscose is regenerated into a fiber that's like cotton in appearance, but much softer. It's then spun into yarn and mixed with 30% organic cotton. From the yarn, it's then knitted into fabric.
 ONE PERCENT FOR THE PLANET
Lotus Blossom Style is a member of 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses donating at least 1% of their sales to protect and restore the natural environment. If you are a business owner please consider joining. As more businesses join, we inspire others to make an environmental commitment in the marketplace. For more information, please visit onepercentfortheplanet.org
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