DOES YOUR WARDROBE NEED A DETOX?

Spring means longer evenings, warmer weather, and spring cleaning your skin, your home and your wardrobe. For fashionistas this equals that satisfying switch from cosy winter wardrobe to body skimming summer outfits. But whilst you are in the mood to pack away your wintery garb and are thinking all things fresh, light and new, it’s the perfect time to consider detoxing your wardrobe as well as yourself. And when we say detox, we don’t just mean donating pieces to the charity shop. When you come to replace no longer loved items, choosing organic, toxic-free, eco items is the best fashion choice.

But what are our ‘healthy’ clothing options and how do you find them? It’s easier than you might think. Usually when clothes are dyed they are done so with harsh chemicals, fixing agents and chemical dyes, but by choosing items dyed with natural dyes, you can avoid this. The most common natural dyes are vegetable. The colour is extracted from vegetables, and when concentrated can be use to dye most fabrics, even leather. On the matter of leather, most are tanned using heavy toxic metals such as chromium, which are known to poison wildlife if allowed to get into the water system. Many eco clothing companies, such as Terra Plana, have found ways to tan naturally, avoiding the use of these types of heavy chemicals. This method also often results in softer, more pliable leather too.

One of the major toxins used in the manufacture of clothes are pesticides. Sixty percent of world’s pesticide use is attributed to growing conventional cotton. Pesticides not only coat the cotton fabric, causing allergies in some, but have been known to poison entire ecosystems and adversely affect the health of communities living nearby. The manufacture of pesticides themselves is a massive and hugely toxic industry in its own right. The easiest way to say no to pesticides is to buy organic cotton and natural sustainable fibres such as bamboo and hemp.

Eco boutique Fashion-conscience.com is dedicated to finding the most stylish eco and ethical fashion alternatives, and have done all the research for you so it’s easier than ever to hunt out the best designers and pieces that limit their impact on the earth, and you.

Our favourite environmentally aware designers at the moment include Amana - a young London based design duo whose philosophy is to create beautifully designed clothes with ethical practice.

All pieces are hand-made by female artisans in the Moroccan Atlas Mountains to fair trade guidelines and Amana are careful to source fabrics with a minimal impact on the environment. The new collection is easy to wear, relaxed and sexy, exploiting a neutral palette for their clingy super soft tees and vest tops , but bright corals, pinks and florals for their organic silks and mini-skirts.

Camilla Norrback is a Swedish designer whose collection is made entirely from ecological or environmentally certified natural fabrics. Her trademark is edgy eco style – she specialises in flattering high-waisted silhouettes.  London-based designer Ivana Basilotta also uses a variety of eco and biodegradable fabrics, such as Modal and Inego, for her whimsical delicate silk chiffon pieces. The company retains its eco-friendly policy by working with local artisans and suppliers in Europe, Turkey and India.

EJF, the Environmental Justice Foundation, was established in 2000 and is one of the forerunners when it comes to selecting only organic and fair trade cotton. Their ‘Pick  Your Cotton Carefully’ campaign was created to help end abuse linked to global cotton productions such as child labour, the massive use of toxic pesticides and overuse of the world’s water. They campaign that the £20 billion cotton industry is creating misery for millions.

EJF have collaborated with leading designers such as Luella Bartley, Christian Lacroix, Betty Jackson, John Rocha and Zandra Rhodes to produce great T-shirts which highlight the cause.

To learn more about eco fashion and have a look at the types of pieces you can buy, visit Fashion-conscience.com. You can shop by eco aspect (e.g. organic, vegan, sustainable, recycled or vegan) and the site, featured in Vogue, Elle, The Times and The Guardian, selects only the best style-led pieces with an ethical and eco edge and stays one step ahead by stocking many UK exclusives.

EJF - ZANDRA RHODES

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Credit: Verity Scrase