Shopping for the right pair of jeans can be a never ending quest that we all embark on because, let’s face it, we wear them a lot. Jeans in our culture are wardrobe staples no longer relegated to weekend wear. Casual Fridays and more relaxed corporate dress codes have some of us building a week-long repertoire of denim that may include different washes, leg openings and waist and rise fits from high to low. In the last couple of years we’ve seen the introduction of yet one more choice, organic cotton denim.
While it may be impossible to rationalize the need for one more option, this is a choice that we hope to see more designers and manufacturers support. Why?
- Because conventional cotton accounts for 10% of global pesticide use. It takes 2/3 of a pound of pesticides to make just one pair of conventional cotton denim jeans. That’s approximately a can of soup full of pesticides for each pair of conventional cotton denim jeans produced.
- Pesticides used in conventional cotton production are not only harmful to the environment but also to the cotton farm workers. According to the EPA, five of the top nine pesticides used in cotton production in the US (cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin) are known cancer-causing chemicals.
Here’s the great news. Several designers have really gotten behind organic cotton production. The styling, fit and wash choices are as luxurious as those offered by conventional premium denim lines. We especially love the Del Forte denim line. Not only do they make beautiful jeans, they are also manufacturing their product responsibly by forming partnerships with farmers and the community to help educate on the environmental benefits of sustainable farming. With their inspiring Project Rejeaneration, Del Forte takes their commitment to the environment one step further by taking back your used Del Forte jeans to recycle into new styles. Check out Del Forte denim on www.fcpcares.com. LINK to our styles on the website.
-Courtesy of Christina Getachew
Founder, Substance
783 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614.299.2910
www.fcpcares.com
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