Fashion to some is matching the right top with the perfect pants or skirt. To others it’s creating a style about them that tells the type of person they are. Businessmen and women wear suits to express their professionalism. Athletes wear their sporty gear to reflect their enthusiasm for the sport in which they play. Why not wear eco-friendly clothing to show your passion for the environment?

Sustainable clothing is the new craze in saving the atmosphere. The Sustainable Apparel Coalition, launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has aimed to establish a worldwide index for measuring and evaluating apparel and footwear product sustainability.

Organic cotton blog 2011, Picture:Flickr, Salty_Soul

The marriage between saving the earth and producing reliable clothing is done by using organic cotton. This cotton is grown without pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers or any other chemicals.

According to the 2009 Organic Cotton Market Report, released in May 2010, an estimated $4.3 billion in global sales have been reached, rising 35 percent from the $ 3.2 billion in 2008.

Out of the 22 countries that produce organic cotton the top 10 are India, United States, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Egypt, Peru,  China, Syria, Turkey and Tanzania.

Programs developed by apparel companies are using 100 percent organically grown cotton or combine small percentages of organic cotton with conventional cotton in their products.

Organic Cotton blog 2011;Picture:Flickr, ninette_luz

This has increased the need for domestic and international organic cotton.

Some of the companies that have joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition to improve their clothing line and environmental impact are: Adidas, Gap Inc., H&M, JC Penney, Kohl’s Department Stores, Levi Strauss & Co., New Balance, Nike, Nordstrom, Target and Wal-Mart.

A new demand in fashion has consumed the philosophy of fashion. Being stylish is no longer about whom you are wearing but what you are wearing. Eco-friendly clothing is the next step in life changes right after recycling. Going green brings a new meaning for what color is in your closet.