"Hero" - 100% Organic Cotton.
We like to do things properly.
We're passionate about our products, how they're made, who makes them, and what they're made from. We want to make sure we're creating pieces of quality, that we are proud to put our name to. We carefully select suppliers and manufacturers we work with to ensure people aren't exploited in the making of our garments.
We think it's important to consider the environment because it has a direct effect on our health. We choose our fabrics not only for their quality, their "feel appeal" but also for their ethical credentials.
It's not even just about those ethical credentials either. Organic Cotton is luxurious. It's an indulgent fabric; soft, natural, and well worth spending that bit extra to invest in it.
Organic cotton features a lot in our collection and we thought we'd explain more about why we make a point of choosing Organic.
What is it?
For cotton to be certified as Organic Cotton, it must be grown without chemicals, including pesticides or fertilisers. The plants are not genetically modified and the land used to farm the crop has to be given at least three years for any residues of pesticides and fertilisers previously used to dissipate.
Here are some eye-opening facts about Organic Cotton (and key reasons to choose it):
1. Sustainability.
Each 100% Organic cotton T-shirt you buy eliminates the use of 150g of potentially harmful agricultural chemicals. By growing Organic fibres without the use of synthetic fertilisers or potentially toxic pesticides, Organic farmers build soil fertility, helping lock CO2 into the soil, which has a positive impact on climate change. Not only that, but it avoids the use of the toxic pesticides which are responsible for poisoning wildlife and rivers, as well as killing an estimated 16,000 people each year.
2. Cotton Industry Workers Don't Die.
Woah... wait. We're not over that last sentence. In fact, according to the World Health Organization up to 20,000 deaths each year are caused by pesticide poisoning in developing countries. In the US alone, more than 10,000 farmers die each year from cancers related to such chemicals in non-organic farming. By avoiding working with chemical pesticides, Organic cotton workers benefit, dodging the associated health problems and deaths common in non-organic cotton production. Not using these harmful chemicals also reduces production costs and farmers' debts. Pesticides cost money and the burden of pesticide debt has resulted in thousands of suicides in India, the world’s largest cotton producer.
3. Something in the Water.
Those toxic chemicals we keep going on about, used on conventional cotton crops, seep into local streams, rivers and even public water supplies. According to the Organic Consumers Association, in 1995, pesticide-contaminated runoff from cotton fields in Alabama killed 240,000 fish, and 14 million people in the U.S. are routinely drinking water contaminated with carcinogenic herbicides and 90% of municipal water treatment facilities lack equipment to remove these chemicals. The amount of water needed to produce 1kg of Organic cotton is 7,000 litres. The amount of water needed for 1kg of non-organic cotton is 29,000 litres. That's quite a big difference.
4. People Have a Better Quality of Life.
It's well known that disgraceful working conditions and rights in the garment industry are rife. GOTS certified Organic textiles must meet social criteria based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions. These cover minimum wages, working hours, child labour, freedom of association, discrimination, harsh or inhumane treatment and more.
5. It Feels Really Good.
Cotton is widely renowned as one of the softest, most comfortable fabrics – but it’s also one of the most heavily chemically treated crops in the world. Those chemicals change affect the cotton itself, penetrating the fibres that make the fabric so soft. Organic cotton clothing is made from cotton in its most natural form, which is why Organic cotton clothing is so much softer than non-organic cotton. Organic Cotton is skin-friendly, soothing and a harmless natural fibre. Chemical-free, it's not going to have any adverse affects on your skin or your health.
