original-organicclothingCotton: Facts Behind the FiberWe had written this post as the first in a series on organic cotton. The second in the organic cotton series was "Cotton: African Savior or Curse". Somehow this blog post disappeared so we are reposting it again.
Cotton - From Field to Fashion.
There has been some confusion about what really are natural fibers used in textiles. In some people’s opinion, natural fiber clothing is the same as organic clothing. In conversations, “natural clothing” is sometimes used to refer to organic clothing because the clothing is completely natural and was not grown with any toxic chemicals nor manufactured using toxic chemicals. But natural fiber clothing simply refers to clothing made from fibers found in nature, such as cotton, wool or hemp, which may not be grown or manufactured under conditions which would allow them to be certified as organic.
Natural fibers fall into three main groups: vegetable fibers which come from plants; protein fibers, which come from the wool and hair of animals; and the strong elastic fibrous secretion of silkworm larvae in cocoons which is used to create silk. The main ingredient in all vegetable fibers is cellulose, a carbohydrate found in all plant life. The most common natural fibers used to make clothing are cotton, hemp, ramie, linen, lyocell / Tencel, wool, and silk.
This article on cotton is the first in a series that examines each of these natural fibers in their journey from the field to the fashion runway as they journey to rise to ecofashion stardom or sink into conventional toxic Margarittaville.
Cotton – hero or villain? When we think about global warming, growing cancer rates, deepening poverty in some of the world’s poorest countries, and even increasing chemical sensitivities, our clothes closets are probably not the first villain that comes to mind, but our clothes can be a significant, quiet co-conspirator.
~snip~
.
.
.
complete article including links to related sources
here