Fading denims

In eco-jeans,the green is becoming harder to spot

Two years ago,when going green was red-hot in the fashion industry,there were plenty of organic jeans to choose from. Brands including Levis,Banana Republic,Genetic Denim,7 For All Mankind,Earnest Sewn,Aristocrat,Loomstate,Del Forte and J Brand offered at least one pair made with some amount of organic cotton,grown without environmentally threatening chemicals according to the Sustainable Cotton Project,a nonprofit organisation,conventional cotton consumes 25 per cent of the worlds chemical pesticides and fertilisers.

Today,none of the brands do. Which raises the question: Where has all the organic denim gone?

Some smaller lines were crushed by the recession and a crowded market. In a matter of 12 months,I lost 25 to 30 percent of my customer base because of stores closing or scaling back orders, said Tierra Del Forte,who closed her eco-jeans line,Del Forte,in 2009.

But other companies are extending their attention beyond cotton to the entire manufacturing process,according to LaRhea Pepper,senior director at Textile Exchange.

Factors now being considered include water use,dye impact,soil health,labour issues and fair trade. Pepper said,Across the board we see companies figuring out how to do the right thing,do it in a way thats economically viable.

Levis Eco line is no longer in stock,but the company continues to use some organic cotton while rejiggering its eco-efforts. Were shooting for greater impact, said Michael Kobori,vice president for social and environmental sustainability at Levi Strauss.

Along with H amp; M,Adidas and Nike,Levis has joined the Better Cotton Initiative,another nonprofit,which focuses on sustainable-agriculture techniques. Kobori said that the initiatives cotton farms in India and Pakistan have reduced chemical use and water consumption by a third. The resulting product,called Better Cotton,wont likely show up in Levis clothing until spring 2012,and will be blended with conventional cotton at first.

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We want to shift the way cotton is grown around the world, Kobori said. All cotton can be grown this way.

Shoppers not interested in delayed gratification can buy Levis new Water Less jeans for 50 to 130. The fading and whiskers on them are done with reduced or no water,Kobori said. The company also advocates the dirty look; a life-cycle assessment of 501s and Dockers it conducted revealed the biggest water use with jeans is when consumers wash them. So Levis is asking customers to wash less,and its labels now read: Wash in cold water. Line dry. Donate to Goodwill when no longer needed. And dont forget the eco-detergent.

Designer Rogan Gregory has stopped using organic denim for his self-described environmentally and socially conscious brand,Loomstate. If youre not a manufacturer,its challenging to execute, Gregory said. Hes also had concerns with the fit and washes of the fabric; organic cotton has a shorter fiber than conventional or genetically modified cotton,making it more difficult to weave. Gregory has also turned to other options,like reusable fabrics. I bet 10 to 20 years from now,cotton will be phasing out, he said. They will find ways to simulate and replicate the benefits of cotton without the bad parts. But the process of greening jeans contains enough shades of gray that many companies think its best just to remain quiet on the topic. With marketing,especially with fashion,you have to be careful not to push the concept, Gregory said. It still has to be about the fashion of the garment. With food it is differentyoure consuming it,thats about quality. When it comes to clothing its,I know it might be bad for the environment,but it makes my derrière look perfect.