Saving with Style

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The environment is a big deal lately, and everyone knows it. Even my nine-year-old passed around a petition last year at school to eliminate styrofoam lunch trays and donated her birthday money to the World Wildlife Federation.

While I love that she’s a do-gooder, she is now demanding organic clothing for back-to-school. She’s clipped magazine articles to show me and Googled the benefits of organic cotton. Over a bowl of Alpha-Bits this weekend she asked me, “do you know how many pesticides are in conventionally grown cotton?”

And yes, she’s really nine. And yes, I realize, we’re in a whole lot of trouble. But that’s a different story. Not one to bend to her every whim, I decided to do a little investigating of my own before I shelled out the cash for organic back-to-school clothing. Here’s what I found.

First, there are a whole lot of pesticides in conventionally grown cotton. You can find a wealth of information about it at sustainablecotton.org. If you’re like me, you’ll already be swayed toward going organic after you read it.

Second, there are some really cute organic clothes out there - and luckily, they’re available through Upromise Online Shopping, so you can save for college while you’re saving the environment. Here are some of my favorite picks:

Organic clothes from Target. Since this mass retailer has signed on many a great designers, they are on top of this emerging trend. From organic layette’s for babies to organic t-shirts for the men, they have every person in your family fashionably covered - including the house.

C&C California carries great organic clothes for men and women. Highly fashionable, they have dresses, t-shirts, tanks and hoodies. In fact, I just ordered this t-shirt because I love the message. I’m also contemplating the “Flush Less” tank for next summer. On sale for $19, it’s quite a bargain.

Figleaves for organic undergarments. In addition to organic cotton, they also offer bamboo clothing, which is amazing. If you’ve never experience clothing made of bamboo, you should definitely try it; naturally thermal regulating, anti-bacterial, and soft as silk, it will quickly become a favorite fabric.

Gaiam for organic workout gear. Whether you prefer yoga, or you like to run marathon’s, Gaiam’s workout clothing can’t be beat. Very comfortable, fashionable, and organic.

There are many other retailers out there that offer organic clothing. And at the end of my poking around, I decided that, for the clothing that will come in to contact with my daughter’s skin the most frequently, I will go organic. But there are some things that I’m just not going to bend on, like jeans, simply because she grows so fast. Instead, if she wants to save the environment, I’ll have her shop consignment.

All signs point to organic clothing being the next big thing. Whether you choose to buy it now, or wait awhile, I feel it is definitely worth the money. So go save the environment, and save for college too! All you have to do is shop Upromise Online Shopping.

Photo courtesy of Gaiam.