How am I feeling with just one week left of my Six Items Challenge?
I’m getting excited to delve back into my wardrobe and rediscover my clothes. At the same time I think I’ll be sad to let go of my items. And let’s face it, I really will need to let go. Look at the state of them! The pants and dress are fading, the seam at the zip side of the skirt has started to fray, and my epaulette has come off and torn the sleeve of my white top.
To be fair, the skirt and white shirt are old as the hills and the constant wear and washing has pushed them to the edge. I’m considering a temperature-controlled, airtight container to safeguard them for the final dash.
The 100% organic cotton tops have however been legendary!!
They don’t smell, hold their colour, their shape and the quality has not deteriorated. There’s no way your average cotton blend high street top would’ve held up to the challenge. I’ve always balked at the cost of organic cotton but I’m a true convert now.
Not only does organic cotton feel and look great for a very long time, but it has minimal impact on the environment because organically grown cotton uses no pesticides, less water and less energy.
Want to know more? This article from the expectant mother’s guide sums up the facts about the greatness of organic cotton – I’ve pulled one excerpt out below. We know organic is great for babies so why not for children and adults?
Organic cotton also has other perks besides being toxin free. It is safer, sturdier, cheaper and it feels great! Organic clothing may be more expensive when you first buy it, but when compared to the cheaper cotton product it gives you your money’s worth. Conventionally produced cotton material lasts 10-20 washes before it starts to break down. An organic cotton material lasts for 100 washes or more before it begins to wear down. This is because the cotton fibers in conventionally produced cotton take so much abuse in production because it goes through scouring, bleaching, dying, softeners, formaldehyde spray, and flame and soil retardants before it is even shipped to be cut for patterns.
If you’d like a shorter, journalist-penned article about the environmental impacts of conventional cotton versus organic, click here. Or this article, also from Huffington Post, will answer any questions about why it is more expensive (although when you do the maths, it ends up costing less on your wallet, and conveniently less to the planet).
Lastly, a very warm welcome to the new followers that joined over the last week. I’m looking forward to sharing my journey to my own sustainable and ethical style with you. First, let’s get through this! Only one more week to go.