Positively the most perfect t-shirts on the market. Heidi Matonis is a wonder-mom who has put a great idea into action. She creates soft, organic and bamboo t-shirts that are more than just a shirt: Heidi says that our clothing can be a great means of communication between strangers and her messages are not only important, but also beautiful. She partners with non-profits and donates $5.00 dollars of every shirt to the organization that it supports. I love her latest pima cotton Born-Free shirt in pale pink. It’s a pretty way for me to put my money where my mouth is!
www.Positivitee.com
I am curious about the bamboo shirts. I imagine that they are similiar to towels – where the bamboo is actually made into rayon and then woven into the material. Since the process of making the rayon from bamboo is harmful to the planet (chemical waste from the factory) I am thinking they are not so environmentally friendly.
One of my favorite facial washcloths is made from bamboo. It is surprisingly soft and a great texture for washing. I also recently purchased some pj’s that are made of both bamboo and organic cotton. I bet these tees are fantastic and I love the donation element to the Positivitee company.
can anyone respond to the rayon towel comment. I would like to know as well.
It’s a important to look at the whole picture when considering a bamboo product. Generally speaking bamboo is great because it’s a very renewable resource, however, the chemical process used in the processing of rayon, is harmful to the environment and the workers. Many bamboo garments are also made in factories in developing countries, where the pollution controls are not what they should be. A great alternative is a fabric made from lyocell. This involves a safer chemical process where the wood pulp is converted into wood cellulose. Look for the trade name: Tencell.
There are new and safer technologies in the pipeline for making fabrics out of bamboo that will not pollute the planet. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, weigh up the whole picture, as you are doing, when it comes to fabrics
You are right. Bamboo is not only highly toxic in its processing to make it knitable fiber but also is being cut from protected panda bear habitat in China. Don’t believe the green-washing and marketing hype. Tencel / Lyocell and hemp are much more better and greener choices.
What is the country of origin of these t-shirts? I think its absolutely crucial to mention the country of origin cuz otherwise people just end up being suckered into paying a lot of money for ‘green products’ made by some blind three year old in China for two sesame seeds an hour…
I have a question about organic cotton. I bought one of the new t-shirts they have at Target that they say are made out of 100% organic cotton. Are these as good as bamboo or hemp-made shirts??
this website has information on how bamboo shirts are created. Maybe it will be helpful for those who have questions. http://www.bambooclothes.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=processing However, I really like how positivitee donates a percentage to these charities.
I’m a little concerned with the amount of companies coming out with “green”, “earth friendly” fashion products, there are a lot more issues involved as many of the previous comments have touched on, who makes these products? Sure, they may be made with some re-newable, re-useable materials but are they still made in the sweat shops of asia, are they made from raw products stripped from our ever decreasing forests and of course is the manufacturing of them harming our environment. If I could trust that non of the above was involved in the production of these garments then I wouldn’t mind paying the little extra for such eco-friendly clothing but I have this sneaky suspicion that the market will soon be swamped with so called “green” garments because its now fashionable to be eco-wise?? I’m afraid that because its ‘popular’ and ‘fashionable’ consumers will be duped into purchasing garments that really aren’t what they seem and it all becomes a fashion and money making scenario rather than the ‘green’ story we’re trying to support.
Cat- to answer your question- organic cotton is in many ways better than bamboo because the production of bamboo into fiber involves some pretty nasty chemicals.
I agree with you Karen – it’s smart to be really wary about all the green-washing out there and I think we should all do more than just believe the spin. I do my best to research companies and brands for all that they do, which is why I developed the rating system: some companies are greener than others. There are a lot of conundrums with going green. Look at the latest issue about bio-fuels. A while back everyone thought ethanol was the answer and now we know that it is most certainly not! I try to endorse designers like Deborah Lindquist and Salvation Sacks as they re-use materials, rather than use up new resources (however eco-friendly they may be). So your sneaky suspicion is correct and I encourage you and others to stay savvy.
Be careful with organic cotton. Nowadays companies are using organic cotton for the “organic” label and price premium, but still are using harmful finishing processes. It is best to buy clothing from a company you trust. For me, that company is Maggie’s Organics. Though some organic cotton companies use harmful methods, Maggie’s uses alternative methods to lessen the negative environmental and health impacts of its products. For instance, to whiten the cotton, traditional methods use chlorine bleach, whereas we use peroxide, a safer alternative that does not produce toxic by products. Traditional finishing requires chemicals and synthetic surfactants that our finishing does not. Dying our organic fabrics takes advantage of natural dyes with lower sulfur and metal content than conventional dying practices. The sulfur and metal can leach into human skin and the environment. Often times organic fibers are printed with water based inks or options without heavy metals.
I have been fortunate enough to intern with Maggie’s this summer where I am learning more about the apparel industry, and a great environmentally and socially responsible alternative to traditional apparel industry practices. Not only are the materials Maggie’s uses environmentally sustainable, but they use a fair labor model. In fact, they were instrumental in creating a cooperative to help hurricane victims rebuild their lives!
Has anyone heard of Maggie’s before? Their website is http://www.maggiesorganics.com I would love to hear what you think of the company and/or products!
Mary
maryl@organicclothes.com
By the way, The Greener Grass featured a very informative post about organic fibers on http://www.thegreenergrass.org/2008/06/maggies-organics-shares-tips-on-organic.html
Another good article to check out is the Wall Street Journal article, “Shades of Green: Decoding Eco Fashion Claims,” (http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB121158336716218711-lMyQjAxMDI4MTIxNTUyODUzWj.html). This article does a nice job of summarizes some pros and cons of bamboo, recycled materials, organic cotton, and cruelty-free wool.
Enjoy!
Be careful with organic cotton. Nowadays companies are using organic cotton for the “organic” label and price premium, but still are using harmful finishing processes. It is best to buy clothing from a company you trust.
I’m over in Australia and I was wondering if anyone knows what American size I am, since I am a 12 over here…?
we dont have size 0 or 4 over here…
Brienne
I am originally from NZ, currently live in Canada.
if you are a 12 in Australia, funnily enough I think you may be a 12 in usa/canada – better to check actual measurements (in inches) if you can
I was wondering if they had any Mary Kay like businesses that sold green products? Does anyone know? Please contact me at shiningraine@yahoo.com