Organic Cotton

So, I read an interesting article in the LA times IMAGE section this past weekend.  Here's a link to it.  The article discusses the exhibit  "Eco Fashion: Going Green," on view at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.  Too bad I can't make it to NY.  This article discusses a few different evolutions in fashion, from mass production so everybody could have fashion to new synthetic dyes.  Of course each has their own ramifications.   The mass production was successful due to poor working environments which led to its own problems, like workers dying in the  Triangle Shirtwaist Factory factory fire, all the women were trapped inside because management locked them in so they couldn't take breaks.  Now the US has stringent labor laws, of course not all our clothing is made in the US.  The other advancement I mentioned, synthetic dyes, also had its share of problems.  One 1800s silk tulle dress was dyed with arsenic attests!  Ew!  arsenic?  
Now how does this relate?  Well, maybe (probably) we're poisoning ourselves, in many ways.  Maybe 100 years from now will people be saying "Eww that shirt was made without organic fibers?"


However, in the same article I learned a few new things that further my challenge with the non-food part of my  mission.  The challenge being: when I go towards organic am I really doing any good for myself or for the planet?  In this article specifically, they discuss cotton nylon seersucker, which was supposed to help save energy by not having to iron, but the production of nylon is  hazardous to the environment because it leaves nitrous oxide gas in the environment for about 120 years!  So should we iron or leave behind a gas for 120 years?  And what about Rayon?  The article mentions that it's biodegradable and better in that regard than cotton, but it's chemically produced.  So if I do some research, will I find that the way it is produced is more harmful than the way cotton is produced?  So which wins? 
Food is a bit more clear cut, although organic is more expensive, it's healthier for everybody.  But beauty, clothes, other products, not so clear cut!  When I decide to use organic sunscreen will it be as effective and ward off skin cancer?  But if I use the cheap stuff am I just opening myself up to thousands of chemicals that will eventually give me a different cancer?


something to think about, and investigate further!