What does "Organic Cotton" Mean for Your Wardrobe?

Knowledge is Power.

Many companies these days are giving us the option of buying clothing made out of "organic cotton." And sure that sounds great. But do you know the intricacies of the label? Organic clothing is made from cotton grown on organic farms. Advocates say that it is better for the environment because it is made without pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers.

Treehugger.com gives it to us straight - saying, "Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically-dependent crops, sucking up 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of insecticides on 3% of our arable land; that's more than any other crop per unit. That adds up to 1/3 of a pound of chemicals to produce enough cotton for a t-shirt, and 3/4 of a pound for a pair of jeans. And that's just not bad for the planet; 20,000 deaths occur each year from pesticide poisoning in developing countries, many of these from cotton farming, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)."

Organic cotton must be certified by a third party organization according to the rules and regulations of what is allowed in the cultivation process. In the U.S., the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the final say to whether or not a product can be labeled "Organic Cotton."

However, this label applies only to the way the cotton is grown, not the way it is processed. And keep your eyes peeled, because just because a product may use organic cotton, it can also be made with synthetic materials as well. So look for those numbers that will tell you if something is 100% organic or not.