A quick look around the chain stores this season tells me that we are in serious trouble: almost everything is synthetic. I spend most of my time in Asia, so the idea of wearing anything synthetic in this hot and sticky city makes my flesh crawl.
It’s not just this season – a sinister synthetic movement has been creeping up on us for years and I have, on my travels, spent my time researching where to find clothing made of natural fibres. I usually stick to wool, silk, cotton and linen with the occasional hemp or bamboo item.
It’s getting harder and harder to find such clothes for under $300 an item, so most people are forced to go for synthetics. Dorothy Perkins, Zara, Desigual, Armani Exchange, La Senza, Marks and Spencer and Mango are showing signs that the eco-friendly shopper is going to have a hard time. Thanks to Banana Republic for introducing a few more silk and cotton options for summer as winter was painfully polyester and I still feel BR need to increase the natural fibres a bit more – but a few items are still better than none.
The one and only advantage of polyester and it’s ilk? It’s CHEAP – that’s all this eco-nightmare, the North Korea of the fabric world, has to offer. Viscose tries to fool us into thinking that it’s just as soft as cotton but it’s not. Acrylic jumpers give me a rash.
Yes… I do know about this recession – we have no money, life’s so hard, no one can afford pure silk, we’ll be forced to eat our own children by 2018… Blah, blah, blah. Well I have a radical solution, tell me what you think of this one: have 4 beautiful, well made cotton or silk shirts instead of buying 10 synthetic ones that look and feel dreadful and release micro plastics into our waterways with every wash? Do you really want to be wearing chemicals next to your skin and sweating all over your fellow citizens of the earth?
Just a thought…
I am going to rebel. This season I am not buying anything… except from the following shops, if you are in the following places, head on down to these places.
NB – Some of these shops are chains that you may find in several countries, some are small boutiques. Some are dedicated to eco-friendly clothing, some are just places aware of the fact that they should offer natural fibres each season. The countries listed may not be the company’s place of origin but this is wear I found them:
France: Comptoir Des Cotonniers, Zadig et Voltaire (upmarket pieces that will last for many seasons to come)
UK: American Apparel, People Tree (cotton and sweatshop-free labour. Why don’t more companies follow this trend? Get it together H&M! I’ll pay the extra $10 per item to eradicate your sweatshops in Bangladesh!) For natural shoes Penelope Chilvers has beautiful boots and espadrilles. I don’t own any but I feel that they should make my shopping list.
Singapore: Zhai, ANA (cute boutiques – a rare and precious find in Singapore!) and Etrican is a Singaporean company that uses organic cotton, recycled material and is active in community involvement. You can buy their products from Zalora
After a good shop at Zhai, Singapore
Japan: Muji, Uniqlo (there are always synthetics in these places but also a good selection of cotton, linen or bamboo. The Japanese stores carry special lines unlike the international outlets)
Australia: Witchery, Billabong (also available in Singapore, New Zealand… Witchery stocks silk, cotton, wool and linen EVERY season for as long as I can remember. Well done! Billabong is famous for surf and beach fashion, good cotton casuals) Apple & Bee are Australia’s leaders in modern, cool eco-style and they are a nice, responsible company. I often buy their very cool totes for gifts, they are always appreciated by the recepient, so improve your karma and ditch them pleather bags! Apple & Bee even have stockists in Japan and ANA in Singapore sells them too.
UAE: Tory Burch, Cotton On (something expensive, something cheap, we have ying and yang here)
Hong Kong SAR: Shanghai Tang, Esprit (I’m sure you all know how I feel about my favourite designers in the world over at Shanghai Tang! I have been wearing Esprit’s comfortable, sensible denim and the cotton tees since 1997 – thanks for the memories and this year’s cotton knit cardigans)
Some of these places are reasonably priced, most of them are very expensive – silk and cotton aren’t cheap anymore. I try to look in on the sales when I have a chance. I only own about 7 non-work blouses, most of them are over 2 years old, and that’s it. They are silk or cotton, so I have to handwash many of them. I take care of them so they last well – sometimes 6 years – which is another step towards environmental sustainability and good for the cheapskates out there too.
There is some debate over the status of bamboo as an eco-friendly fabric, which I have been drawn to for it’s luxurious, comfortable softness. On one hand, the fabric is made from a plant which doesn’t really require pesticides and is easy to grow. Bamboo is sustainable and easy to grow. Bamboo is anti -bacterial, anti-fungal and breathable. It’s also biodegradable.
On the other hand, production of the fabric requires a lot of water and very few producers use eco-friendly chemicals in the production of bamboo fabric.It’s also made in China, where labour standards aren’t up to scratch.
I will leave you to make up your own mind on the bamboo issue. Happy eco shopping!
Filed under: Australia, France, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom Tagged: ANA Singapore, apple & bee, bamboo cotton, Club Street, eco-friendly clothing, eco-travel, Etrican, natural fibres, organic, People Tree, polyester, Shanghai Tang, Shopping, Zalora, Zhai
