Meryl Smith Lawton

Au Naturel |Caitlin Scruggs and Andrew Gonzales in Lucid Lifestyle clothing. Scruggs’ dress is bamboo organic cotton, by Hug Me, $98. Her coat is a hemp and organic cotton blend by Grace and Cello, $100. Gonzales’ pants are organic french terry by Twice Shy, $65. His shirt is a hemp and organic cotton blend by Livity, $28.

Going au naturel doesn’t necessarily mean what it used to. Now, natural fibres are all the rage, and have been hailed as the new wonder-cloths in the fashion world: they’re comfortable to wear, they’re easy to care for, and they might even have anti-microbial and UV protective qualities. Organic or recycled cotton, linen, hemp and even bamboo are making waves as the green revolution hits clothing markets and fashion designers alike.

“These fabrics are great,” says Andrew Gonzalez, owner of Lucid Lifestyle Eco Apparel on Whyte Avenue. “Natural eco fabrics are healthier for you and for the planet,” he says. “For you, they’re more breathable and they keep you cool or warm, based on their natural properties.”

And for the planet, natural fibres come from renewable resources like plants, as opposed to oil-based products like polyester and spandex. Gonzalez also works hard to ensure his suppliers employ ethical business practices, using fair trade fabrics to support the cloth industry in developing countries, and upholding responsible and sustainable agricultural practices in the production of the cloth in the first place. “Even in fashion,” he says, “it’s possible to be green and ethical.”

But as University of Alberta human ecology professors Nancy Kerr and Rachel McQueen point out, the fabric manufacturing process is so complex that even the most alert consumer watchdog can trace back the production chain only so far. “Many fabrics are produced far from the raw ingredients’ point of origin,” says McQueen. “Which does mean a shipping footprint, as well as, in many cases, a lack of transparency in the whole process. Although the suppliers may be Canadian, and may state eco and ethical practices, the manufacturing plants may well be in China, for example, where they don’t have as stringent environmental rules as North America or Europe.”

Not to mention the manufacturing process itself. “Even though manufacturers are using natural fibres, in many cases it still takes chemicals to process the fabrics,” says Kerr, who is also a textile expert. For example, take some lovely, soft, stretchy bamboo workout wear? “It’s rayon,” says Kerr. Traditional rayon is made out of wood, and a process of chemical baths breaks down the fibres to create the soft, processed fabric. “Bamboo is perhaps a better choice for the production of rayon, rather than old growth wood,” says McQueen. “A bamboo forest can regenerate in three or four years, rather than the 20 years it takes for a pine forest. So, in this way, bamboo is more eco-friendly.”

But it’s not necessarily a wonder fabric. “The plant, bamboo, may have some anti-microbial properties,” says McQueen. “But by the time it’s processed into a cloth, I have a very hard time believing any of those natural properties are left. Not to mention that most bamboo cloth producers are in China, and hold their proprietary secrets dear, so we just don’t know exactly how the chemicals in the process are being used, or how they’re being disposed.”

Which is not to say that natural fibres aren’t great. McQueen says she loves wearing clothing made from bamboo, as well as cotton, linen, and other natural fibres, but she says consumers still have to think critically.

So what are some other eco fabric options? “Recycled cotton is very good,” Kerr suggests. Recycled cotton uses the bale ends of cotton fabric that are cut off at the factories, and then reduced back down to the fibres to start the process over again. “It makes sense to me to use this scrap cotton,” Kerr says, “rather than filling a landfill with it.”

Recycled polyester makes use of plastic recyclables like pop bottles, and even seaweed is used these days in the production of a cloth called Seacell.

Ultimately, says McQueen, the demand for greener practices in clothing production must come from consumers, by getting informed before heading to the shops.