To avoid any greenwashing, let’s get the scoop on organic cotton and denim dyes. I get my facts from “How Eco Is Organic Cotton? The Facts on 7 Questions” from the gaiamlife.com. If you want the long version, check out the complete article and prepare to be educated by Victoria Everman. Here’s the condensed version:

On Growing Methods:
Cotton grown using conventional methods accounts for “10 percent of all agricultural chemicals and 25 percent of the world’s insecticides. In the U.S., one-third of a pound of chemicals are needed just to grow enough conventional cotton for a regular T-shirt.” On the contrary, cotton grown using organic methods is, “Arguably the most popular sustainable fabric available,” and is, “grown without pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers.”

On Water Use:
Organic cotton is often thought to require more water for cultivating. Apparently, this changes from country to country depending on the health of the surrounding environment and during the first few seasons of an organic crop, more water may be required. Once the fields have been transitioned from conventional to certified organic and the soil becomes healthy again, water usage becomes less and less due to the plants being able to use water more efficiently. Let’s not forget how important water is for drinking too. Those chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides seep into local water systems from nearby conventional farms. Here’s a mindblower . . . the Organic Consumers Association says that “In 1995, pesticide-contaminated runoff from cotton fields in Alabama killed 240,000 fish.”

On Genetically-Modified Organisms:
We may not have to worry much about the widespread use of genetically-modified cotton seeds because they’re not allowed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and they don’t produce as much as their non-GMO counterpart anyway. Michael Gross of Lotus Organics said, “In a recent [independent] study of 100 cotton farms in India, yields of the non-Bt cotton outproduced the genetically modified Bt cotton crop by around 16 percent,” and that, “the best methods work with nature rather than against it, understanding the natural systems and predators that keep problem pests and pathogens in balance.”

On Dyes and Washes:
The dye used to make your jeans the perfect color of blue may be the biggest unresolved problem.  As of now, no labeling is required to indicate if chemical dyes or low-impact dyes were used. The gaiamlife.com article says the only to find out is to ask. Do a little research. As I said before — manufacturers tend to brag about such things and rightly so! James Jeans (one of my favorite jeans, shown below) approaches eco a little differently. They don’t use organic cotton, but their washes are as green as they come in designer denim circles. According to whiteapricot.com, ”the process that they go through to achieve the different washes is green. Rather than using potassium promagnate and a washing machine to “age” the jeans, the company hand brushes a mix of tea leaves, coffee and other natural “reactants” on each pair and then dries them in the open air and sunshine.”

On Paying a Premium for Eco Denim:
The monetary cost of organic cotton clothing will likely cost you 10-45 percent more than clothing made from conventionally-grown cotton. Just like with food, organic tends to cost more.  But, as Everman reminds us, “conventional cotton prices don’t take into account the impact that its production has on the planet and the many people involved in its manufacture, including sweatshops and global poverty.”

The Bottom Line:
So what’s the verdict? I say, when forced to buy new, let’s all make an effort to replace old jeans and clothing items with ones made from organic cotton and low-impact dyes that are manufactured as close to home as possible. A better idea is to not replace old things. Take good care of your things and keep them for as long as possible.  Something I’ve been practicing for a very long time is buying resale or vintage clothing and household décor items so nothing new needs to be manufactured in order for me to look stylie or for my home to look put together. Buffalo Exchange, My Sister’s Closet and hundreds of other resale stores are cropping up all over the country. Not replacing things and not constantly buying new stuff works for cars, computers, and plenty of other consumer goods.

If you are in the market for a new pair of jeans, here are my five eco-friendly favorites:

Aoki Jeans — Billy Rinse, $174 (98% organic cotton)

Del Forte Dahlia, $190 (sale price $95, 99% organic cotton)

James Jeans, Hunter w/ Troy, $167 (natural washes, air-dried)

Linda Loudermilk Liverpool, $149.50 (75% cotton and 25% bamboo)

Loomstate Harmony, $128 (98% organic cotton)