Originally published July 7, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified July 9, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Environmental themes fit tees
The T-shirt has become a must-have for summer wardrobes. But not just any old tee. This summer's hottest top is cozy, made of organic cotton...
Newhouse News Service
The T-shirt has become a must-have for summer wardrobes.
But not just any old tee.
This summer's hottest top is cozy, made of organic cotton and touts worthy causes across the chest.
From Target to Macy's, retailers at every price point are reserving a place on their sales floors for T-shirts made of environment-friendly materials, emblazoned with friendly phrases like "preserve Mother Earth" or "Do good."
Whether you're a tot or a teen, a male or a female, the eco-friendly tee is the must-have shirt of the moment.
According to a recent MSNBC report, an estimated 2 billion tees were sold worldwide last year. This year's numbers are expected to top that.
The preference of some U.S. consumers for greener products has manufacturers scrambling for eco-friendly fabric options. Choices include hemp, bamboo, tencel, soy fabric, modal and organic cotton.
While wearing a T-shirt is an obvious way to tout your favorite cause, purchasing a shirt made from eco- conscious production methods has a greater impact than you might think.
Most T-shirts are made of conventional cotton, which is one of the most pesticide- laden crops in America. According to the Sustainable Cotton Project, it takes one-third of a pound of toxic chemicals to produce one shirt. That adds up when you think of all those T-shirts sold.
However, when you buy organic cotton, you're buying a product that was farmed using alternatives to pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers.
You can learn more about organic cotton by visiting the Sustainable Cotton Project at sustainablecotton.org.
There are many ways to shop for Earth-friendly shirts. Here are some interesting and fashion-forward labels from the Web:
![]()
Tonic Generation (tonicgen.com): Known for "morally, mentally and physically invigorating" fashion.
Lohas (lohas.com): It's an acronym for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability.
Patagonia (patagonia.com): A true pioneer in sustainable fabrics; the first to produce organic tees when it wasn't so PC.
Edun (edun-live.com): Edun ("nude" spelled backward) is co-designed by U2's Bono; his wife, Ali Hewson; and fashion designer Rogan Gregory. Edun is founded on four respects: respect for what your clothes are made of; respect for who is making them; respect for where they are made; and respect for the people who are going to put them on.
Tees for Change (teesforchange.com): Specializes in two-word tees made of organic cotton or cotton/bamboo combos.
Fuze (fuzelab.com): Creators of a line of super-soft reversible tees made of organic cotton and eco-friendly ink.
Certaintees (certaintees.com): The site boasts wearable wisdom that is socially positive and environmentally responsible.
Cotam (cotam.org): Short for "Clothing of the American Mind," this site boasts politically aggressive organic T-shirts.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Clearing the air on duct cleaning and dust
Metropolitan Home magazine to close
Mattress makers try to lure us into bed with fragrance, soy and more
WHO: AIDS leading cause of death, disease in women
For 80-year-old Maple Valley man, hoops aren't just a dream

Ken Auletta talks about "Googled"
Ken Auletta talks about Google with Brier Dudley at the Seattle Central Library.
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
How to tell your office you're gravely ill
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
- 'Missing' SeaTac man found with new name, in new state
- Police: DNA from officer's slaying matches suspect
- Lt. governor's son shot by co-worker in Kent; gunman then shot self
- DNA, ballistics tie man to cop killing, police say
- McGinn next Seattle mayor; Mallahan concedes as vote gap widens
- Prosecutors consider charges against suspect in police shooting
- Three more fires ignite in Greenwood
- Trucker dies as big-rig plummets off SF bridge
- Steve Kelley | Hasselbeck gives Seahawks' sagging season a stay of execution
- Huskies are finding talent in Tacoma
- Prosecutors prepare charges against suspect in police shooting
263 - Pelosi tours Seattle's Swedish after health-care vote
208 - King County OKs 'don't ask' law on immigration
197 - McGinn more than doubles his lead over Mallahan
190 - Resolute Fort Hood soldiers ready for return
130 - Time to bring Ken Griffey Jr. back in 2010
98 - 'Missing' SeaTac man found with new name, in new state
92 - Josh Smith picks UCLA
85 - DNA, ballistics tie man to cop killing, police say
80 - Obama pressed into role as national healer
78
- For 80-year-old Maple Valley man, hoops aren't just a dream
- Plans call for Triangle to become West Seattle gateway
- Three more fires ignite in Greenwood
- 'Missing' SeaTac man found with new name, in new state
- Silver Lake restaurant destroyed by fire
- Pakistani-American cafe, bar owner on verge of being Granite Falls mayor
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tours Seattle's Swedish after health-care vote
- All You Can Eat | Fruit flies: thrill to the kill
- McGinn next Seattle mayor; Mallahan concedes as vote gap widens
- Rainier Pacific Financial calls rescue 'unlikely'









