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Organic Clothing & The Environment

In order to get the organic certification organic clothing needs to comply with strict guidelines which restrict the use of chemicals, insecticides and pesticides. Chemicals used in conventional cotton and wool production can seep in the soil and ground water polluting the environment. They have also adverse effects on biodiversity. Organic farming encourages more diverse land use providing better habitats where wildlife can strive.

- Organic Cotton is grown without the use of pesticides and insecticides that plagued conventional cotton production. Conventional cotton uses around 9% of the world’s agrochemical pesticides, about 20% of the world’s insecticides and 8% of the world’s chemical fertilizers. Organic Cotton is also grown from non-GM seeds. Today a large proportion of conventional cotton (over 40%) is grown from GM seeds.

- Organic Wool is also produced without chemicals. Conventional wool uses pesticides and insecticides on sheep. Conventional wool is also heavily treated with many different chemicals to clean it and process it into a finish product. All those chemicals can pollute the environment.

Beyond the production of fibre, organic certification also ensures that the processing of organic clothing use eco friendly processes and that the dyes are low-impact and do not contain heavy metals.

Organic Clothing & Your Health

As organic clothing is manufactured without the use of chemicals and pesticides it is generally better for your skin especially if you have sensitive skin or are prone to allergies, eczema or dermatitis. Organic clothing is a better choice for babies and children delicate skin.

Cottonseed is a bi-product of the cotton production which is sold to the food industry (cotton seed oil is used in many prepared food) or as animal feed. According to EJF, it is estimated that as much as 65% of cotton production ends up in our food chain, whether directly through food oil or indirectly through the milk and meat of animals.

Organic Clothing & Animal Welfare

Organic wool is wool produced from sheep that are not exposed to pesticides, insecticides and antibiotics are restricted. Organic certification also ensures that the sheep are kept in good farming and humane conditions. They are allowed to graze freely on large pastures free from chemicals.

For Merino wool, museling (removal of wool and skin near the bottoms of sheep to prevent fly-strike) is forbidden in the UK but still allowed in Australia. It is a cruel practice which hurts the animcal and is forbidden under organic standards.

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As a new season approaches and the previous one is forgotten, we look forward to a new range of fashion trends, but is this really the case? It appears that over the years there has been a common pattern that history is repeating itself and older trends from previous years are being used over and over again. As usual, the upcoming latest fashion trends are determined by designers at their catwalk shows based fashion capitals: New York, Milan, London and Paris. Is lack of inspiration resulting in them needing to go back in time to renovate past trends instead of creating their own or is it all down to personal style and preference?

Take the 70s era as a prime example; it took place over 40s years ago and yet summer 2011 was filled with wide leg palazzo trousers, flower power dresses and chunky heel platforms. Although some women may argue that this is a positive as they can recycle clothes from previous years to help save money. This is not what fashion is about, or is it? Fashion is something that is often followed and is only ‘in’ at specific times, whereas style is a form of personal expression. Although clothes designs, patterns and colour palettes are being repeated, can the same be said about shoes?

Brogue structures and loafers are a common repeat in the fashion industry and are regulars on both the catwalk shows and high street alike. It seems that over the past few years there has been a great focus upon designer shoes as they are regularly being renovated. Take ‘heel-less shoes’ as an example. They appeal to the few people who want to be noticed and will go through pain and torture in order to follow fashion. This trend did not catch on as well as designers may have liked, but that did not stop high street stores from jumping on the bandwagon and giving them a try in a bid to boost sales.

It seems that celebrities of today become noticeably more successful by being outrageous via their sense of style, whether it is in their clothing, hair or makeup. Insisting on being a unique individual, stars ask fashion designers to create bespoke, one-off garments and designer shoes for special red carpet events and music videos. These funky styles are dependent upon the celebrity as to whether their style gets worshiped or slated.

All in all it seems that the fashion industry does lack originality in certain aspects, but it is all down to personal preference on whether fresh new trends will be a success or a flop. Fashion designers are reluctant to try new things so they tend to stick to what they know and what will be a guaranteed success. It usually takes a celebrity to start off a new fashion but more people are now visiting niche vintage boutiques to find their own style and create a whole new fashion craze themselves.

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Choosing gifts for siblings can be a lot of fun, we generally know them pretty well and their tastes as well as their likes and dislikes, this can sometimes lead to buying the same kind of thing for them every year, below are some great ideas you might not have thought about for your brother.

Hot Lap

Let’s face it, guys love cars – fast cars are even better – so why not go all out and treat him to a hot lap in a V8 or exotic car such as a Lamborghini, Lotus or a Ferrari. Available at many locations around the country you can choose to the type of driving experience that will suit your brother as well as your budget. This is definitely something your brother will remember for a very long time.

Tickets to Sporting Event or Concert

Summer is the time for concerts and sporting events so buying tickets to your brother’s favourite band or sports game is a great idea. Some of our greatest memories are from events like this. If you’re not sure which event to buy them for then buying vouchers from the local ticket retailer works well. Buy two and you can attend with him.

Online Music Download

If concert tickets are a little out of your price range then the next best thing is music. With so much available in downloadable form it’s easy to send an e-voucher from a local online music store and your brother can choose with songs or album he wants to get. This is a great economical gift and that suits everyone.

Personalised Licence Plate Frames

These are a fun and unique gift that suit everyone. These budget-friendly gifts offer you the chance to give a gift that will be seen every day, allows you to customise the message on the surround and will last for a long time. A personalised licence plate frame fits easily onto your brothers car and lets you share a part of his personality with perhaps his nickname or an inside family joke, or you could simply tell him that you think he’s great. It’s bound to put a smile on his face every time he gets into his car.

These gift ideas are great to mix and match to suit your brother, his tastes as well as your budget and are all great things he will more than happy to receive from a sibling.

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