Are Organic Fabrics Worth The Investment?

In order to create the perfect fabric for our pajamas, we worked closely with the experts at our certified mill. The end result of this process was a fabric that was just as soft as the one we had been using previously. 

 So why did we decide to make this  shift?  Because it’s something that strongly aligns with our company values. 

After many trips to India to spend time with the people manufacturing our designs, founder Amy Voloshin became even more strongly committed to ensuring worker safety is considered in all aspects of manufacturing.

While making the switch to organic cotton does slightly affect our garments’ price, we are confident that when armed with the facts about organic fabrics, our customers will agree it’s a worthwhile investment. 

To help you learn more about the benefits of going organic, we’re sharing some of what we learned as we went through this process to develop our new fabric and bring this more environmentally friendly material to market.  

As a consumer trying to decide if organic fabrics are worth the investment, there are two broad categories of facts to take into consideration: the impact on the environment and the social impact. 

There are many nuances to the environmental consequences of non-organic versus organic cotton. While there are many debates over whether organic is better or worse for the environment, one thing is clear.  The damage done by the runoff from harmful chemicals used in the process of making conventional cotton causes significant harm to the workers who grow the cotton and the neighboring communities in which they live. 

For us, the environmental impact of cotton is very important, but it’s the damage done to the communities of growers that lies at the heart of our decision.  

Growing conventional cotton crops carries many health risks for workers and the surrounding communities. The fertilizers and pesticides used to help grow and  protect the crops pollute the community’s water, soil and even the food supply. 

Another key issue in the industry is that large seed corporations hold a monopoly on cotton seeds.  We’ve seen (and read about) the devastating effects of these monopolies on communities of small growers all over the world. These commercial, genetically modified seeds are typically more expensive than farmers can afford and are not well suited to the environments they’re grown in, increasing reliance on fertilizers and pesticides. This makes the cotton more expensive, puts communities at risk for illness and increases pollution levels. 

Compounding this problem is the issue of preserving cotton seeds. In traditional cotton production, the seeds from the year’s crop are typically preserved for the next season. Now, because many conventional cotton growers are using genetically modified seeds, this is no longer possible. Due to the GMO seed industry’s patent laws, farmers are required to buy new seeds every year – adding an additional financial burden and further challenging their ability to make ends meet. The result is devastating to small farmers and their families all over the world. 

If you’re at all familiar with our company and values, you know that we strive to create products that are made with a high level of craftsmanship and designed to last for many wears over many seasons of your life. This is one of the reasons we’ve put so much time and energy into choosing the right organic cotton to make our sleepwear. 

This investment may mean that our pajamas are sold at a higher price point than other options, but this helps us ensure that we’re able to continue to provide living wages for all of the skilled workers who help to produce our sleepwear, both in the US and in Jaipur where they are manufactured. 

The topic of organic fabrics can be especially  tricky to educate yourself on, but after 20 years in the fashion industry, we strongly believe that it's an important topic to learn about. We think that as more companies move towards organic cotton, communities all over the world will reap the financial, social, and environmental benefits.