Rather than flog a plant known for its needs for pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, why not swith BACK to industrial hemp? Hemp requires little in the way of pesticides, herbicides or fertilzers, and produces a range of fibers and fabrics known for their durability and people-pleasing propensities -- including softness, luster, and the ability to improve rather than degrade with age. Pre anti-marijuana induced anti-drug frenzy, industrial hemp was used in this country for a plethora of applications, including sinewy rope, canvas sails, table linens and luxurious clothing. Isn't it crazy that we refuse to allow anyone in this country to grow this miracle fiber -- which has as close a relationship to marijuana as a Chihuahua does to a Rottweiler?

While I will always celebrate organic over conventional, even organic cotton is just not good.  Chemicals are just one problem with cotton.  You need lakes and lakes of water.

Those California cotton farmers should be telling their governor to pass the Industrial Hemp allowance that he rejected this year, so they can grow something that takes far fewer resources to grow - whether conventionally or organic.

There's exactly one reason I don't own more organic cotton clothing than I do:  I can't ever find anything I'd be caught dead in that comes in my size!  My sheets and towels are all either old or organic, but when it comes to clothes...well, a few pairs of socks and underwear, a bra, a pair of "yoga" pants (read:  very expensive bootcut sweatpants).

Organic cotton clothing is all made either for size-0 Pilates-practicing rich women or else for dirty-hippie types.  While I share a number of views with the latter group, neither group is one I'm likely to wear the clothing of in this lifetime.  I'm hardly fashionable, but I want clothes that feel good and look decent, and that are useful for the things I do in life.  Handmade shawls are well and good, but what am I to do when I am working outside and need jeans and t-shirts?  Until I can replace my rapidly-worn-out jeans with organic ones that work as well, I will keep shopping at the mall, because I can't go around in clothes that no longer cover the parts that legally (or practically) need covering!

What kind of karma would you need to have, Willa, to come back as a size-0 Pilates-izing rich chick?  Is that good or, maybe, not so good?

Wow, I hope the powers that be wouldn't be that cruel to me--I do try to be good! :)

there is always Patagonia. (and I swear I do not work for them!).

Without them, my supply of reasonably stylish, can-wear-to-work organic clothing would be reduced to next-to-nil.

Skinny Rich Chicks, albeity a particularly annoying sub-demographic in American society, would make a good name for an all-female punk band.

I know we've been over this before, but Kaela, fercryinoutloud, Patagonia considers a size 14 "extra large" (I'm assuming, since the pants they sell in dress sizes come up to 14, and the pants they sell in S-M-L-XL presumably cover the same size range).  Yes, I know Americans are fat and out of shape, but yesterday I loaded and unloaded over a ton of hay, among other things, and let me tell you that unless I am cursed and come back as a Skinny Rich Chick, I will never wear a pair of Patagonia pants.  

I may be in the minority of Lane Bryant shoppers, wearing the clothes I buy there to do hard work in, but I'm certainly not the only one.  Once I overcame the horror that someone might see me there ("Oh, no, now everyone will know that I'm fat!!!  Because otherwise, how would they have figured it out?"), I found it extremely refreshing to shop in a place where, fairly frequently, I can't find anything small enough to fit me, rather than trying to squeeze into the lousy size 14s.

It's time for American clothing companies to wake up and smell the wide range of sizes and shapes people come in, and I absolutely think manufacturers of sustainable clothing are included in that.

Willa,

Sorry if I offended - certainly wasn't my intention. I do tend to forget, in my rosy love glow for all things Patagonia, that they are basically made for a lanky, thin body type. Hence my boyfriend, who actually loves Patagonia clothes, can wear almost none of them because he is shaped roughly like a fireplug (albeit an extremely cute fireplug).  He, on the other hand, can wear EMS clothing, which is always too small for me - binding in weird spots, arms too short, legs too short, etc.

I laughed at your message, not because I'm not sympathetic to the plight, but because one of my girlfriends makes a similar plea, often, in trying to find active clothing that fits her frame.  Once, when she was complaining to a fellow climber at the crags about a pair of Prana pants that she loved, but simply could not fit into the XL, the (short, skinny, blond, female) climber responded: "Well, Prana is made for climbers, you know."  As if there are no climbers larger than a size 14, (or none hauling hay bales for that matter).  As if struggling up a rock face weren't hard enough work, you have to feel fat doing it because you can't fit into any of the "climbing" clothes.

Believe me, nothing would make me happier than to have women's clothes, especially sustainably produced clothes, in 37 different shapes & sizes.  Then my girlfriend would have one less excuse not to come to the crags with me. :)

I know this thread is so old it's unlikely that many people will read this comment, but fyi:  I ordered some t-shirts and a pair of socks from SOS from Texas, following kinz1j's link above, and I love them!  I thought I'd check out the site, and I saw a shirt I absolutely had to get for a friend--the one that says "toadal chaos" for a friend of mine whose name is Chaos (a long story)--so I thought I'd give their stuff a try for myself, too.  I now have a new favorite long-sleeve t (the women's scoopneck), and a new favorite short-sleeve version of the same as well.  So soft and comfy!  So actually cut to fit me!  Well, I had to roll up the long sleeves a slight bit, but other than that...I always have a problem with t-shirts having too-large armholes and yet somehow still having too-small sleeves, and these have neither--the armhole fits perfectly, and the sleeve is still appropriately loose.

And hey, Kaela, if you read this--it's possible their long sleeves might actually be long enough got you.

Oh yeah, and their stuff won't break the bank.

I like these shirts enough I can almost forgive them for being from Texas (it's a New Mexico thing, not associating with Texans, kinda like Oregonians and Californians). :)