Eco friendly clothing andaccessories are always appreciable. But, the question is "How expensiveare they when compared to conventional clothing?"
Consumers of today are prettymuch aware of facts such as global warming and environmentally friendly way ofliving. It is a human aspiration that everyone likes to look beautiful, andalso to keep the clothing budget within control. Though consumers understandthe concept of nature's way of living, they expect the lifestyle to suit theirpreferences, be according to trends and fit their budget as well. Eco clothingis still at a nascent stage, and requires a considerable amount of money andtime for the cotton cultivators to change from conventional to organic crop.Similarly, manufacturers need more investments in machinery for eco clothing.
Eco Vs Conventional clothing-Costsinvolved:
Many myths flourish regardingsustainably designed apparels and accessories, the first being that they areway too expensive. Eco clothing and accessories are of superior quality, butthey are not mass produced. When designers attempt to come up with a productthat will benefit the environment and the living beings, the cost of organicand eco friendly raw materials prove to be expensive.
Raw materials used in making ecoclothing are generally planted and harvested in one place. Then it is sent to afactory for processing it and later is spun into yarn. This yarn is transportedto a factory and is woven into fabric, which is then sent to a dye mill forcoloring. Later the fabric is sent to a manufacturer, who with a designerdrafts the patterns for the clothing, cuts and sews the garments. The finalproduct is then packed and is available at the shops for consumers. At everystate, it involves workforce, who are paid for their labor.
Eco fabrics are generally moreexpensive due to the fact that mass production is not practiced currently. Organiccotton is available only in limited quantities. Low impact dyes are used incoloring these fabrics which causes less or no impact to the environment aswell as to the human skin. The extra processing applied for avoiding hazardouschemicals makes it all the more costly. The manufacturing process for ecoclothing makes the complete cycle more expensive. All these factors go into theprice of the finished garment giving a hefty price tag to the eco apparel.Though ultimately the consumer gets what he wants, still the garment goes a waybeyond his clothing budget.
What are the Remedies?
Eco clothing is very well made,and has a longer life span comparatively over conventional fabrics. Companiesinvolved in manufacturing eco friendly clothing must be offered adequatesubsidies from the Government. Designers, who create patterns for thisclothing, should make it a point to make the designs timeless, so that itremains a 'wardrobe staple', an outfit that remains in the wardrobe of theconsumer for many years. Manufacturers should focus on making outfits that arestylish, combined with a reasonable price tag. These apparels should be availablein many store racks, and throughout the seasons, so as to be available at thechoice of the shopper at all times.
As consumers understand and accept the importance of eco friendly clothing, demand for eco clothing and other accessories increases. With an increase in demand, more companies will be involved into this process, thus making the cost of raw materials to go down. With an increased competition, the final cost of the products will also go down, thus benefiting the ultimate consumer. The slogan 'Going Green' is not just concerned with the impact of the environmentally related activities, but also brings about a positive change in the precedence of our wants and needs.
References:
- &sec=article&uinfo=<%=server.URLEncode(1865)%>" target="_blank">http://www.ecosalon.com
- &sec=article&uinfo=<%=server.URLEncode(1865)%>" target="_blank">http://www.csmonitor.com
- &sec=article&uinfo=<%=server.URLEncode(1865)%>" target="_blank">http://www.springfieldgo.com
- &sec=article&uinfo=<%=server.URLEncode(1865)%>" target="_blank">http://www.treehugger.com
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