Isn’t it ironic of how we literally live in the age of jeans, yet in all honesty I would still list finding that perfect pair of jeans that fit like a glove to be one of the hardest tasks to accomplish? I mean look around, we live in an era where almost everyone young or old, male or female (save for the few who don’t do casuals) owns at least one pair of blue jeans; everywhere you go, all over the world, people wear jeans…yet finding one that fits just right, with comfort and shaping ability is really just that hard!
However as much as we wear them and as often as we shop for them, how many among us realise that jeans aren’t just a pair of fashion statement trousers or pants made from the denim fabric, but instead a main contributor to environmental pollution, labour exploitation and a major health threat to unsuspecting populations. Am I being unnecessarily mellow dramatic? No, because in order for you to appreciate the severity it’s important to first understand what denim is.
Denim is a tough fabric which got its ‘American’ name from the French name “serge de Nimes” – a fabric which originated in Nimes, France during the Middle Ages. It is made of cotton, which is a conglomerate industry that causes great damage to our environment through water consumption (7000 to 29.000 litres of water for each kilogram of ready garment) and widespread use of toxic chemical substances and insecticides- and that’s just talking about farming the cotton! The processing, weaving, colouring and sewing are another extended process which involves even more release of pollutants into the environment.
Now borrowing the idea from that good old saying, “When the buying stops, the killing will too” and apply it to blue jeans, the world would be a much healthier place. No I’ m not saying stop wearing jeans, instead all I’m saying is stop buying conventional jeans and instead opt for “green” jeans. And if you’re afraid that the makers of green jeans won’t be able to give you that ‘cut’ that fits then you have nothing to worry about because even LEVI’S® has got a range of 100% organic cotton jeans. Other brands that offer such jeans include Nudie Jeans, Bergdorf Goodman and Love (for kids).
