The world of organic has long been kept to the realm of food, to the masses at any rate. However, to those who were involved in the organic movement from the beginning, back when it was still hard to find organic food and there was a significantly different, by which I mean more basic, selection available, there has always been more to the world organic consumption than simply food. To be sure, organic produce is one of the greatest means to get the message of organic foods out to the masses, being as it is that everyone eats fruits and vegetables throughout their days (or so they should) and now that people understand more about the harms that the chemicals and pesticides used in conventional farming can bring to the human bodies, these consumers themselves are searching out organic produce.
Such is not to say, it should be pointed out, that those who were involved in the organic movement before it became a trendy lifestyle to lead, were any wiser or more healthful than those who are just discovering organic food now. As it is now, it was then that organic foods are expensive, that they are harder to find, for such is the case of general fresh produce in the conventional sense and as such it is only expounded upon in the transference of produce to an even loftier shelf of being “organic” in addition to fresh. For the majority of those who were aware enough of the ecological make-up of the earth before it  became a fact pointed out rather than searched for and discovered, the decision to live organic simply changed the lifestyle they had led up to that point. It was no sacrifice to spend the extra money on organic produce, as the comparatively small prices increases were made up for by tightening the purse strings in other areas. Clothes shopping might be limited, and cable might be shut off so that each consumer’s family could dine in the healthiest way possible not only for themselves, but also for the world that housed them.
Such things have not changed so much now, except for the fact that as consumers on a grand scale begin to buy organic and become more aware of the fact that each humans actions has an impact on the rest of the world, more organic and ecologically sound lifestyle choices can be made more readily available to these masses. Indeed, those who bought organic before there was a section in each grocery store dedicated to the produce, also searched for earth-friendly ways to improve other areas of their lives. A certain author’s father purchased organic cotton and hemp pants back when it cost significantly more to do so than it did to purchase conventionally-produced clothing. Rendering a closet once full of work pants to a mere handful, all safely made from the earth’s resources and all equally able to be returned to the earth when they had been worn out, gave him a peace of mind that none but his spouse could understand until years later. When enough money was saved, a certain author’s mother would follow the steps of her husband, and purchase herself dresses and skirts made of the same materials - as safe for the earth as could be.
Of course, at the time when the abovementioned purchases were made, the organic and earth-friendly materials utilized to make the articles of clothing had that stereotypical “crunchy” look that is so often associated with the hippie movement, and which is so ridiculed in a society that prizes mass consumerism over all else. The fashion-conscious among us would never dare to wear such an obvious concoction of materials, and this is precisely the mindset against which organic living has always had to struggle. For there is a certain protocol within society that most members refuse to ignore, thus the game of keeping-up-with-the-joneses is maintained to this day. Yet slowly but surely, as organic consumers admit to the fact that just eating organic will not truly help the organic industry that is necessary to continue producing the organic food that has become so beloved, the demand for other aspects of life - like clothing choice - are growing.
Indeed, as reported by the Organic Consumers Association, the demand for organic clothing is progressively doubling every year, and this means the necessary step away from the hippie skirts and Birkenstocks that used to signify organic and ecologically-sound clothing. The designers now working with organic materials are impressive, from Nina Valenti whose sustainable line “naturevsfuture” was launched in 2002 and uses organic cotton, wools, hemp and soy as well as new recycled fabrics like POP which is made from recycled soda bottles, to Carol Young whose “undersigned” label is inspired by the Dahon folding bicycle, which was designed by the Dahon company - founded in the 1970’s - to encourage environmentally-sustainable modes of transportation.  Katharine Hamnett of the United Kingdom produces a line in partnership with the Environmental Justice Foundation for its campaign “to end child labor in cotton farming” and the latest T-shirt supporting that cause has already been worn by environmentally-conscious music icon KT Turnstall.
Of course, until the likes of the major high-end designers get their heads around the fact that their use of “rare” materials will one day put them completely out of business, and begin to produce organic and environmentally-sustainable clothing, the true fashionistas of the world will probably shy away from going ecologically-sound in terms of their dress choices. However, the fact remains that as more and more new designers continue to work with ecologically-sustainable materials, then more notice will be paid to them and to the nature of their creations, putting such ecologically-sound materials at the forefront of the fashion world, and with any luck making such the final word. So go ahead friends, go shopping while you munch on your organic apple, but perhaps stick your head into the world of organic clothing as you do so.