'Organic' and 'eco-friendly' aren't just for the grocery store anymore - the need to go 'green' has made its way into fashion and the fabrics behind it.

If we told you your über-chic wrap dress could be made out of wood pulp, would you believe us? You should.

With the recent surge in the environmentally friendly cellulose-based fibre Tencel®, Lenzing Fibers' brand name for wood pulp-derived lyocell, it just might be. And Tencel® is merely one alternative fibre amoung many currently catapulting into the prestige textile market with both quality and eco-savviness in tow.

Technical Tencel®

Made from wood pulp cellulose, lyocell is produced in a solvent spinning process that is organic, sustainable and uniquely revolutionary. The only current lyocell manufacturer in the United States is Lenzing Fibers, and the company markets the product under the trademarked brand name Tencel® as a soft, absorbent, durable, versatile, and eco-friendly fibre.

Within the solvent spinning process that produces Tencel®, a closed loop circuit recovers, purifies and reuses the solvent up to 99.5 percent, yielding very little byproduct. This environmentally conscious process, which is also 100 percent organic since the basis is a natural raw material, has been on the receiving end of numerous awards, including the "European Award for the Environment" by the European Union.

Tencel® finds its strength in its extreme comfort. The natural cellulose fibre absorbs 50 percemt more moisture than cotton, quickly transporting the wetness to the inside. In addition to incredible wicking abilities, Tencel® has an extremely smooth fibre surface that feels soft and supple against the skin. These two characteristics combined, in addition to the fibre's chemical-free state, create the ideal fibre for sensitive skin that is vulnerable to irritation.

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Due to its moisture management, Tencel® is also anti-bacterial, and because of controllable fibrillation (the very fine hairs found on the outer fibres), this versatile product can be manipulated into everything from suede-like softness to a silky smooth finish. And finally, this super fibre can hold up to a beating when both wet and dry, and is most conveniently resistant to wrinkles.

Beautiful bamboo

On the pulp trend, to create bamboo fibre, a process of hydrolysis-alkalization and multi-phase bleaching refines bamboo pulp from the plant, which is then processed into fibre. And also similar to Tencel®, bamboo fibre works for both you and the environment. As the fastest growing plant in the world, bamboo reaches its maximum height within a few months and maturity within less than a handful of years. The pesticide and fertilizer-free growing process is entirely natural - without human assistance - and bamboo spreads rapidly across large areas, which is argued to improve soil quality in degraded and eroded land areas. The point is, don't feel badly for any chopped-down bamboo shoots - there's plenty where that came from.

When it comes to how this super soft fabric will feel against your skin, there's just no comparison to the smooth, luxurious and comfortable bamboo fibre. Much like Tencel®, bamboo will also wick moisture from your body with its superior absorptive qualities. Of the claims that don't yet have substantial, impartial support, bamboo is also said to stay roughly 2°C cooler in hot weather and to warm you up in chilling temperatures, to provide protection from UV rays, and to be both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

Bamboo fibre also has excellent colour absorption and fast-drying capabilities, and is known for draping elegantly from the body and feeling as soft as cashmere. Now this is eco-fashion at its finest.

Sensible soy

Despite claims otherwise, soy fabric is far from new. Henry Ford was photographed wearing the first soy suit, but then the fibre disappeared for a while until recent advancements in China. Environmentally-friendly and sustainable, soy fibre is made from the byproduct of soybean oil and tofu production, and then cut and processed like any other spinning fiber. Soy fibre is also on the environmental cutting-edge since it doesn't require the pesticides and herbicides required by conventional crop production.

This high-end fabric, pushed as a "vegetable cashmere," truly feels as soft as they claim. With a buttery finish, soy fabrics have a unique luster, drape, smoothness and comfort, yet are surprisingly washable and durable. The fibre is said to be naturally anti-bacterial and offers protection from UV rays, but these claims still remain not entirely substantiated. Without a doubt, soy does provide ultra-soft, breathable comfort with ideal absorption properties.

Luxurious and practical? We like the sound of that.

The growth on non-organic cotton uses approximately 25 percent of the world's insecticides and more than 10 percent of the pesticides.

Oh-so organic cotton and wool

Here's a fact to chew on: cotton uses approximately 25 percent of the world's insecticides and more than 10 percent of the pesticides. If that doesn't immediately sound like enough of a reason to switch to organic cotton, then listen in.

Since organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic pesticides and fertilizers, which can end up in the ground, air, water and food supply, it has an incredibly low environmental impact. The lack of harmful pesticides in organic cotton production, which are associated with health consequences such as asthma, birth defects and cancer, also creates a positive, eco-friendly working condition that doesn't compromise the health of those processing the cotton. Plus, since conventional cotton may retain risky toxic residues, people with allergies and sensitive skin can wear organic cotton with a comfort of both mind and body.

In 2000-2001, slightly more than 14 million pounds of organic cotton were produced internationally, according to data from the Pesticide Action Network of the United Kingdom and from the Organic Trade Association, representing about 0.03 percent of worldwide cotton production. But the apparel industry is working hard to increase that percentage. Many clothing designers and brands are incorporating organic cottons into their lines, either with specific programs or with complete, 100 percemt organic overhauls.

Organic cotton provides a simple choice: enjoy all the benefits of a natural fibre found in conventional cotton, from breathability to comfort, without posing risk to human health and taking the environment down with you.
In the same way we can farm organic livestock for food, we can also produce organic wool. The feed and forage used to nourish the animal must be certified organic, and the use of synthetic hormones and genetic engineering is prohibited, as well is the use of synthetic pesticides. And finally, producers of "organic livestock" must encourage the health of the animal through good cultural and management practices - this means no dipping sheep in insecticides to control external parasites and no over stalking of the grazing land.

With the pesticides used in sheep production posing risks to both human health and the environment, it's no surprise that the popularity and abundance of organic wool, which reduces the overall exposure to toxic chemicals from synthetic pesticides, is increasing. In Canada, only 300 pounds of organic wool were produced in 2005, but our neighbours to the south produced a whopping total of 18,852 pounds that same year.

As the market for organic wool grows, so too will applications for the fibre. Now, organic wool is popping up in such conventional uses as knitting yarn, blankets, throws, socks, sweaters, coats, and baby clothes.

I *heart* alpacas

At first sight of these dwarfed-llama-esque creatures, we Fillies fell in love. Furry, awkward, and adorably strange, alpacas produce one of the world's rarest natural fibres.

These camelid-family animals, indigenous to the high Andes of South America, currently populate Peru, Bolivia and Chile, with a growing number of breeders in the United States and Canada, including an alpaca farm in Oxford, Nova Scotia. Their divine fleece, cherished since the ancient times of the Incan civilization, is exceptionally light, warmer than wool, and has less "prickle factor" than most other animals. Alpaca fibre is also stronger than wool, rarely pills, contains no grease, oil or lanolin and doesn't carry an odour.

The luxury fashion industry, including Giorgio Armani, Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren, has taken hold of the alpaca's increasing popularity, seeking the fibre's rich, silky sheen, and its myriad of 22 natural colours. Alpaca fibre can also be combined with sheep's wool, cashmere, mohair, angora and silk, resulting in prestige fabrics that adapts to a designer's needs.

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