California Apparel News

Socially conscious shoppers that have organic food in their refrigerators and eco-friendly clothes in their closets will soon be able to add organic cotton lingerie and sleepwear to their wardrobes.

Come Spring 2008, a plethora of California-based contemporary loungewear and innerwear companies will introduce organic cotton to their offerings. It comes at a good time; organic women’s apparel sales showed a 28 percent gain in 2006, according to preliminary data from the Organic Trade Association’s 2007 “Manufacturer’s Market Survey,” to be published later this year.

Organic loungewear and intimate apparel is no new discovery, but until now, it has been mostly limited to the handful of companies that specialize in eco-friendly fabrics. Garberville, Calif.–based Blue Canoe has offered organic and eco-friendly yoga apparel, loungewear and bodywear since 1993. The eco-friendly contemporary clothing line Stewart + Brown, launched in 2002 and based in Ventura, Calif., has a selection of loungewear, as well.Here is a look at some fashion loungewear and innerwear companies that have each put their own spin on how to incorporate organic cotton into their lines.

C&C California

There is no line separating sleepwear from ready-to-wear when it comes to some wearers of C&C California’s soft cotton T-shirts.

“People would say: ’Your fabric is so great. I just love to sleep in it,’” said Stephen Cox, president of the California-based company, a division of New York–based Liz Claiborne Inc. For Holiday 2007, C&C made it official and launched a loungewear division entirely in organic cotton fabric. A full Spring 2008 loungewear collection will launch at the Aug. 5–7 run of Lingerie Americas in New York.

C&C’s organic kick took off in June 2007, when the company introduced organic cotton to its classic T-shirt offerings. For C&C’s Spring clothing 2008 line, Cox estimates that approximately 25 percent to 35 percent is composed of organic cotton fabric.

The ball is rolling to make C&C’s operations eco-friendly as well. In addition to recycling and saving energy at the office by using timed lights, Cox said C&C was “in the process of bringing in some people that are more in tune” to environmentally friendly practices, no matter how small, “to talk to the company about other things that we can do.”

Natura by Wendy Glez

Wendy G. Crowe is turning a new leaf with the launch of her new organic cotton ready-to-wear and lingerie line, Naturaby Wendy Glez. Crowe’s lingerie and loungewear line, Wendy Glez, is known for its fun, vintage-inspired feminine frills and fancy laces. She describes her new venture as clean and avant-garde in style.

“The designs are going to be a little more intricate. More of a creative silhouette because of the simplicity of the fabrics,” said Crowe, who is using organic cotton knit and only natural dyes. One floor-length empire-waist halter dress has extra-long ties around the neck that can wrap around several different ways.

Organic fabric has been on Crowe’s mind for a few years. She uses recycled plastic for Wendy Glez’s production packaging and recycled paper in her office whenever possible. Social responsibility and a creative rapport with her sewers are important cornerstones of her business.Now that Wendy Glez’s production capability has caught up to Crowe’s ambition, she can put her brewing ideas into action. “I really want to concentrate on this,” said Crowe. “I think it’s time.”

Natura by Wendy Glez will launch for Spring 2008 at the Aug. 26–28 run of Lingerie Americas in Las Vegas.

Sheandme

It has always been about more than the clothes for Mitra Sanai and Shirin Azad, who launched Sheandme in October last year.

The duo incorporates girl-power messages on the tags of their Modal/spandex tees, loungepants and underwear such as “Dream big dreams” and “Love your body” and donates a portion of sales to various women’s causes. A portion of this season’s sales is donated to The Tahirih Justice Center, a nonprofit organization that provides legal assistance to immigrant women who have suffered human-rights abuses and fled their native countries.

For Spring 2008, Sheandme adds the environment to its list of worthy causes with the launch of organic cotton knit loungewear and underwear.

“We always want to try to give back,” said Sanai, who practiced as a lawyer before launching Sheandme. “This is another roundabout way of doing good—to make products that are environmentally conscious.”

Hoodies, loungepants and innerwear are available in untreated certified organic cotton for purists and in a sky blue produced with low-grade chemical dyes. The collection will launch at Lingerie Americas in New York.

Eco-Lounge by Loungerie

Cindy Freeman’s footprint on the environment just got smaller. For the new eco-friendly division Eco-Lounge by Loungerie, Freeman takes an extra step to lower production-waste levels by incorporating surplus fabrics from past seasons into new garments made with organic cotton.

The sleepwear and loungewear line Loungerie is under the corporate umbrella of Nothing to Wear Inc., which includes the brands Subtle Luxury, Glam Souls and Glam Vintage Soul. Kim Thomas, head of sales, said that since the introduction of bamboo and eco-friendly fabrics to the Subtle Luxury ready-to-wear line, stores have rallied for the environmental cause. “A lot of majors are looking to add [eco-friendly brands] to their vendor structure,” Thomas said.

Freeman chooses the most environmentally friendly manufacturing methods whenever possible, including dyers in Los Angeles that use low-impact reactive dyes and eco-friendly finishing. Freeman plans to expand the use of surplus fabrics into a line of accessories called Love Surplus. The company will donate $1 from every item sold to eco-friendly charities.

“It is our goal to purchase 100 percent organic in the near future as long as there are enough sources for it,” Freeman said.

Fleur T Lingerie

Muted colors and subtly pretty prints have defined 8-year-old Fleur T England lingerie for the past few seasons. For Spring 2008, founder Nancy Yoo will turn the color up to bold and vibrant.

Fleur T will also add organic fabrics to the line’s basic and seasonal fashion groups. Yoo plans to create her organic cotton sleepwear’s bright and fun color palette through low-impact dyes or alternative dye processes that are environmentally friendly.

While lace is a staple in Fleur T, the organic pieces will use ruffles in replace of lace. “I wanted to stay in the spirit of ’this is organic,’” Yoo said. The designer hopes to gradually transition Fleur T into entirely eco-friendly fabrics, possibly replacing her core buttery rayon/spandex fabric with bamboo. “It’s the wave of the future,” Yoo said.