In order to maintain itself, the uniform industry has to
dedicate itself to a few steadfast principles: Economy, durability, longevity,
practicality, and attractive appearance.
As things currently exist, few to
none of these aspects that are so necessary in a top notch uniform are real
possibilities in an organic garment.
Perhaps they will be accessible one day—even sooner rather than later—but
for now, there is a choice to be made between the two.
Let’s take economy.
The cost of organic fibers is anywhere from two to four times greater
than standardized fabric. For virgin
plants, there have to be customized agricultural procedures, with special
protection from bugs but without using bug sprays, or isolated fields that
don’t utilize practiced protective measures.
At this point in time, these methods of growth and harvesting are minimal
in volume compared to standard horticultural techniques; thus, enormously
expensive. A tough sell in the
marketplace.
There is currently a need and desire for processing new plants
that heretofore were not used for fabrics, but now are—corn or bamboo, for
example, which take enormous amounts of costly dilution in order to become
usable as woven fibers. Imagine that
folks are now craving to wear garments made out of what used to be used for
building houses, bridges, and flooring.
It’s a great idea, but the procedures are neither cheap, easy, nor as
environmentally friendly as one would think.
Most of the organics come in very neutral tones, and in
order to dye them (are we insisting on organic dyes, which themselves are
limited and add up monetarily?) we’re again limited in overall palette
selection. Every time we want to dye
organic goods, it’s an additional process with specialized chemistry. The dollar signs increase, and the customer
has to make choices. You can purchase a
swell set of scrubs, for instance, 100% organic cotton or hemp in the neutral
tones of ivory and olive, for just $80.00, or a poly cotton set in the color of
your choice for $24.00. Who can afford
it?
Durability and longevity are critical in the uniform
industry. It’s vital that garments last
as long as possible before replacement.
There are several really attractive fabrics in the organics—knits,
charmeuses, silks, corduroys, open weaves, to name a few. For garments that need these kinds of
materials: t-shirts, blouses, jackets, diapers, etc., organics are
terrific. But by and large, the uniform
business is not made up of such commodities, whereas the seasonal, quixotic and
short-lived fashion industry is.
Rather, sturdy uniforms that are built to be cool,
inexpensive, and last over time with as little care as possible, are what is
required. With the exception of the
jutes and burlaps, it’s going to be difficult to find an organic weave that is
as strong as it is long lasting. And
between us, who wants to wear apparel
made of burlap?
Hemp is a very durable fiber, but the weave is loose, and it
doesn’t hold. It’s more gauze-like. Tencel wrinkles and stains like crazy. Cotton has never been strong; denim wears out
quickly—look at any pair of blue jeans at the knees. While it’s true that organic t-shirts for
restaurants, or organic smocks for spas would be perfect choices, the overall
tenacity of the garments just isn’t there.
The practicality of organics in the uniform industry is
probably the most important issue of all.
Populations have only come upon technology in garment manufacturing
during the last 60-100 years, depending upon one’s point of view. Before that, there were no polyesters, no
fabric treatments, no blends. There were
no special soaps, dyes, treatments, or chemicals.
While it’s true that there was ignorance about the
prevalence of existing metals, such as lead or mercury, it really wasn’t until
the 20th century that things stopped being “organic.” The simple reason for the infusion of chemistry
into our lives was that advancing technology was able to make our world easier
and more comfortable by treating fabrics in such a way as to give them greater strength. Before that, mothers stayed home and
scrubbed with their washboards, mended if there was a hole, ironed after the
clothes had dried on the line outside, and people had lower expectations, just
being grateful to have anything to wear at all.
Today, when we ask for wicking, which is the process of
drawing extra moisture away from the skin and absorbing it into the cloth in
order to stay cool and sweat-free, we are seeking greater comfort for
ourselves. Technology is responsible for
such a procedure. It’s not organic. Neither are soil-resistant finishes,
wrinkle-free, nor permanent press treatments.
If you like water repellent rain coats, better forget about them—not to
mention water proof. All of these
stay-warm light weight fabrics such as Gortex:
They’re o.u.t. The nylons, like Supplex? The stretches as in Spandex? Nope.
Not those either. In fact, the
entire recreational/sports world will have a big problem going green, in spite
of active wear soy pants, or polar fleece sweatshirts made out of recycled
bottles.
Finally, the appearance of a uniform is critical, because it
sets the visual tone of identity for the group it represents. It’s difficult to find organic fibers that
have a crisp, bandbox look, and where the colors are vibrant and cheerful
rather than more earth-toned and subdued.
Instead, most of them appear limp, saggy, baggy, and used. For many, this look will speak up and say,
“Look at me! I’m green!” For others, it will be a costly reminder of
dull, drab, and impractical. It will be
very interesting to see where the trend takes us.
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