It’s quite a popular thing to claim that organic cotton, silk, etc. are inherently better than traditionally grown fibers, orthan synthetics, but we must consider inputs other than fertilizers and pesticides. How much water did each version consume? Was more labor required for one type? Did one crop need to be transported further?

I believe “sustainability” to be more important, on a long-term scale, than “green”. If a nylon product will last twice as long as a cotton or silk product, lengthening its useful life, then it may be a superior choice based on consumption metrics.

If being “eco-friendly” truly lessens the environmental impact (taking into account increased carbon costs such as handling and transportation) then it’s the way to go. If not, well, we need to come up with something better.

While in some cases, green fashion is driven by self interest, one hopes the next step is looking beyond to interest in how not only the planet, but also the people are impacted!