The Price of Earth-Friendly Clothing

Okay, it is TIME to discuss the high price of eco-clothing. In October 2008, I launched an online eco-fashion store, for several reasons. For many years I'd wanted to take a more active role in helping our planet and people. Sure, I recycled, brought bags to the store, bought green products, wrote to congress on a regular basis, and donated extensively to various eco, animal, and humanitarian causes. But, that never felt active enough. My job was too unpredictable to commit to weekend events, handing out leaflets or flyers, etc. And then--in 2006, I wore a bamboo t-shirt for the first time, loved it, and found it hard to purchase more online. In fact, at that time, I found a minimal online eco-clothing market, with scattered, unattractive websites. Ta-da! Problem solved. I would use my artistic skills to make a beautiful, appealing website to give shoppers a pleasant, unique experience. I would offer a diverse range of eco-clothing (sparse in 2006, though certainly not now). I would offer at least 100 graphics on eco-tees, for all the graphic lovers out there (and even today, it's hard to find a lot of designs on eco-tees, aside from my store). And finally--I would NOT charge the exorbitant prices that I was seeing online and at retail stores like Whole Foods Market. $30 for a t-shirt? This was wrong, this was taking advantage of the consumer, this was preventing people with less income from helping the planet! My store, I vowed, would have prices far below what I saw in the market in 2006.

My store finally launched in October 2008. Yet, ironically, in the growing recession, more than 35% of respondents to a survey on my site said in 2009 that my clothing prices are 'too high' (and I was offering a 35% off coupon!). Now, my store has lost money every month since its launch, while my prices are not much higher than what one pays at stores like American Eagle, and far less than stores like Lucky Brand Jeans or Abercrombie & Fitch. No, it's not Walmart pricing. But with frequent 20-25% off coupons, the added cost of shipping over a '$5 shipping every day' special, and merchant fees, I'm lucky to 'make' $5-10 on an item. That of course doesn't count my time to sample, order, sort, inspect, store, and then package and ship items, create and maintain the website, print the customized graphic t-shirts, etc!

How is this possible, you may wonder, when organic cotton jeans are selling for $62, or an organic shirt is selling for $32 (before 25% off coupon)? Well let me tell you, in some cases I even lose money with those coupons, and the reason is the wholesale cost of organic, fair trade clothing. If I pay $45 wholesale for a pair of green jeans, sell them for $47 with a 25% discount, pay the extra $3-4 to ship those heavy jeans, and then deduct merchant fees and my charitable donation on every sale--I actually lose money, never mind my time.

The disparity on other items is less drastic than the jeans, but not much. In the last 2 years, I've seen several popular eco-stores go out of business. There are still large eco-stores like Gaiam.com, which likely have deep enough roots in the eco-market to sustain themselves. But what about the smaller, new stores, trying to gain a foothold and offer something in their own eco-niche? How do they survive when consumers won't buy without 'lower prices'. The wholesale cost even before a retail increase is more than the price at a Walmart or Target!

So, you might point your finger at the earth-friendly clothing manufacturers. Is a $22 wholesale price too much for an organic blouse made in China under fair labor conditions? Like the consumer who says my eco-prices are too high, it's tempting to turn and say the same thing about the suppliers. If I was paying just $10 for that blouse, I could and would offer much lower prices in my store. But, consider... the wholesalers have entire teams of their own to pay. They design the clothing, insure that companies working with them overseas (when applicable) treat their people above fair labor standards and have proper organic certifications, organize all shipping and receipt of supplies, pay for models and catalog production, maintain their own websites, etc. They're also relatively small companies, so of course they don't get the same manufacturing discounts that massive retailers do. And let's not forget that this is organic farming, small bamboo farming, or soy fiber reclaiming--not the pesticide laden, conventional cotton machine entrenched and degrading farmland worldwide. (See this link on my site for more details: http://www.elementecowear.com/6-About_Products/About_Our_Products--Organic_Cotton.html ). Based on 'economies of scale', it's clearly more expensive for the eco-fashion manufacturer to purchase and use these earth-friendly materials. In fact, three of the five manufacturers I worked with shut down in 2008 and 2009. These were long-established companies, presumably well-managed. Like the eco-retailer, they too were presumably not making enough profit on a $22-30 wholesale top, or $45 wholesale jeans--they too needed to sustain enough volume. And suddenly, the volume just wasn't high enough.

So, the organic market does--simply by its smaller size, organic certifications, and fair payments to laborers--have a higher cost than your local Target (heaven forbid that someone support the denigration that is Walmart). That is, a cost in dollars. But what's the true cost of buying mass-produced, mainstream merchandise, in terms of the planet? In terms of its people? The hidden cost of cheap, conventional products is paid far from your own backyard--but do you really want your own saving of a few dollars to support the suffering of someone else, elsewhere on the planet? Or the destruction of their land--which, ultimately, affects all of us? Or, do you want to (literally) buy into a system of sustainability, a win-win where people are empowered and the planet preserved? It's all in your hands.

Lest anyone think that I just don't understand what it's like to be on a tight budget--let me note again that I've actually lost money every month since my business opened. I used to buy everything that I could as 'organic', and now I'm basically not buying at all. Even my food consumption is less organic than it used to be. So yes, I certainly understand. But if I was able to buy something, I'd still look to support the eco-option. Organic cotton and bamboo t-shirts cost about $24--is it really that different from the conventional cotton tee sold elsewhere? (Never mind the amazing, ultra-soft comfort of a bamboo t-shirt, compared to conventional cotton!) That difference is less than you might splurge on one lunch in the next few weeks. In exchange for this, you've supported small farmers caring for the earth, small businesses enhancing product diversity and keeping 'green' real, and of course supporting the planet itself which sustains us all. We all have the power to make some difference, and this is one of those ways that you can help yourself to something nice and help the world, too.

So that's my expose' on overblown eco-industry pricing. Little did I know it in 2006, but the gouging prices really weren't so completely gouging. And the reduced prices and specials being offered by eco-retailers now? In many cases, they're about as low as they can go without losing money! And in some cases, they are losing money. So please, support them!!

A side note is that enough people have spoken now with their consumer dollars to inspire massive 'green-washing' across multiple industries. If you can, I recommend investigating your product sources at least a little bit, and finding out where the real 'eco-good guys' are. When you buy a fully earth-friendly product, you're supporting a business with a conscience, following a model in which a company doesn't need to harm the earth or its humans to make a product.

By the way, everyone is welcome to visit my eco-store, www.ElementEcoWear.com , and to also compare prices on every item. Keywords are included in all product details, to help shoppers search and compare prices and selection elsewhere on the web.

Any and all comments about this article and the eco-industry are, of course, welcome.