1. What is the source material the fabric is made from?
2. How is it processed?
3. What dyes are used?
4. Was the final garment treated with toxic chemical finishing agents?
5. Were the workers who made it treated equitably in a safe working environment?

Cheap “organic” clothing is the new trend in green-washing.  Big companies source a small amount of organically grown cotton and then insert it into their current production system.  This clean, organically grown cotton is then dyed with conventional dyes, finished with a chemical soup of toxins to make it softer, wrinkle free, and machine washable, and then sewn in potentially unsafe factories by workers earning subsistence wages.

Am I exaggerating?  Maybe.  It’s unlikely that all of these things would be true of every Big Mart garment labeled organic.  And big box stores can weather smaller profit margins because they’re selling greater quantities.   However, if you think about all the things that need to go into making any t-shirt, and shipping it half way around the world, you’ll realize it is very likely that some serious corners need to be cut to offer that shirt for $5. For organics specifically, certifications such as GOTS, OEKO-TEX 100, and Fair Trade are also expensive to get and maintain, and those prices have to be factored in somewhere.

You may be thinking, “If I only have five bucks, isn’t it better to get the shirt that at least has some organic material in it than one that doesn’t?”  While that may be true if those were your only choices, there are better options.  Instead of that cheap “organic” shirt, I offer up the following alternatives:

1. Buy better quality, gently used items at charity shops, thrift or consignment stores or on eBay.
2. Host a clothing swap with your friends and family.  How many of us have clothing that we don’t like or doesn’t fit that’s barely worn (or in some cases still new with the tags on)?
3. Save up to buy fewer, higher-quality, lower-impact pieces.  They may be more expensive but they’ll also last longer, be better for the environment, and make a positive impact on the workers that create and sell them.

Watch the video below to see the issues with “fast fashion.”

So is organic clothing expensive? Really?  Like many other things, you most often get what you pay for.