Fast Food...Fast Clothes?

I'll confess to eating the occasional Chicken Whopper from Burger King or the always classic McDonad's cheeseburger, but like everyone else, I know all about the dangers of fast food--it's highly processed, highly fattening, and bad for the environment. But one thing I'd never considered was fast clothes--cheap clothes that fall apart quickly and end up in the landfill--until I read "Fast Clothes Versus Green Clothes," an article published by the International Herald Tribune.

It's not just that the clothes fall apart quickly; it's also how they're made. According to the article, "Clothes — and fast clothes in particular — are large and worsening sources of the carbon emissions that contribute to global warming, both because of how they are produced and how they are cared for."

Some stores, like the British store Marks & Spencer, have found success emphasizing green clothes. When I looked online, I found several stylish items; the only problem was the price. Like organic food, for now it seems organic clothing is out of reach for many Americans. For example, Levi's new organic jeans are more expensive than its regular jeans--the cheapest eco pair costs $59 and the most expensive is $245. Still, it's something I'll think about the next time I need a new pair of jeans--including whether I really need that new pair in the first place!