Your Green Review

*YGR has been unable to verify certifications or product materials with Loomstate. Check back soon, we’ll try to get this information out asap.

The Rundown:

What: Loomstate Mantra jeans in Evolution wash

Price: $180 at CoutureCandy.com

Materials: 100% Organic Cotton

What Makes it Green: 100% Organic Cotton (SKALL certified, mostly from Tunisia). Sweat shop free. Promotes energy-efficient cleaning. Tags printed on plantable seed paper

URL: http://www.loomstate.org/

Pros:

• They’re Unbelievably Soft. So soft they actually feel more like a pair of sweats than jeans.
• Promotes Low-Energy/Green Cleaning. Loomstate suggests you wash your jeans in the shower with shampoo then hang dry in the sun. Care label reads “For best results, live in them and don’t wash them too often”.
• The Frankenhem. The Frankenhem allows you to shorten pant legs without destroying the original style. Reattaching the hem can be difficult so consider taking them in to a tailor.
• Great Cut. Curve hugging and flared ankle-great lines throughout.
• Attention to detail. From the “Nature Calls” label on the inside fly to the green and yellow selvedge on the interior hem (visible only when pants are rolled), Loomstate certainly has a one-of-a-kind approach to jean construction.

Cons:

• Expensive. At $180, these may not just be your favorite pair of eco-friendly jeans but your only pair.
• Bleeding. The indigo bleeds (and stains), a problem worsened by washing machines.
• Shrinking. Hang-drying is your best bet to avoid shrinking.
• Time Consuming. If you’re going to be hand washing then hang-drying you may be waiting a while to wear your only pair of jeans.
• They Run Long. Unless you’re six foot you may be heading to the tailor for some (possibly expensive) alterations. Go here for a customized alteration guide for Loomstate jeans:

Alternatives:

What’s better than buying a brand new pair of 100% certified organic jeans? Buying a pre-owned pair of any kind of jeans. While it’s great to support the transition towards sustainable cotton, reusing what’s already out there not only conserves resources but energy as well.

Read More:

YGR. Series on Conventionally Grown Cotton (Articles)

http://yourgreenreview.com/2008/07/conventionally-grown-cotton

The Green Guide: Organic Cotton v.s. Conventionally Grown (Article)

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/22/cotton

SustainableCotton.org: Informational Resource for Sustainable Cotton (Website)

http://www.sustainablecotton.org/html/consumers/consumers.html

Meetup.com: Find Clothing Swaps in your area (or start your own) (Website)

http://clothesswap.meetup.com/

Loomstate: Organic Cotton Farming (Video)

http://www.loomstate.org/video/