American Apparel developed organic cotton in an attempt to be more environmentally friendly.

The Sustainable Edition T is made from organic cotton, which looks and feels no different.

“Organic cotton looks and feels like conventional cotton,” said Adele Peters, a representative from American Apparel. “It’s very soft, especially knit the way we do. We use combed, ringspun cotton, as opposed to the coarser knits that cheaper T-shirts use. Our Sustainable Edition items happen to be undyed and totally natural, so you can see the flecks of the fiber in the fabric.”

According to American Apparel’s research, 25 percent of world pesticide use occurs during the cotton cultivation process.

“Conventional cotton is one of the most polluting crops in the world,” Peters said. “The chemicals contaminate water sources, poison wildlife and even poison people. Thousands of farm workers get sick from exposure to pesticides each year, and pesticides have also been linked to causing cancer.”

By 2007, American Apparel hopes to have 80 percent of their inventory made of the organic cotton.

“We are working closely with the Organic Consumers Association to obtain their endorsement of our overall plan,” said Dov Charney, senior partner of American Apparel.

American Apparel plans to make other environmental breakthroughs.

“Organic cotton was a natural step for us, because we’ve always believed that business should be about more than just money making,” Peters said. “Big businesses have the power to make positive change. We are just at the beginning of our environmental efforts and have a long way to go.”

So far, the Sustainable Edition is selling well.

“The Sustainable Edition items are just coming into production,” Peters said. “Everything that’s been made has sold immediately. People are lining up to buy these.”

By using organic cotton, American Apparel is establishing a new trend in the clothing world.

“By purchasing organic cotton, we’re going to help develop the market for it, so it will become more readily available for everyone in the industry to buy,” Peters said. “Consumer demand for organic cotton is projected to grow hugely. Right now, it’s much more difficult to find organic cotton, because most farmers still grow using pesticides.”

American Apparel was founded in 1995 and experienced success after making fitted T-shirts. Located in Los Angeles, it offers a sweatshop-free environment, fair wages, English classes and counseling.