Abstract

Bleached woven organic cotton fabric was block printed with vegetable dyes and treated with mintage wash, crushing process, and gulf voll wash to adhere strongly, improve the general appearance of the fabric, and impart a wrinkled effect to the organic cotton fabric. The treated organic cotton fabric was converted into a garment, and wear study revealed that it was comfortable during wear, without creating any irritation to the skin.

Introduction

An emerging eco-fashion trend fueled the demand for environmental textile and apparel products, exposing companies and consumers to the positive attributes of organically grown cotton. Organic growing cotton is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycle, and soil biological activity. It is based on the minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony as defined by P K Gaur in Cotton Science & Technology.

High levels of agrochemicals are used in the production of non-organic, conventional cotton, accounting for a total of 16% of the world's pesticides. The use of chemicals at such scale causes a lot of hazards to man. This has basically prompted the demand for organically cultivated, eco-friendly ORGANIC COTTON. Organic cotton cultivation protects surface and groundwater quality, prevents the use of pesticides, thus conserving biodiversity. Organically grown crops also yield soils with higher organic matter content, thicker topsoil depth, higher polysaccharide content, and lower modulus of rupture. It also has lower ash and wax content, better absorbency, better dye ability, and color retention than conventional cotton which makes dyeing and printing easier.

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The authors are associated with the Department of Costume Design and Fashion, P. S. G College of Arts and Science. Coimbatore