Cotton Crusade

(Cotton skirts in my closet.)

Last week, I showed you two lightweight blouses I found at Anthropologie.  Those purchases are a part of my one-woman crusade to, slowly but surely, fill my closet with good quality, warm weather items made of cotton.  I don’t know about you, but in the past several years, I’ve really noticed a lack of cotton clothing in stores.

Here in Texas, summer temperatures rise to triple digits, sometimes for months on end, and we are still in the middle of a very long drought.  To say it gets hot here is an understatement, and by mid-July, the only clothing that’s really tolerable is made of natural fibers.  Plus, I’m a busy mom chasing after two active boys all day, and I sweat.  A lot.  Polyester, rayon, and other synthetic fabrics just don’t cut it, and if I’m honest, I don’t feel comfortable wearing them during the winter months here, either.

I’m all about cotton, which allows my body to breathe, and I’m willing to pay more for it if it’s decently made.  But my big problem is finding it in the first place.

October Rebel, a lovely fashion blogger, is currently on a quest to buy only fair-trade, ethically-made clothing, which, it just so happens, usually turns out to be cotton.  She has been kind enough to share new clothing sources with me, and I’m constantly learning from her.

I shop online often, at popular stores like Anthropologie, Ruche, and ModCloth, and I have to say, I’m always a little disappointed at the lack of cotton clothing available.  It doesn’t matter how lovely a dress or blouse is online, because if it’s made of a synthetic material, and not at least 90% cotton, I’m not buying it.

I realize that cotton is expensive, because it must be picked and processed before creating a garment, so it does make sense for designers to use fabric that is less expensive and readily available.  But I know I’m not the only one who cringes at polyester, and I’d love to persuade stores and clothing designers to use more cotton.

How do you feel about the fabric of your clothing?  Does it matter to you?  And if you know of any stores that offer cotton clothing, please feel free to share.  I’m hoping to explore this topic as I learn more about it.