Blue Canoe's first home was a small cottage that sat in a small redwood grove in Northern California. Four industrious women all starting their own clothing businesses-from hemp hats to hand painted silk.  Sixteen years later they maintained not only their commitment to organic cotton and manufacturing in the USA, but also to providing truly stylish, beautifully fitting and functional clothing. Their line has expanded from a few bras and panties to a full line of European-quality lingerie and loungewear, active apparel and fluid bamboo travel/casual wear.  Their main office still sits under the redwood trees, beside the lake, but their lifestyle looks are at home in hip, urban San Francisco where all their clothes are made.

There is life and style in the quiet sophistication of natural organic clothing.  There is something sensual, something tactile in the feel of soft fabric on skin. The inherent softness of organic cotton clothing and the silkiness of bamboo flow in every line of Blue Canoe organic clothes.

Tiny details:  The brush of the cotton, the gentleness of the dye, the trim lines that caress natural curves – these tiny details are only part of the Blue Canoe story. Their natural organic clothing is a holistic kind of natural: they look at the entire process and try to make every step fair and sustainable.

Organic clothes are tied to nature, both to the earth and to the people. Organic farming has an ethic an aura of stewardship, of responsibility and respect, which is what first appealed to the founders of Blue Canoe. Blue Canoe organic cotton clothing was one of the very first natural organic clothing lines to be made in America, and over 16 years they have been following that natural path.

The first thing they do is create their lines out of the most natural materials. Organic clothes make every-day clothes feel comfortable through the day.  Going organic strips away the harshness of chemicals, the chemicals that seep into cotton blossoms during harvest that toughen the fiber, requires more chemicals to try to re-soften them. Organic fibers preserve the softness of nature (particularly with our special ring spun combing). We use dyes specially formulated to soak into natural fibers, using less dye, less water, and leaving less waste. Both growing and processing cotton is safer for the workers without the presence of chemicals and contaminates.

The "natural" in organic cotton clothing also means that they approach their employees with respect. Their organic cotton clothing is designed and manufactured in the USA. While this brings jobs to their community, it also allows them to ensure that every stitch of their natural organic clothing is fair and equable for the people who make it. Blue Canoe guarantees that they don't employ sweatshops, that their workers are given fair wages and a safe working environment. "Made in the USA" is more than a slogan; it's the best way for them to practice fair and local trade.

The great thing about sophistication is that it knows its own mind. The sophistication of Blue Canoe organic cotton is the flattering designs that trace every line, pure fabrics, and fair practices.

Blue Canoe's first home was a small cottage that sat in a small redwood grove in Northern California. Four industrious women all starting their own clothing businesses-from hemp hats to hand painted silk.  Sixteen years later they maintain not only their commitment to organic cotton and manufacturing in the USA, but also to providing truly stylish, beautifully fitting and functional clothing. Our line has expanded from a few bras and panties to a full line of European-quality lingerie and loungewear, active apparel and fluid bamboo travel/casual wear.  Their main office still sits under the redwood trees, beside the lake, but their lifestyle looks are at home in hip, urban San Francisco where all their clothes are made.

©2011 Blue Canoe. All Rights Reserved.

Bamboo

PESTICIDE FREE

Both the cotton and bamboo in all Blue Canoe’s garments have always been and still are organically grown without the use of herbicides, pesticides, artificial fertilizers or any petroleum based products. This practice protects the soils, waterways, wildlife, farmers and textile workers.

SUSTAINABLE

In addition, bamboo is considered a sustainable crop because it can yield 20 times more fiber than trees in the same square footage of land, regenerates without plowing or replanting, can be grown on soil that is damaged by overgrazing, reduces runoff, holds more water in watersheds, and produces 30% more oxygen than trees thereby reducing the percentage of carbon dioxide blamed for global warming.

PETROLEUM FREE

As a base fiber, bamboo is natural in that it is not petroleum based. Like cotton and other natural fibers it breathes, thereby keeping you cooler. It also has a very soft and fluid feel and will not stick to your skin even on the hottest days. Since raw bamboo fiber goes through a similar process as other plant pups known collectively as rayon on the way to becoming fabric, the natural ability of bamboo to be antimicrobial, hypoallergenic, biodegradable and UV protective has not been proven.

In compliance with a recent FTC ruling, future Blue Canoe content labels will have a precise content label stating the content as "rayon derived from organically grown bamboo."

Organic Cotton

BLUE CANOE & THE ORGANIC COTTON STORY

According to founder and president of Blue Canoe, Laurie Dunlap, utilizing organic cotton in the company's line of yoga and body wear was one of the easiest business decisions she has ever made.

"I have always embraced the whole concept of natural fabrics and organic materials," she said. "For activities such as yoga, Pilates and any holistic fitness activity, having clean, pure, non-toxic fabric next to your skin is crucial."

Blue Canoe has manufactured yoga apparel and body wear since 1993 and uses only organic cotton in its stylish, functional line of apparel.

Dunlap said after the manufacturing process, Blue Canoe utilizes fiber reactive dye that works only on natural porous fiber and is absorbed rather than coating the fiber. According to Dunlap, it's the least toxic of dyes, takes less water, and uses less energy and produces less waste.

"It's definitely a conscious and deliberate choice, but one that's definitely worth it. We hear from our customers all the time and they truly appreciate our commitment to the environment," said Dunlap. "People are concerned about the environment, and about the choices they make. We all want the same thing: a healthy and secure future for our children. People are looking for alternatives to chemical-ridden clothing and we're happy to provide a great alternative."

Source: Blue Canoe and the Cleaner Cotton Campaign- produced by the Sustainable Cotton Project.

WHAT IS ORGANIC COTTON?

Organic farming incorporates biologically based rather than chemically dependent growing systems to raise cotton crops in several important areas.

Soil - Massive amounts of chemicals are used in the growing and processing of cotton. Chemical fertilizers can have a number of harmful effects on the environment, including the contamination of ground and surface water, beneficial insects and surrounding plant and animal wildlife. Organic cotton farming utilizes natural compost, frequent crop rotations, and cover crop strategies in place of synthetic fertilizers. In order to achieve organic certification, organic cotton fields must be free of synthetically derived chemicals for three years.

Pesticides - Even when used according to directions, pesticides can be extremely harmful to people, wildlife and the environment. According to one recent pesticide study in California, cotton ranked third among California crops for total number of worker illnesses caused by pesticides. In addition, fish, livestock, birds, beneficial insects and soil microorganisms can all be negatively impacted by pesticides. In organic cotton farming, farmers cultivate a diversity of natural enemies that prey on insect pests, and introduce them to the fields at well-timed intervals. Weeds are controlled by hand labor or flame devices rather than herbicide applications.

Harvest - In most areas, cotton plants must be killed before harvesting. Organic cotton practices are certified materials and lack of water rather than chemical applications to achieve this ready-for-picking state. Though some organic farming operations use machines for harvesting, many rely on the handpicked method, ensuring a higher quality of cotton and also a higher standard of living for developing countries that produce cotton.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about organic, please visit these web sites:

-The Organic Cotton Site is dedicated to all the farmers, manufacturers, activists, retailers and others who are devoting their energies to making organic cotton a viable agricultural and economic alternative.

-The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for the organic industry in North America. OTA's mission is to encourage global sustainability through promoting and protecting the growth of diverse organic trade.

-Pesticide Action Network North America: Cotton Resources, resources about conventional and organic cotton production and marketing.