Tangled Up In Green: Eco-Friendly PJs, Robes, and Sheets

Whether you are hiding from the cold or heating things up for Valentine's Day, the perfect eco-bedding and sleepwear is out there. Organic cotton, silk, and bamboo make luxurious sheets which are widely available online and in-store. Even an ever-so-cozy organic flannel, a woven cloth traditionally made from wool and cotton, is available … sometimes.

Winter Warmth

Toronto-based retailer GrassRoots has been sold out of organic flannel pjs since Christmas. Unlike many of the other organic flannel and cotton apparel they sell, including a plush organic cotton bath robe ($70 CDN) and ohh-la-la organic sateen sheets ($40 CDN) that are available elsewhere, the pajama sets were made exclusively for them. There's no word on whether the manufacturer will be able to provide another round.

"There's no real difference in touch between organic flannel and regular flannel," says owner Rob Grand, "Some may say it's softer because of the higher cotton content. Our flannel pjs had no wool in them, they are 100% organic cotton which is woven and brushed to create that heavy, very soft flannel."

Unsurprisingly, organic pajamas are plentiful on the West coast. Dream Designs, an eco-boutique as hip and stylish as its Commercial Drive digs, offers unisex pajama sets ($149 CDN), night gowns ($119 CDN), and robes ($139 CDN) made from 100% organic cotton flannel or sateen. For the flirty fashionista there's also a thigh-high organic cotton sateen nightie with spaghetti straps ($49 CDN).

A hidden gem on BC's Denman Island is Rawganique, a store offering raw and organic apparel for the sporty or stylish. Amidst a vast selection of hemp pillows, mattresses, lingerie, boxers, and bedding you can find unisex pajama sets in either colorgrown organic cotton flannel or silky organic cotton sateen ($84 CDN).

While traditional supporters of the green movement are sure bets for eco-fashion, don't be surprised by your local mall. La Senza and Cotton Ginny both carry comfortable and affordable organic apparel. An organic bamboo camisole and capri set is available at La Senza's online store for $20, though it feels more like a jersey than the softer flannel you may be craving during the winter.

Not Your Grandma's Pajamas

Like any green purchase, though there are several ways to measure your eco-value. The "Canada Organic" seal, a designation provided by an agency of the federal government, requires 95% of the material in any given product to be sustainably sourced. Because of this regulation, and the relative abundance of organic cotton compared to expensive imported wool, most organic flannel is higher in cotton than its conventional counterpart.

"No fabric is the perfect solution," says Susan Gagnon of SYKA Textiles, the largest wholesaler of eco-fabric in Canada, "Every product has an impact, especially when you produce a lot of it. For us, at least one major step in the production process must be more sustainable than the conventional method."

An early and passionate supporter of eco-fashion in Canada, Susan and her husband are by turns educators and pupils of the green design industry. She advises consumers to buy locally, heed the Canada Organic classification, and look for low-impact dyed clothing, a class of dyes which are well absorbed into natural fabrics leaving less run-off and pollution, or vegetable dyes. "Colourgrown cotton", like that used by Rawganique, is harvested and used without any dyes at all.

If you are unable to shop locally, Rawganique, GrassRoots, Coyuchi Organics, and Dream Designs all offer easy online shopping. That's one sure way to get a good night's sleep.

Published Green Living Online, February 11 2008