As consumers become increasingly conscious about their health and environment, products such as organic cotton are becoming more popular. By using natural products for tasks such as fertilization, herbicides and pesticides, organic cotton protects the environment from an onslaught chemically based products that disrupt the areas ecological balance. As an added bonus, these synthetic substances aren't passed along to the consumer through the fibers of the cotton itself.

With more and more people becoming aware of effects of the things they buy on both their environment and their bodies, organic cotton provides an ideal opportunity to offer an appealing alternative to traditional clothes and textiles. To take advantage of this growing area, consider the following options:

1. Offer baby centered organic cotton products.
2. Provide organic cotton clothing options for adults as well.
3. Consider offering organic fabric cotton by the yard for your customers to make use of at home.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Stock a full line of organic cotton baby products

With many parents concerned about their child's exposure to chemicals, most people looking for organic cotton information are looking for baby clothes and products. As this need grows, it becomes easier and easier to find organic cotton children's clothes. Buy quality products in bulk to keep your prices competitive and your inventory appealing.

I recommend: Green Babies offer a full line of 100% certified organic baby and children's clothes at wholesale prices to registered retailers. Baby Naturopathics offers organic baby clothes and accessories in soothing earth, sea, and sky tones.

Supplement your baby lines with organic cotton clothing for the whole family

Take advantage of the consumer's expanded awareness by offering organic cotton clothing for men and women as well as children. Though parents may not initially plan to purchase organic cotton products for themselves, offering the products alongside your baby and child inventory will expand your sales opportunities.

I recommend: BASE Apparel sells a wholesale line of blank organic cotton t-shirts perfect for personalizing to your target audience. Earth Creations offers an organic cotton list that includes a full line of women's clothing and men's printed shirts.

Provide your customers the opportunity to make their own organic cotton products

Many customers looking for organic cotton products enjoy crafting their own products to fit their specific needs, such as baby slings, breastfeeding covers and cloth diapers. Instead of attempting to provide a vast organic cotton directory of products to meet all of these needs, consider offering organic cotton by the yard for use at home. You'll be capturing sales you may otherwise miss if your current inventory doesn't meet the consumer's needs.

I recommend: Sew Eco-Logical offers a wide variety of woven and knit organic cotton textiles, both prepared and custom made at wholesale prices. For smaller and more economical orders, NearSea Naturals offers discount pricing for bulk orders of organic fabrics by the yard, starting at 3 yards and increasing in discount for larger orders.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be aware of what you are buying. Though many companies do offer 100% organic cotton products, be sure to check if your organic cotton provider uses only organic cotton or a blend of organic cotton and other natural fibers. This doesn't necessarily make the product less sellable, but you want to make sure to offer your customers full disclosure of what they are buying.