The average cotton crop is sprayed 8-10 times a season. Indeed, it takes 17 teaspoons of chemical fertilizers to raise the 9 ounces of cotton needed to make a T-shirt.  And, if that isn't enough, once the cotton has been grown it is dyed using toxic dyes. Then, to prevent it from creasing, it is finished with formaldehyde. Common sense says that can't be right.  That?s why Howies use organic cotton  and what?s more, they have pledged  to give 1% of our turnover or 10% of pre-tax profits (whichever is greater) to grass-root environmental and social projects.

Not many clothes retailers can boast a mission statement like People Tree!   And even better, with People Tree you are no-longer restricted to sticking to their mail-order and internet shopping services;  Topshop are to stock People Tree's stylish and sustainable range of Fair Trade clothing in their highstreet stores, to the ongoing benefit of some of the world's most marginalised communities.

If you think that Fair Trade fashion is too good to be true, take a look at People Tree's policy to Fair Trade and the environment for yourself:

Fair Trade Policy
To pay producers fair prices
To promote traditional skills
To support appropriate technology
To promote rural development
To make advance payments if needed
To operate with transparency

Eco Policy
To promote natural and organic farming
To avoid polluting substances
To protect and sustain forestry
To protect water supplies
To use biodegradable substances where possible
To recycle materials where possible