Sustainable fashion: are you buying it?

According to an article in today's Oregonian Living section, designers are slowly embracing sustainable fashion. What exactly does that mean? Part of it has to do with materials, like using organic cotton or bamboo, but part of it has to do with how clothing is made. Big-namers like Calvin Klein and Stella McCartney are starting to incorporate more green fabrics (repurposed materials) but I don't think much has changed on the manufacturing front. I know -- you and I probably don't have many (or any!) Calvins or Stellas in the closet. But it seems like trends always trickle down, so that maybe in a few years we'll start seeing organic cotton or other materials popping up in Old Navy and the like. (Though, according to the article, the eco-fabulousness of organic cotton is debatable because growing it requires intense amounts of water.)

I'll admit, I don't own any organic cotton, bamboo or any eco-friendly clothing. Part of it is cost -- clothing made from those materials tend to be more expensive. Part of it is access -- there just aren't that many stores selling sustainable fashions. And part of it is that I'm not a big shopper, so I don't naturally seek out specific types of clothing. The closest I've come is buying wallets and bags from Portland-based Queen Bee Creations, which uses recycled vinyl in their designs (love them!). I buy most of my kids clothes at resale stores and gladly hand down as many clothes as I can to other kids. Keeping clothes circulating through the community is an eco-friendly activity, but I've never bought or received an organic cotton t-shirt for my kids. I've been to local festivals and rubbed the softest bamboo shirts through my fingers and ogled the charming designs printed on organic cotton baby tees, but I've yet to buy any.

So why is it that I won't hesitate to spend more money on organic foods or eco-friendly cleaning products, but when it comes to fashion, this mom just hasn't gone down that green catwalk? What about you? Are you buying it? And if so, where?