The stretch denim jeans everyone is wearing are definitely more body hugging that anything 100% cotton, but at the same time time, they are much more harmful for the environment.

Almost all stretch material is made out of petrochemicals, and eventually a lot of microplastics gets discharged into the water from these items as they are washed in routine.

While cotton fibers are bio-degradable and would eventually break down naturally in the environment, the synthetic material will not, thereby causing serious issues for the environment.

And, this is not the end of the story!

The blue color and the wash down effect – what makes denims the most popular choice of one and all – are the result of using the chemically synthesized molecules of indigo. Dyeing of yarn with indigo – the way it is done in denim mills – is an extremely energy and chemical intensive process. Added to that is the problem of disposal of indigo runoff after the dyeing has been done. There have been innumerable instances of rivers and waterways turning blue because of improper discharge of indigo in local waterways.

And, this still is not the end of the story!

The mills first use a whole lot of energy and chemicals to dye with indigo, and then at a subsequent stage, in the laundry, remove the indigo – again using a lot of energy and chemicals – to create the wash down effect in the garments.