Plant-dyed Scarf

Beautiful organic cotton scarf dyed with natural plant dyes.

The fabric has been handloomed and naturally plant dyed as part of a charitable trust that provides dignified income-earning jobs to women in India.

Each piece is unique due to the traditional hand-dyeing and handlooming techniques used.

This scarf is approximately 88" long and 29" wide. However, measurements may vary due to the nature of handlooming.

Unlike industry-standard petroleum-based dyes, this scarf is dyed with indigo leaves, myrobalan, and madder root.

Indigo leaf dye has been safely used for thousands of years (dating back to 2000-3000 B.C.) for its ability to make strong and beautiful blues. In the 1800s, natural indigo was almost completely replaced by synthetic indigo, which is derived from the known toxin aniline (a chemical that has been used to make rocket fuel).

The dried fruits of myrobalan trees used for dyeing are commonly used in ayurvedic and traditional Tibetan medicine. Because myrobalan is very high in antoxidants, it has been used to protect against various age and heart related diseases.

Madder root is one of the oldest natural dyes, known for its ability to make beautiful reds. It has been safely used for thousands of years, since at least ancient Egypt (cloth dyed with it has even been found alongside the possessions of King Tut).

The organic cotton is grown by a non-governmental, social service company that is committed to the empowerment of women in rural communities that pays all its employs fair wages.

The cotton is handloomed and hand-dyed by a charitable trust focused on making handlooming a profitable, fulfilling, sustainable and dignified income-earning activity through spinning, weaving, design, marketing and entrepreneurial training in several weaving centers in India. All employees, the vast majority of which are women, are ethically treated and paid fair wages.

This scarf is made with organic cotton fabric that is grown, harvested and processed without the use of harmful chemicals that could leech into our environment.

In addition, this scarf is dyed with natural, sustainably harvested plants. Plant dyes do not produce toxic run-off like conventional (and other organic dyes) and plant dyes remove carbon from the air during the plant's growth, helping reverse the cause of global climate change.

Machine wash on gentle cycle using a mild pH-neutral detergent and without fabric softeners. Tumble dry on low.