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Global organic cotton sales have shot up an impressive 119%, from $245 million to $583 million between 2001 and 2005. By the end of 2008, sales are expected to reach close to $2 billion. All this info comes from the Organic Exchange, a nonprofit trade association that works to expand the use of organically grown cotton — so don’t be surprised if they’re erring on the side of optimism.

Still, there’s reason to get excited. Stores such as Target and Victoria’s Secret are introducing more organic fashion lines this Spring; while Wal-mart and Sam’s Club continue to dominate in the top five brands that use the most organic cotton globally. From the article,

“Costs are slightly higher, but comparable in some cases. A men’s vintage-style organic cotton T-shirt at Wal-Mart is $9.83, while a similar regular cotton T sells for $8.83. Levi Strauss & Co. started offering organic denim jeans in select stores in November – $68 for their Red Tab jean compared with $40 for non-organic. The look and feel of the clothes are so fashion-forward that many clients don’t even realize they’re buying organic.”

This increase in consumer choice will hopefully improve the current 1% market share organic cotton has over the standard stuff. In the meantime, designers are also experimenting with eco-friendly fabrics made of bamboo, soy, Ingeo (corn) and hempsilk.

It’s cool to see more options available online for organic cotton. I especially like that stores like CafePress and Prana are introducing more organics into their designs — and shops like Nau are becoming a reality. For more inspiring green fashion news, be sure to take a look at our clothing category dedicated to all the latest news. If you’re interested in some ‘green jeans’ also take a look at our fashionista, Victoria-E’s, guide to grabbing some online!