Despite the fact that organic anything is usually more expensive than its chemical-ridden counterpart, for jeans-makers, there is actually a compelling commercial reason to go green. According to the UN, the use of chemical insecticides represents up to 40 per cent of the costs of cotton production. Get rid of them, and presumably you get rid of part of any cost passed on to consumers. But you also have to get rid of processes such as stonewashing and distressing (which leave a sasquatch-level carbon footprint), not to mention lycra. And that's a stretch.

Still, there are a few jeans-makers developing eco-friendly jeans with an eye for sustainable and ethical development, including Levi's.