About Blue Canoe

A Bit About Blue Canoe

In 1994, Laurie Dunlap launched Blue Canoe with a simple yet powerful vision: to create organic clothing made in the USA that fit the way women truly lived. As a women-owned and operated company, we understood exactly what our customers were looking for—because it was what we wanted for ourselves.

From the start, we focused on effortlessly stylish, versatile designs crafted from high-quality fabrics that feel good against your skin. We combined function with beauty, believing that women should be able to dress once and feel comfortable, confident, and chic all day long. Our customers resonated with that vision, and as a result, both our clothing line and our business began to grow.

Today, Blue Canoe thrives in San Francisco, where we manufacture a full line of timeless, eco-friendly clothing and lingerie. We remain dedicated to using the finest organic fabrics, producing everything in the USA, and designing with real life in mind—offering simple lines, sensuous textures, and sophisticated styles that are never fussy.

To read more about our founding, click here.

Natural Organically Grown Fibers

Natural fibers, natural comfort, natural beauty. At Blue Canoe, organic cotton and organic bamboo are the foundation of everything we create—they’re not just better for you, they’re better for the planet.

Our cotton and bamboo are grown without harmful pesticides or chemical fertilizers, supporting healthier ecosystems and safer working conditions. We use only the gentlest, nontoxic dyes to ensure that plants, animals, and people are protected throughout the process. The result? Fabrics that are naturally soft, breathable, and fluid.

All of our clothing is plant-based. We never use petroleum-derived fabrics like polyester or nylon, which depend on fossil fuels and contribute to environmental pollution.

With Blue Canoe, you’ll feel good wearing our clothes—and feel even better knowing you’ve made a sustainable choice.

Sustainable Organic Bamboo

Bamboo is one of the most sustainable crops on the planet. It grows rapidly, regenerates naturally without the need for replanting, and requires no pesticides, fertilizers, or irrigation. Its cultivation prevents soil erosion, reduces runoff, and can even thrive on land degraded by overgrazing. Remarkably efficient, bamboo yields up to 20 times more fiber than trees and produces 30% more oxygen, helping to reduce carbon dioxide levels and combat global warming.

However, like rayon derived from other plant sources, bamboo fibers must undergo chemical processing to break down the raw material for fabric production. This step occurs early in the process and does not leave chemical residues on the final fabric. At Blue Canoe, we are committed to sustainability and are closely monitoring advancements in bamboo fiber processing. We remain hopeful that the industry will develop even cleaner methods to transform raw bamboo into eco-friendly yarns, aligning with our mission to use the most environmentally responsible fabrics available.

The Benefits of Stretch

A common question we hear is why we incorporate spandex into some of our cotton fabrics. It’s an important consideration for shoppers seeking the purest textiles. While cotton is fantastic for casual wear like t-shirts and nightgowns, it doesn’t always provide the fit and flexibility required for more form-fitting styles.

For garments such as bras, yoga pants, and fitted tops, spandex is essential. It offers the stretch and recovery that cotton alone lacks. Without spandex, cotton can become stretched out, leading to issues like sagging, non-supportive bras or baggy knees in pants after a short period of wear. A fitted top without spandex can feel restrictive and uncomfortable, lacking the necessary give to move with the wearer. This is why blending clothing spandex with organic cotton is crucial for achieving the performance needed in these types of clothing.

Our careful use of spandex allows us to create bras with wide, comfortable bands that eliminate the need for binding synthetic elastics or underwires, therefore eliminating other non-natural components. With spandex, these bras can gently hug the body for support without losing their shape. Similarly, our pants feature soft, wide waistbands instead of elastic that can dig in, ensuring comfort throughout the day. Thanks to spandex, our leggings and tights maintain their fit without bagging out.

Unlike 95% of the fashion industry, which relies entirely on synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, we prioritize using 4% -  87% organically grown cotton—a significantly more sustainable choice. The small percentage of spandex we incorporate is there to provide comfort, durability, and longevity, ensuring that our pieces remain wearable for years to come.

Ditch Oil Based Synthetics

Blue Canoe uses 95% natural organically grown fibers with a small amount of spandex. The rest of the fashion world uses mostly synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon, treated with toxic finishes and dyes.

Here are the facts regarding synthetic fabrics:

· Polyester and nylon are synthetic fabrics created by a chemical process from substances extracted from oil.

· Oil refining is a prevalent cause of global warming,

· Mining these non-renewable resources (coal and petroleum) destroy natural habitats during the process.

· The manufacture of polyester and other synthetic fabrics is an energy-intensive process requiring large amounts of crude oil and releases toxic emissions into our atmosphere and waterways.

· The manufacturing of polyester includes finishing treatments such as formaldehyde, PFOA’s and PFC’s which have been shown to be toxic to humans.

· Dyeing synthetics is one of the most toxic and water intensive processes in the apparel industry.

· Washing polyester results in micro-plastics that pollute our oceans and kill sea life.

· Heating polyester clothing, as in the dryer releases antimony which impacts the heart, lungs, and stomach.

· Polyester and nylon are non-biodegradable, so they are inherently unsustainable

Organic Fiber Clothing Made in the USA

From fabric to finish, Blue Canoe has always been made in the USA. We support American workers, manufacturers and distributors. It’s the best way we know to help reduce trade deficits, leave a smaller transportation footprint and meet the highest environmental and labor standards.

The apparel industry can be a messy business, and all too often companies are not transparent about their supply chains or use media spin to make their companies sound more ecologically and socially responsible than they really are. We are lucky to live and work in the USA where there are strong environmental laws, worker safety regulations and minimum pay requirements that ensure we are held to the highest standards.  Blue Canoe believes that making things in America is good business, and we have been doing just that since our founding in 1994.  

We continue to make high quality apparel that you can count on, to support the communities where we manufacture, keeping jobs local, and keeping our supply chains simple so we and our customers know where and how our clothes are made.

Working here also gives us a nimbleness that can’t be matched by companies halfway around the world. We can turn out production in a fraction of the time. And we can manage in-season, just-in-time deliveries—a distinct advantage for our retailers.

 

Saving Water: A Core of Sustainable Fashion

When people think of sustainability in fashion, they often focus on the materials used to make clothing—and that’s an important part of the equation. But what many don’t realize is that true sustainability also means conserving one of our planet’s most precious resources: water.

Water is essential to all life on Earth, yet it remains one of our most vulnerable resources. Excessive water use, especially in agriculture, can lead to severe shortages, harm ecosystems, and disrupt communities. That’s why Blue Canoe has always prioritized reducing water usage in our production process.

Conventional cotton farming is one of the largest culprits of water waste, contributing significantly to water scarcity issues that affect nearly 100 million people worldwide. While profitable for many countries, the environmental cost is staggering.

The solution? Organic cotton. By eliminating harmful chemicals and employing sustainable farming practices, organic cotton can reduce water consumption by up to 91%, saving as much as 218 billion gallons of water annually. This is why Blue Canoe is committed to using only organically grown fibers in our clothing—because sustainability isn’t just about what we wear, but how we protect the resources we depend on.

 

Minimize Toxins

What many people don’t realize is that mainstream fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. From the toxic herbicides and pesticides used on conventional cotton crops to the harmful chemicals involved in fabric production and the widespread use of petroleum-based materials like polyester, the apparel industry plays a major role in environmental degradation.

Globally, cotton farming alone accounts for 25% of all herbicide and pesticide use. These chemicals not only harm local wildlife but also pose serious health risks to farm and factory workers. That’s why Blue Canoe is committed to avoiding toxins by supporting organic cotton farming and sustainable practices.

To minimize harm to both people and the planet, we use only organically grown fibers like organic cotton and bamboo. We also work exclusively with U.S.-based fabric mills that adhere to GOTS-certified (Global Organic Textile Standard) processing methods, ensuring the safest and most eco-friendly production possible.

By aligning our products with the highest environmental standards, we create clothing you can trust—garments that not only feel good to wear but also help keep the Earth clean and healthy.

Sustainable Dyes

Dyes are another major source of pollution in the mainstream fashion industry, with many fast fashion brands turning a blind eye to their environmental and health impacts. Most conventional dyes are highly toxic, posing serious risks to both people and wildlife. They also require large amounts of water for processing, with significant portions of unused dye often released into waterways, contributing to widespread contamination.

At Blue Canoe, we took a different path. To ensure the safety of our dyes, we exclusively use fiber-reactive dyes—formulated specifically for natural fibers. These dyes not only require less water during production but also generate less waste, making them a safer choice for both people and the planet.

Our commitment to creating high-quality, sustainable clothing runs deep. Every step of our process is guided by care for the environment, a dedication to safety, and a passion for crafting garments you can feel good about wearing.

Mostly Allergen Free 

Many of our customers have chemical sensitivities and need to know specifics about what our fabrics and trims are made of. We strive to make our clothing as pure and allergy-free as possible while still producing functional, contemporary styles with mainstream appeal. Some trims such as elastic and molded cups are just not available at this time in cotton.

See detailed information here.

All Day, Yoga, Business, and Lounge Wear

All day, every day. Blue Canoe is so comfortable, modern and versatile, you’ll find yourself reaching for it every morning. Just read what our fans have to say...

"...Blue Canoe CAN truly go anywhere!" -Aliénne

"Thank you for beautiful designs, breathable fabrics and sustainable practices." - Melissa

"...supple, comfortable, fashionable and functional..." - Alexandra, San Francisco

"I loved the styling, the fabrics were very comfortable and everything fit." - Lisa, Washington State

"I live in your clothes!" - Alyona