Ethical shopping is becoming big business these days. Just this week the Soil Association revealed that £2bn is annually spent on organically produced food, clothing and cosmetics. Until recently, clothing brands were more obsessed with price (as cheap as possible) than the cost to the environment or the producers. What's more, ethical fashion didn't exactly have a fantastic reputation for being stylish.

But now, with the organic cotton market predicted to be worth £60m this year and fairtrade products doubling in sales annually, it seems that times are changing for conscience-friendly fashion.

The stakes couldn't be higher. Non-organic cotton production is responsible for around 25% of all the pesticides used in the world, while stories of horrific conditions in sweat shops in the developing world have brought into question the production practices of big-name brands such as Primark, Tesco and Topshop.

As an umbrella term, ethical fashion takes in everything from organic to fairtrade produce, and even recycled to vintage clothing in some cases. But high street organic shoppers take note - just because your skirt is organic doesn't mean to say it wasn't produced in a cramped factory in Bangladesh by people being paid less than a living wage. Similarly, fairtrade goods don't necessarily exclude the use of environmentally-unfriendly chemicals.

Some companies simply use the same factories for fairtrade production as their ordinary ranges. Although just under 1% of the world's cotton is grown organically, there is a danger that sharply increasing demand will mean countries become increasingly reliant on a single crop - and cotton is notoriously hard to grow, especially in areas of the world where rainfall is diminishing.

Overall, however, the advice seems to be that ethical shopping is a good thing for the developing world - but, if in doubt, ask.

"We want people to ask us about the clothes we sell," says James Curran, who runs ethical store Entrading in Glasgow with his wife, Artemis. "We would encourage it. If we don't know an answer we'll go away and find out. It's important to us that people stay informed."

The Currans run a very strict open-book policy in their store - they won't stock a product unless they can be absolutely sure of its provenance, and set standards very high for manufacturers. "If we're not sure of where something was made or whether it's fairtrade, we won't take it," says Artemis. "If there is any doubt we just won't stock something. You see high street stores selling organic cotton for very cheap prices nowadays, but people should ask where that comes from and how they can still make it so cheaply."

While conscience-friendly shopping should be at the top of all our agendas, there's no getting away from the fact that fashion matters to a lot of people. And if you're the kind of consumer who enjoys luxury and wants to look and feel good in your clothes, a shapeless navy cotton T-shirt just isn't going to cut it; or for that matter, persuade you to change your whole shopping ethos.

Fortunately, ethical fashion has moved on leaps and bounds in the last few years. Peppered with trendy labels such as Ciel, Howies, Goodone and Noir, shopping with a clear conscience has never been so trendy. With boutiques such as Bolshie in the west end of Glasgow, consumers can find beautiful design and good quality materials without ditching their ethical beliefs.

We visited Bolshie with Fiona Brown, our guinea pig for an ethical day of shopping, and quickly found a beautiful recycled green dress for £65.

Owner Carolyn Manson is passionate about ethically-made clothing and produce. "That's the message we need to get across," she smiles enthusiastically.

"The designers that are making organic or ethically-produced clothing now are making such fab clothes. Some of the stuff I have in here wouldn't look out of place in Harvey Nichols, the quality of the fabric is so good."

Certainly, judging by the varied selection of garments Fiona tried on - and loved - things are looking up for ethical fashion. We found a gold tunic dress made by Ciel, a Tearcraft black beaded evening bag, a black skirt with feminine floral frill and a blue holdall by Ideo. Nothing we picked up was particularly expensive or could be described as overpriced. By anyone's standards, it was a fairly successful shopping trip.

Fiona is now excited about doing a bit more ethical shopping. "I didn't know what to expect,". "But I'm really impressed with this stuff.

It's like the styles you would see somewhere like H&M, but it's boutique stuff so you won't see everyone else walking down the road wearing the same outfit. That's a big part of the attraction."

Fiona was also impressed by the comparatively low prices. But the big question on every fashion fan's lips is: do ethical clothes match their high street counterparts in the style stakes?

On the whole, the answer is yes. While you can still find some distinctly unexciting ethical clothing hanging around the high street, imaginative young designers are constantly pushing the boundaries of this genre. Indeed, forward-thinking brands such as Levis have introduced eco lines that ensure garments are dyed and produced by natural means. Celebrities are getting in on the act as well, with models such as Lily Cole and Erin O'Connor happy to speak about the benefits of supporting ethical lines.

The big names are anxious not to be outdone. Designer Katharine Hamnett has joined Tesco's fairtrade initiative, M&S can boast being able to trace all its fashion lines from cotton producer to shop, while even Topshop's flagship stores stock clothes from People Tree, which boasts impeccable green credentials.

"I get all types of people in this shop," says Manson. "The younger shoppers are the most clued-up. They ask about the clothes and really care about where they come from. Other people just come in because it's a wee independent store and they like that.

"But it's slowly catching on and people are starting to get the message that ethical clothing can be trendy, too."




Behind the labels


Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is grown without insecticide or pesticide. Currently non-organic cotton accounts for 25% of the world's pesticides, which can poison humans as well as damage the environment.

Fair trade
Goods have been produced in a fair-trade environment, with rules governing adequate wages and workers' conditions. Only applies to goods produced outwith the UK, most often from developing countries.

Recycled
Ethical fashion is starting to make use of old and unwanted clothing. Recycled clothing is made from one, or several, old garments, to create something completely new. Often made on a small scale by hand.

Vintage
Vintage produce, whether in its original state or redesigned to create something new, is sometimes considered part of the ethical clothing tree.