Going out for a meal? Is it me or is it all a bit too complicated? What we eat, what we drink and now even what we wear requires careful thought (Does my bum look big? Is what I am wearing eco friendly? Hmmm...)

Picture the scene... (By that I mean the restaurant, not me in front of the mirror)... A dodgy recording of Vivaldi is playing in the background. A man in tight black trousers points out a "delightful table, Madam" in the corner, under the ivy. He produces a menu bursting with imagination and culinary creativity...

...Now the problems. First, grill the waiter about what it all actually means. GM? Free range? Organic? Then the wine: "Vintage chemicals, madam? Or fruity and free of additives?". And as for that black dress you're wearing...? It may make your tummy look flat when you eat, but it could have helped pollute developing countries.

These days we should be wearing organic, as well as eating it. Before you choke on your bread, it IS more than a hippy fad.

Be warned: The following may put you off your free-range gammon and GM-free salad. According to organic flag-fliers The Soil Association...

• Cotton crops are sprayed with a quarter of the world's insecticides
• Many of the chemicals we carry around on our clothes are at one stage toxic to humans and wildlife
• Some of the chemicals used to dye cotton are thought to cause skin allergies
• Around a third of pesticides used in developing countries are sprayed on cotton crops

Still hungry?

Still dressed? If you are considering stripping off in front of your fellow diners you are not alone (although you may be the only one disrobing at dinner).

Worldwide, people are turning to alternatives like hemp and organic cotton. Materials are raw and have not been treated with unnecessary chemicals. And Uniquely Woman has plenty of organic clothing for you to choose from...

Take Gossypium, the ethical eco cotton store, or Spirit of Nature, a natural clothing company that sells organic clothing made from organically grown raw materials like hemp. Long established Bishopston Trading Company is also well worth a visit. Set up in 1985, Bishopston Trading Company is a fair trade workers cooperative set up to create employment in the South Indian village of KV Kuppam. The company specialises in clothing made from hand-woven organic cotton.

Back to the restaurant...and before the coffee, time for a conclusion. Wearing clothes made from non organic cloth is a bit like the great Pudding Dilemma - do I do it even though I know it is bad for me? With cotton it is an easy choice. Non organic cotton can be bad for you, your skin and the environment. Choose organic for yourself and your children and for everybody else as well. It may cost a little more, but the price of organic food is coming down, so there is no reason why that little black organic dress may not be a bit cheaper eventually too. As for the chocolate cake, I say go for it. A little bit of chocolate never hurt anyone and you did have a salad for the main course...

- Article by Lucy J Morgan