Some people who buy organic goods market do it out of environmental consciousness, while others buy for the social values the organic industry promotes. Increasingly, though, organic goods are being bought by the average Joe, happy to get something green as long as it looks, feels and costs the same as the things he's used to.

In fashion, organic cotton led the way into the mainstream. Now, it's being followed by organic wool, which is available in Patagonia sweaters and Delano Collection coats, among others.

"We see demand growing exponentially," says Matthew Mole, founder and president of Vermont Organic Fiber Co., based in Middlebury, Vt.

"As long as the quality is there, there's no argument not to do it."

Vermont Organic Fiber is developing fine worsted wool for suits, heavier fabrics for coats and a jersey for diaper covers. Children's clothes could be a hot market because parents are always looking to put the purest products next to their babies' skin, but Mole is still working out the kinks when it comes to the washability of the wool.

Mole, who was raised on a small farm, became familiar with the organic and natural fiber market while he was a research assistant at the University of Vermont studying hemp. He saw that cotton had a monopoly on the organic marketplace. "There needed to be something else," he says. "As a consumer, I knew I wanted to wear more than just cotton."

Knowing that sheep were being raised organically for the food market, he figured organic wool would be the next logical step.

"Growers often produce product but there's a disconnect with brands that want to use it. I said, 'There's fiber and there's customers — let's link them."'

After talking to farmers, Mole identified mills in the U.S. that could immediately begin processing according to organic handling rules, plants that were already using plant-based soaps and plant-based oils in the spinning instead of petroleum.

Then he went to the fashion companies.

Last year, Patagonia sold out of its limited collection of organic wool sweaters and it looks like the same will happen this year even though the company ordered more garments, says Jill Dumain, director of environmental analysis at Patagonia.

"We do have some environmental customers, but more people just want durability, quality, fit, color, styling. And if it has an environmental benefit, all the better. Having something that's good for the environment is gravy," she says. "A lot of people don't know they're buying organic fibers, they just liked the garment. That's a compliment to us."

Patagonia, which incorporates environmentalism into its corporate culture, was particularly interested in wool because it has a lot of properties that are conducive to active use. "It stays warm when wet and it has a natural odor-fighting capacity — the holy grail for the outdoor industry for people going on long expeditions. It's also quicker drying," Dumain says.

For organic clothes to be a serious category in the apparel business, there has to be an understanding of both what the farmers need and consumers want, she says, and that's where textile suppliers like Vermont Wool come in. "It says something that there is a middleman. It means it's a real business."

Dumain said Patagonia hopes to start using finer fibers of organic wool to allow for a broader application. She noted that the company's "Axuwool" products — wool on the inside, a wicking, stretch polyester on the outside would be a perfect fit — if organic wool could be spun fine enough.