How-to: Sustainable Fashion

I’m writing this as Earth Day 2008 comes to a close here in the northwest, a region known for its earthy inclinations, be it the world’s first all-green Fashion Week here in Portland or just that Carl’s Jr. commercial with a circle of hippies playing hacky-sack in the rain. I’ve been struggling with what to write, and eco-friendly fashion seems to be a more relevant topic for tonight than a post about adding a trendy pop of color to your wardrobe or how plaids are huge for spring.

There are many clothing items nowadays that are being made from sustainable products, from select mall to high fashions. Clothing is being manufactured from organic cotton (organic is important; non-organic cotton often contains excessive pesticides), hemp and bamboo at increasing rates. These products often cost more than non-organic and synthetic clothing, but not only are they more biodegradable and usually harm the environment less during their production, they are often more durable. Eco-chick.com posts lots of organic and environmentally fashion-forward entries , including vegan shoes and organic denim.

When replacing your wardrobe, find creative ways to recycle old clothing. There’s nothing sexier than a beat-up band shirt, but when the wear and tear becomes too great, t-shirts make great rgas and cleaning cloths. There are also a million websites that will teach you how to recycle that tee you just can’t part with and turn it into a new piece of clothing. Just Google “t-shirt surgery” or “t-shirt reconstruction”. I love this t-shirt laptop case tutorial .

Everyone knows that reusable shopping bags are a great way to reduce your impact on the earth. Almost every grocery store you visit has their own cloth bags for sale, but they aren’t neccessarily the most chic accessory. Luckily there are affordable bags like baggu , available in an assortment of colors.

Sustainable handbags are more exciting than shopping bags, and recycled bags have come a long way since those purses girls at my high school used to make by sewing empty Capri Sun juice boxes together. Fair Trade makes these great messenger bags , handmade and all unique. BeckyCity.com features my absolute favorite recycled material accessories with a line of handbags, wallets, iPod covers and more made from recycled skateboard decks.

Another favorite company for bags is matt & nat , who make amazing bags and wallets from organic materials.

Sustainable fashion looks good and feels good, and these choices can be made even better by making other eco-friendly changes to your lifestyle. Drink your water (or vodka – no judgement) out of a cute reusable bottle rather than buying a new Dasani bottle every day. Same goes for coffee – Replace your paper cups with a sturdy reusable coffee mug, perhaps one covered with cute stickers. Starbucks makes great coffee mugs that allow you to insert your own photos. Always burning yourself on your hot cup? Java jackets by Contexture are a bit spendy, but double as a bracelet!

Carry your coffee to work on the bus versus car when you can, or walk to your meetings. Walk to the thrift shop when you can avoid buying something brand new. Remembering to use those reusable shopping bags, using both sides of paper while taking notes, and other small choices like this do add up and will help your wallet and your soul.

Tags: Fashion, resources, sustainable fashion

Category: Fashion