It's Not Easy Being Green

Sustainable editor at large for VOGUE Australia and ethical fashion activist.

It's not easy being green was a phrase I first heard in relation to Kermit the Frog, but it also applies to myself and countless others who are putting forth effort for a sustainable lifestyle. My focus on fashion is 2 fold.

1) I am passionate about fashion and personal style as a form of expression, language and art form.

2) The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world, behind fossil fuels. FACT!

In our fast paced, disposable culture I don't know how much the average person stops to think about their environmental impact as they get dressed in the morning and/or shop for clothes.

Think about the message above today and every day!

This is not about complete anti-consumption but looking at what you have, re-style what you own, be mindful of what you consume and who you consume it from. Look at a supply chain and see if your ethics are in line with how the garments are produced. Also consider  the environmental impact of your fashion choices knowing that the fashion industry is the SECOND most polluting industry in the world, behind fossil fuels who is the obvious first. 

How can you make a change?

1) Shop and Wear Vintage 

2) Shop Contemporary Second Hand (Thrift)

3) Re-Style what you have in your closet (get things tailored, remove sleeves, etc.) and make them "new" to you. Wear what is hanging in your closet with tags still on it. 

4) Shop from ethical brands who are environmentally friendly (using sustainable materials) and who have ethical production (fair wages, good working conditions, don't use child labor, etc). 

This is a great start to Sustainable Style and moving away from a throw away culture mindset. 

 LG  ♻️ 

Happy Earth Day! Be ECO-Fabulous

ECO-CHIC – Movement? Or Marketing? (Previously Posted, now expanded)

The term Eco-chic represents a current trend merging the concepts of high-fashion, global responsibility and sustainability. This term has been circulating in main stream media for a few years now but I have often wondered if it is just a genius marketing ploy for large corporations to ride on the heels of scientific information and the global concern for our planet, to capitalize on the demise of the earth as we know it; Or is there really something to the whole Eco-chic concept as a mind set or a movement in the right direction? It seems that the latest must have fashion accessory is a social conscience and I say it’s about time! Eco chic to me is a lifestyle. To merge global awareness and living green into your lifestyle in all that you do, including how you dress.

Try these facts on: The U.S. generates approximately 9 billion pounds of used clothing each year and only a small fraction of that is recycled.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Council for Textile Recycling, used clothing and/or textile waste (which is also includes shoes, household linens and accessories) represents up to 5% of U.S. landfills.
How can YOU make an impact on the environment through fashion?

1) Buy Vintage, Used or Resale clothing. Purchasing vintage clothing and taking a look into fashion’s past is a wonderful way to recycle fashion. Choose vintage pieces and style them with the clothing and accessories that you already have. You can visit your local thrift, consignment, or on-line boutiques for vintage and contemporary, previously loved clothing, shoes and accessories. Having a passion for the past and styling vintage current is also showing your respect for the future by limiting your consumption.

2) Re-Style what you already have. Take a stroll through you closet, drawers and storage facility and put your creativity to the test. Re-style new looks using the clothing shoes and accessories that you already have, thereby avoiding acquiring more. It IS possible to revamp your own wardrobe, be gentler to the environment and your wallet.

3) Donate clothes from your personal collection and pay it forward. Give someone else an opportunity to style your used clothing into their Eco chic wardrobe. Take your clothes to a consignment shop or a donation center and recycle them the same way you recycle your cans and bottles. Many organizations like women’s shelters or other social programs can always use clothing.

4) Re-purpose and re-design your clothing buy making minor alterations to make the garment new and fresh. You love your black long sleeved tunic what about removing the sleeves to give it a new appearance and style it with accessories, a bag and/or shoes you have never worn before.

This is not to say that you will never purchase any “new” clothing or accessories, that notion would obviously be unrealistic. Perhaps consider choosing selectively the new articles you bring into your wardrobe and try to merge, in a multi-purpose way with your other items. Also consider for every new item, donate, re purpose or pass an older item along to a friend or organization where women/men need it.

The concept of Eco chic should not encourage more consumerism but inspire a lifestyle change and adaptation to a new view of your wardrobe and all it’s possibilities. Give those creative muscles a work out and try to recycle, re-style fashion and respect the environment. Let’s face it, fashion is one giant business based on the premise of recycling; new designers use the past as a point of reference and recycle past silhouettes and ideas into something “new” – YOU can do it to!!

Be Eco-Fabulous today. Step outside of your usual fashion confines and try something unique AND Eco-Chic = VINTAGE SHOP: http://www.evolution-vintage.com/

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." ~Native American Proverb