When it comes to fashion, green is the new black. Eco-friendly clothing is chic, responsibly produced, and makes more than a style statement—it says something about who you are and what you value.
The clothes on your back can have a big environmental impact. Take a cheap cotton t-shirt. It may have started as cotton grown in Texas or India, then traveled to someplace like China, Honduras, or Uzbekistan to be made into a shirt, then passed through far-flung wholesale and distribution warehouses before landing on the shelf at your local store. Not only did a lot of fossil fuels get used in transporting the shirt, you've got no way of knowing whether it came from farms and factories that share your values: respect for the earth and for workers.
To wear green (no matter what colors are "in" this season), keep these tips in mind:
Take care of what you've got. The greenest clothes are the ones already in your closet. By making them last, you cut back on the virgin materials harvested and processed to make new clothes. Buy timeless classics in neutral colors, and make the most of them. If a shirt loses a button, don't toss the whole shirt—just buy a new button.
Cleaning clothes takes even more of a toll on the planet than making them. So avoid dry-cleaning your clothes whenever possible, and see Chapter 1 to learn about earth-friendly laundry supplies you can make (Clean Laundry, Clean Earth) or buy (A Green Kitchen Is a Healthy Kitchen).
Buy used. Thrift-store shopping doesn't have to mean hideous bridesmaids dresses and t-shirts advertising bands that last toured in the 1970s. You can find low-priced basics in good condition—including kids' clothes that were outgrown too fast to show much wear; it just might take some hunting to find them. A lot of shoppers treat thrift-store visits like treasure hunts: You never know what you'll run across, and there are often real gems hidden among the polyester pantsuits. And high-end consignment shops sell designer fashions at prices that are almost too good to be true. Donate it starts you on your thrift-shopping adventure.
Online auction sites like eBay (www.ebay.com) also sell good-quality used clothing at rock-bottom prices. If you buy from these sites, check shipping costs and ask the sellers to use minimal packaging.
Hold a clothing exchange. Gather your similar-sized friends together and have everyone bring clothes they're willing to trade. Donate any unclaimed leftovers to charity.
Make your own. If you're handy with a needle and thread, try whipping up your own outfits. Even better, make them from recycled materials you find at thrift stores or get from friends and family—whether bolts of cloth or cast-off clothes, you can piece them together into a totally new garment.
The Threadbanger website (www.threadbanger.com) has step-by-step instructions and style tips for do-it-yourself fashionistas.
Buy organic. When it comes to cotton, "organic" means a t-shirt was made from non-GMO (Go Organic) cotton plants grown in fields that haven't had synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and weed killers dumped on them for at least three years before harvesting. Also keep an eye out for clothes made from organic flax, linen, and hemp.
Cotton covers only 1% of U.S. farmland—but it accounts for about half of U.S. pesticide use. Hemp, an alternative source of clothing fiber, requires little or no pesticides and produces about twice as much material as cotton. It's also a great source of fiber for making paper: A single acre of hemp produces the equivalent of four acres of trees.
Look for recycled materials. Like many other products, new clothing can be made from recycled fibers, like recycled cotton socks and fleecewear made from recycled plastic.
Consider natural synthetics. It sounds like an oxymoron, but some fibers are made synthetically from natural substances; they're called naturally derived man-made fibers. To make them, manufacturers start with natural materials, like bamboo, corn, soy, or wood pulp. Unlike synthetic fibers such as polyester, clothing made from these fibers is biodegradable, so you can compost it (The Joy of Composting) when it wears out.
Natural synthetics are a mixed blessing: The finished product is biodegradable, but the manufacturing process is energy intensive and similar to the way synthetic fibers like polyester are made. And fibers made from soy and corn are likely to come from genetically modified crops (Genetically Modified Foods). In general, it's better for the environment to buy used, recycled, or organic clothing rather than natural synthetics.
There will likely come a time when thrift-store options and your current duds just won't cut it—maybe the idea of second-hand shoes doesn't appeal or you feel like splurging for a special occasion. In that case, here are some good sources for green clothing and accessories:
Autonomie Project (www.autonomieproject.com). This company sells fairly traded, eco-friendly, vegan, sweatshop-free t-shirts, shoes, and accessories.
Etsy (www.etsy.com). A marketplace for artisans and crafters to sell their wares, Etsy is a great place to find fashionable handmade and vintage clothing and jewelry.
GreenKarat (www.greenkarat.com). Environmentally responsible jewelry sounds like a pipe dream. After all, fine jewelry is made from gems, gold, and platinum—substances mined from the earth and intensively processed. GreenKarat uses recycled metals and manmade stones to create beautiful jewelry that doesn't take a big toll on the planet. Creating jewelry does use energy (although GreenKarat uses only wind-generated electricity), so the company lets customers choose whether to pay a voluntary carbon offset fee to ensure that their purchases are completely carbon neutral. And you can enter an item's tag number on the associated Green Assay website (www.greenkarat.com) to get info about the jewelry's green characteristics, such as whether gems were ecologically mined, whether the metal came from an ecologically certified refinery, and whether the jeweler used environmentally responsible methods to make the piece.
Greenloop (www.thegreenloop.com). Here you'll find organic clothing, shoes, and accessories made from sustainable materials using renewable energy. The company is committed to recycling and reuse, reducing greenhouse gases, supporting organic farming, and manufacturing without sweatshops.
Mink Shoes (www.minkshoes.com). If you don't eat animals, you probably don't want to wear their skins, either. Vegan designer Rebecca Brough founded this company because she had a hard time finding fashionable shoes made from animal-friendly materials. Instead of leather, these shoes are made from sustainable and organic materials, handcrafted by Italian artisans.
My Green Closet (www.mygreencloset.com). This company uses organic cotton and low-impact dyes to produce cute clothes for kids, all of which is made in the U.S.
Nau (www.nau.com). Nau's organic clothing for men and women is available at more than a dozen stores nationwide, or you can order from its website, where you can read about its products and philosophy.
Rapanui Organic Clothing (www.rapanuiclothing.com). This company, located in the U.K., uses organic materials and renewable energy to make surfer-inspired clothing for men and women. It donates 5% of its profits to environmental charities.
Stewart + Brown (www.stewartbrown.com). Here you'll find trendy clothing made from organic cotton, Mongolian cashmere, factory surplus fabrics, and other sustainable materials. The company gives 1% of its sales to nonprofit environmental groups.
StyleWillSaveUs (www.stylewillsaveus.com). An online eco-boutique and more, this U.K.-based site also publishes an entertaining and informative ezine about fashion.
Target (www.target.com). This huge retailer is trying to offer green fashions at affordable prices. Not all the clothing Target sells is green, but you'll have a better chance of finding organic cotton clothing here than at some other large retailers. Look, for example, for styles in Rogan Gregory's Loomstate line (www.loomstate.org).
Terra Plana (www.terraplana.com). This company makes shoes—from trendy pumps to durable sneakers—from natural and recycled materials and vegetable-tanned leather.
White Apricot (www.whiteapricot.com). This site sells eco-friendly fashions, jewelry, and beauty products.