These days, anything and everything can be green, so why not fashion? If we can eat green, heat our homes with green and drive around green, then why the heck not wear green?
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Yes, green is definitely the new black. However, be aware that there is no regulatory board governing the fashion industry (fashion police anyone?!). Any designer can slap the eco-friendly label on any pair of jeans and charge premium price for them. Try to be discerning about the brands that you buy. Being green is not just about the brand – but what’s behind the clothes.
Like most people, you’ve probably been conditioned to by cheap clothes, and just change them more often. It seems a brand new fad is just around every corner, and, being the clotheshorses that we are, we must by the latest thing that all the Hollywood stars are wearing in this month’s glossies. However, this practice alone doesn’t make sense – the more we buy, (barely) use and throw away, the more resources we use up and the more strain we put on the earth. Face it – your shoe addiction is contributing to climate change (no, really – go read about the plight of the Amazon rain forests in Brazil which are being cleared to raise cattle.) So one easy way to green your wardrobe is to just keep things longer and buy fewer things. Think of our ancestors, who sometimes had to make do with three or four outfits their entire lives. You can definitely live without that new sweater you saw yesterday at the store. But you don’t have to be a bag lady – accessorize and re-purpose the clothes in your closet.
It’s probably easier to spot a fake Louis Vuitton than a cotton dress masquerading as organic and fair trade. But doing the most basic of research (like asking the salespeople or the shop owner) can go a long way in knowing if a designer is for real or faux. Look for clothing brands or stores that recycle clothing – using old materials to make new ones. Don’t forget to go to your local neighborhood designers, as well as vintage shops that sell used (but fashionable) clothes.
But, hey, recycled clothes aren’t for everybody – I’m sure that scrap-cloth skirt works well at hipster gatherings, but your boss probably wouldn’t look too kindly at you if you showed up at the boardroom wearing it. One of the best ways to be eco-friendly is to patronize locally made clothing (again – check the label or ask!) which minimizes the amount of fuel spent to transport the item. Next, go for natural fibers like hemp or organic cotton – these materials are easy to grow and are biodegradable – unlike synthetics and plastics that will still be here long after you’ve gone! If you’re oh-so-inclined like our vegan friends, then not buying products made from animals (leather, wool, etc.) can also make an impact.
Fair trade is the other way to go – making sure that the workers get a good price for their items assures that the communities that they live in will continue to thrive. You may be wondering what this has to do with the environment? Think of it as the butterfly effect – if the herder raising alpacas for wool in Peru can provide for his family and make a profit, then he won’t have to sell his land to big bad industries to make end meet, and there won’t be any big, dirty factories built on that land.
So, if you’re ready to make a change (or to go and change!) then do it now. Fashion forward thinking not only means having the latest styles, but saving the environment as well!
By Maria Belgado (www.greenfudge.org)
