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Meet my new favorite top. Ever since my lunch with Tim Gunn at BlogHer '09 this summer (yeah, I won that contest), I've been trying to upgrade my image. Tim suggested I stay away from pastels, wear V-necks (which this top, unfortunately is not), and show off my "perfect hourglass figure." Oh, yes he did.
And shortly after that lunch, Green LA Girl Siel Ju advised me to stop dressing in such baggy clothing. Maybe not in those exact words. Fine. But my new style has got to be not only flattering but green, and I'm not talking about dye.
So, what makes clothing "green"?
There seem to be two green clothing camps. The first says that anything new is inherently not green because it always requires new materials and energy to produce. Goodwill, consignment shops, Freecycle, and Craigslist are the sources of choice, and there are plenty of DIYers out there making something new out of something old. In fact, I tend to fall into this camp myself. It's a great way to save money as well as the planet. But can new clothing be green too?
I was thrilled that the 5th Season of Project Runway not only featured a "green materials" challenge, but also that the winner of that season, while not my favorite contestant, used sustainable fabrics in her designs. So I asked a few green bloggers to tell me about their favorite sustainable clothing companies. Here's what I learned.
Diane from Big Green Purse says,
• Approximately 25% of all insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides used in the world are used to grow cotton.
• It takes 1/3 lb. of pesticides and fertilizers to produce enough cotton to make just one t-shirt.
• Organically grown cotton uses beneficial insects and biological and cultural practices to control pests and build strong soil.
• Hemp, bamboo and even recycled soda pop bottles are also being made into t-shirts, pants, skirts, blouses, and dresses.
She includes a fantastic list of organic clothing companies, from mainstream stores like Patagonia to smaller companies like Blue Canoe Organic. She also includes tips for making shopping organic more affordable.
Micaela from Mindful Momma interviewed the owner of a sustainable clothing store in the Twin Cities area, who describes her top 5 favorite sustainable brands: Indigenous Designs, Tinctoria, Ecolution, Ice Breaker, and Cottonfield USA.
Deanna from Crunchy Chicken wrote me,
"Loomstate Organic has some nice casual clothes, and Good Society has great jeans, but I'd have to go with deux fm and Deborah Lindquist for great fashion."
Deanna also reviewed two brands of organic cotton swimwear on her other blog, Green Goddess Dressing. Lycra, spandex, all those stretchy fabrics are, after all, made from petroleum. Her verdict? Cotton is not really meant for performance swimming. In other words,
...the impression I'm getting is to keep the Speedo for doing laps or the Slip 'n Slide, and stick to eco fabrics if the most moisture you're going to see is the sweat on your margarita glass.
Allie from The Greenists told me, "I love love love Suburban Riot. They make the softest t-shirts and hoodies." She reviewed Suburban Riot on her blog and also addressed that sustainable bathing suit question, recommending Aventura's recycled poly swim suits. Yes, they are still petroleum-based. But from recycled materials instead of new.
Another blogger from The Greenists, Courtney, also loves Aventura's sportswear and was brave enough to model the four different organic cotton "looks" she reviewed in her post.
Lisa from Condo Blues loves her natural rubber FeelGoodz flip flops, and wrote me,
I like Feelgoodz natural rubber flip flops (most are made of petrochemical rubber.) They use plant based dyes, which is surprising because they are so brightly colored.... The owner couldn't be nicer and is committed to doing some good with his company. Which is small. He literally gets his family together to tie the hemp & paper hang tags on the shoes and put on the recycled plastic shoe hangers. He's based in post-Katrina New Orleans (on purpose) and donates % of his profits back to Thailand were the shoes are made for social programs. He's also working on
