Green is the New Pink!

Green is fashionable. There is an emerging trend in the fashion industry toward the use of sustainable and eco-friendly materials. The market for “green” products has grown dramatically despite the downturn in the economy; currently sitting somewhere around $200 billion annually (some estimates expect that number to double in the next year). Fashion is at the forefront of this new green revolution, and with that in mind, here are a few simple ways to reduce the environmental impact of your wardrobe. Choose to buy organic. “Organic” includes clothing and accessories that are made from natural materials, with as little chemical processing as possible. Biodegradable products also fall under this category. There is an important distinction, however, between organic clothes/accessories and clothes/accessories made with organic materials. The first indicates that the product as a whole is organic, made from low-impact materials through an eco-friendly process. The second, however, simply means that some part of the prod¬uct is organic. For instance, a garment may contain 100% organic cotton, but use other chemically-treated components or harmful manufacturing processes. There are various organizations that test and certify textiles, processes, and manufacturers, including Oeko-Tek Standard 100 and the Global Organic Textile Standard. Another easy way to go green is to buy used clothing. Purchasing used clothing can be a harder sell than “buying organic” for some fashion-minded people. But there are high quality used clothes and accessories out there. There is a growing market for fashionable used clothing, and it is easy to understand why: when given the choice between a month-old shirt for $7 and the same shirt new for $21, the choice is easy. Assuming the used products are in good condition, paying a third of the price is a great bargain. It also provides a way to recycle clothing, reducing the environmental impact of each shirt. Even if it is more than “lightly” used, vintage-chic clothing is in style. It can be found everywhere from local thrift shops to top fashion magazines. While you can go to a second-hand store to buy clothing that is barely used, sometimes it is more fun to make purchases on truly dated clothing. That 1950s little black dress tells a more original story than the little black dress you purchased yesterday at a department store. Besides, you will not show up to the company party matching your coworkers! This should be obvious, but it can not go unstated. Donate unwanted and used clothing. Do not throw good, reusable garments away when they can easily be donated to Goodwill, or other non-profit organizations. This prevents our landfills from being taken up by quality clothing, and gives you the warm and fuzzy feeling of giving back to the community a bit. Most large cities have non-profit organizations that work specifically to provide the homeless with clothing, which are a great option to donate to. In Spokane, try donating to Mission Community Outreach Center in the Valley; or during the winter, give your used coats to “Coats for Kids,” at one of many drop-off locations. Another option is finding a clothing consignment store to sell your old clothes back to, and make a lit¬tle money in the process. Plato’s Closet is a consignment store offering used name-brand clothing. Other specialty consignment stores are available in the area as well. Before jumping in your car to go make clothing purchases, though, consider purchasing online. Buying on the Internet can dramatically reduce costs, both economically and environmentally. Online retailers can keep little to no inventory and ship directly to consumers, whereas traditional brick-and-mortar stores keep large amounts of inventory and have products shipped between distribution centers and outlets. According to the Center for Energy & Climate Solutions, “Shipping 10 pounds of product using overnight air delivery—the most energy-intensive delivery mode—uses 40 percent less fuel than driving round-trip to the mall. Ground shipping by truck uses just 1/10th of the energy of driving yourself.” This shocking statistic shows just how large of an impact shopping online can make. While the first few suggestions for eco-friendly fashion are fairly simple, this one may take a bit more time and effort. But if you are up to the challenge, try repurposing old clothing. Using old clothing to become something new can make a great impact on the environment, and you can get years of use out of the same material. Beginner: The jeans with the holes in the knees will make great cutoffs! Either cut them directly into cutoff shorts, or cut them to Bermuda-length and hem them. Intermediate: Dresses come in and out of style, especially certain prints. Last year, plaid dresses were found at many department stores, but they are losing their luster. Try cutting a prairie-style dress below your hips about 4-6 inches, and hem it to make it a shirt. The remaining material can be sewn into a fabulous handbag, or made into a funky headband. Advance: Use jeans given to you by grandma (that were made a little bit too wide for you, and will probably never fit) to make into a denim mini skirt. Cut down the inseam and carefully piece it together, sewing down the front and back. You can leave the slit whatever length you want, and create a fun, casual skirt out of the pants you never would have worn otherwise.