Are You a Green Fashionista?

When the days get shorter and the weather cooler, I get the bug to shop for a few new pieces to add to my wardrobe.   I have been trying to be more careful about what I spend on clothes and more conscious about reading labels.  Check out these 3 uber cool eco-designers – not the clunky hemp fashion of the 70’s:

Edun 
Threads for Thought
Bahar Shahpar 
 

I am not necessarily talking about label reading in the form of designer (well, sometimes), but label reading to be sure that I find green threads.  Even though green clothes are not all the rage just yet or the first thing to read about in fashion, there is a growing awareness in clothes that use less-polluting technologies, low-toxicity processes and sweatshop-free factories.  

It is not only how the clothes are made that make a difference to our planet.  How we care for them also has an environmental and human health impact.   

Here are some tips to help your inner-Fashionista identify earth-friendly options:  

Eco-friendly fabrics:
Organic Cotton: Try to buy t-shirts, underwear, pajamas or anything that you wear next to your skin made out of organic cotton.  Non-organic cotton is one of the most pesticide intensive crops grown.  Organic cotton is raised without toxins or synthetic fertilizers.  So it’s better for the land and water supply.  It is also produced without harsh chemical bleaches or dyes which won’t irritate skin.

Hemp: Hemp a throwback from hippie days is making a huge comeback not as a drug -- as a fabric.  Hemp grows naturally without pesticides or much water.  It grows like a “weed” so it even nourishes the soil rather than sapping it.  And it costs less to produce. Hemp is being combined with other fabrics like silk and cotton to make jeans, skirts, jackets and all kinds of accessories like purses and belts.  The designs are sleek and exude a sophisticated eco-intelligence.

Tencel:  Tencel is known in the fashion world for its “drape”.   It looks luxurious and elegant similar to rayon.  It’s lightweight, soft and breathable fabric.  It’s made from wood pulp – that’s right, trees.  Most other synthetic fabrics are made from petroleum, a non-renewable and highly toxic resource.  Tencel typically is made from tree-farmed trees, a renewable resource.  Typically these tree farms are on land that’s not good for growing food. The other good news is that the fiber is typically processed in a closed loop system with significantly less pollution than other man-made fibers.  

Wool: Alpaca wool is a good choice for those cool nights.  Alpacas are related to Llamas indigenous to the Andes Mountains.  The wool doesn’t contain lanolin so it doesn’t require the harsh chemicals used to clean sheep’s wool.  It’s also softer and stronger than conventional wool and comes in a wide range of earth-tone colors eliminating the use of toxic dyes.     

Recycled Options:  
Mix and match expensive and cheap, new and old into your wardrobe selections, it will keep your look fresh and give your pocketbook a break.  Find accessories at consignment or vintage stores to update your look.   Another way to take advantage of recycling is to buy from a company that makes new goods out of discarded waste like recycled cashmere designs made from scrap cashmere.  It keeps the scraps out of the waste stream and uses less energy patching pieces together rather than manufacturing from raw materials.  

Care of Clothes Matters
How to take care of your clothes is as important as the kind of clothes you buy.  About 75% of the carbon footprint of a t-shirt is from washing and drying it (not from manufacture and transportation).  Use a plant-based biodegradable, non-phosphorus laundry soap.  Hang dry your heavier items like jeans –it will make them last longer and fit better too!

If you buy something that needs dry-cleaning, take it to a “non-PERC” cleaners.  PERC (perchloroethylene) is a hazardous chemical that’s been linked to cancer and ground-water contamination.  You can find these cleaners by looking for a “wet cleaners”, carbon dioxide cleaners or a silicone solvent cleaner.   If a PERC dry cleaner is used, take the plastic off of the clothes immediately and air them out in a basement or garage for 48 hours before hanging them in your bedroom closet.  Never leave them in the plastic as it will hold the toxic chemical in until you wear it.

When it is time to clean out the closet, be sure to donate your clothes or get them to a clothing recycling organization.  Avoid the landfill at all costs!

The bottom line: become a label reader.  Know what is in your clothes just as you read labels to find out what’s in your food.