Advantages of wearing environmentally friendly clothing

              Similar to those people chose not to intake food that are exposed to insecticides or pesticides in order to maintain proper health, the same people feel the same way about their clothing as well. There are thousands who are not happy with the exploitation of animals and the planet. Health and fashion are starting to work hand in hand. I too am a person who doesn't consume any inorganic meats or milks. I've read up on the health risks that these hormones can do to the body and for three years now I've been eating organic foods. I must say they taste so much better, the milk lasts longer and all in all it's a lot healthier. That's my health story with foods, but here are some reasons to wear environmentally friendly clothing.

1. Skin Protection

Environmental friendly do not contain harsh dyes that can be potentially harmful to the skin. Some people cannot wear certain types of clothing due to the dyes causing a serious break out on their skin.

2. Fashionable

Eco- Friendly clothing are very unique in that they aren't commonly found at your local Forever 21 or H&M. These garments are made with the best fabrics as well as innovative designs. 

3. Social Consciousness

Wearing environmental friendly clothing will help stir up the consciousness of your community. You will be sending a powerful message to those that see you in the clothing and possibly introducing them to alternatives that can protect our planet in the long run. 

4. Cause

Many of the fashion designers of environmental friendly clothing will donate a percentage of their earnings to causes that support the protection of our environment. Designers donate 3-10% of their earnings to the efforts of social civic organizations that are dedicated to saving The Earth.

               It may seem like a lot of pressure to basically change your entire lifestyle just to keep our world healthy, but if our world is healthy, we're healthy. So do you want to join this movement? I don't know if I'm ready to take this big leap, but this research has put some thought into my head about possibly converting over. Maybe if I take baby steps this can somehow become a reality!

Eco Friendly Designers

So as I was researching this topic, I was wondering if the clothes I wear are considered ethical fashion. Being a big fan of H&M, Forver 21 and American Eagle I realized that neither of the stores are considered to be ethical shopping sites. Most of the clothing are made of inorganic cotton, polyesters, etc. None of which are sustainable fabrics, nor are made of recyclable fabrics or materials. I continued to do a little more research and found out the top 15 eco-friendly designers, none of which I ever heard of in my life! With the exception of Levi's... my favorite brand of jeans! 

1. Beau Soleil by Anne Salvatore 

2. Sworn Virgins

3. Linda Loudermilk

4. Stella McCartney

5. Enamore

6.Gaiam

7. Alternative Apparel

8. J Brand Organic

9. Levis Organic Jeans

10. Organic by John Patrick 

11. Loomstate

12. Saint Grace

13. Eco-Ganik 

14. C&C California Organic

15. Bodkin

 These designers can be found in some of the rare ethical fashion stores around the world. Most of the designers are pretty pricey, due to the material used in making these garments, but they also don't fit the hippie image of eco-friendly fashion. There are actually some cute stuff if you look into it!

DIY (Do It Yourself )- Plastic Bag Crochet.

For those who may be interested in this Going Green movement particularly with fashion, here is a project you can do. I, not being very open minded when it comes to different things to wear, wouldn't necessarily bring this outside of my house, but it makes a good leisure activity as well as a laundry bag! Who knows, maybe one of you would like this as an everyday bag.... Hmmm? 

<---- This is how the end result should look, but here is the link that can help you out with the crochet pattern.

Turning Your Closet GREEN

Interested in Going Green ? Well here are some tips ti get you started to a new lifestyle (courtesy of cool-organic-clothing.com) :

1. Prior to purchasing a garment , consider if it is of good health
2. Learn about environmentally friendly choices
3. Look for eco-friendly retailers
4. Check labels for natural and organic fibers
5. Buy less and purchase essentials that mix and match
6. Check labels for eco-friendly and organic fiber content
7. Buy less and purchase essentials that mix and match
8. Consider becoming a strong supporter of sweatshop free apparel
9. Check out Fair Trade labeled clothing and buy garments from these retailers
10. Buy recycled garments from consignment shops, next to new stores, etc
11. Wear clothes that don't need dry-cleaning
12. Use biodegradable laundry detergent and line dry or flat dry as much as possible
13. Don't throw your clothes in landfills. Recycle or donate them to churches or charities - People worldwide need clothing.
14. Redesign your garments by giving them a fresh new look
15. Ask direct questions regarding company ethics to your favorite designers or brand names
16. Raise awareness - educate your children, friends and family

Okay maybe all 16 of these tips are a bit too much to do at one time, but possibly completing one at a time may help. I actually have been going through my clothing to see which shirts are made of what. Sad to say, I barely have any clothing made of organic cotton. So far, I have taken tip #6 into consideration. I know it's not that much, but I'm getting there!

Sustainability: What it really means in the fashion world.

In order for there to be green fashion, designers have to make sure that the fabric that they plan on using is sustainable, meaning able to be used over and over again which is generally healthier for the planet. When considering a certain fashion, designers look into its "renew-ability". Natural fibers are earthly found fibers that are not petroleum based, that are categorized into cellulose (cotton) and protein (wool, silk, cashmere). Recycled fibers are also utilized in the development of clothing. These fibers are made from scraps of fabrics accumulated from clothing factories, which are processed back into short fibers for spinning into a new yarn.Sustainability isn't just an idea, it has turned into a movement. Organizations such as he National Association of Sustainable Fashion Designers have been created to aid entrepreneurs with growing fashion related businesses that create social change and respect the environment. To the right is a picture of organic cotton yarn.

Recycled Dresses

These are a few recycled dresses designed by British designer, Gary Harvey that I came across.  

 

The one to the left is a transformation of 37 army jackets into a shapely fishtail gown . 

To the right, is a tom-boyish dress made of 26 nylon baseball jackets.

Below, is a collection of 30 newspaper issues of the Financial Times, developed into this unique and environmentally friendly dress . 

Film Redeveloped

A Chilean designing company by the name of Modulab ecodiseño has created a way to make use of old film from local cinemas. Using a Mexican weaving technique Modulab has refashioned 35mm film into a variety of handbags. The company has also recycled old movie billboards and turned them into various collections of messenger bags, yoga mat holders, laptop bags, totes as well as totes. Each Modulab ecodiseño bags are unique in that they all have a different story to tell depending on what movie the bag is a representation of. If you hold any of the new refashioned film bags up against light you may recognize scenes of the particular movie. Not only are these bags attractive and unique, they are also very healthy for our environment since they are composed of recyclable material.