Year in Reflection, Part 2

As I was happy to laud my successes a few days back, I think it's the time to look at what didn't work out so well.

Number one on the list is that I don't think I changed anyone's mind about buying only organic or sustainable clothing. There could be a lot of reasons for this, and I've gone over them in my head many times. Perhaps I did not make the reasons for buying sustainable clothing more apparent, the trade-off did not seem worth the effort to most. I actually think this is a problem for a lot of environmentalism. It is not absolutely clear to people how things connect.

For instance, It is easy to say, and all over in print, "one organic cotton tee shirt saves 1/3 of a pound of pesticides and fertlizers". Which means something to me, but others will say, "yeah...and so?" It's in the so.

So, pesticides and fertilizers poison water systems making them dangerous to drink (blue baby alerts) and kill off fish and ocean life. A recent MSNBC article relates to fertlizer on corn crops specifically, but since cotton is responsible for about 46% of clothing made and grows on about 76 million acres world wide, it should be easy to see how growing organic cotton is important, ( organic cotton makes up only about 1% of the cotton grown world wide)

So, pesticides used in the growth of cotton are carcinogens. So pesticide and herbicide use encourages stronger strains of insects and bacteria.

So, there are more Sos, and maybe I avoided them too much in the last year.

My second failure is that I fear I was not the best sustainable clothing model of the year. I have this feeling that people thought, "yeah I might wear sustainable clothing, but not if I have to look like that." I don't think I'd ever get an honest answer on this one from my friends, but I should probably make more of an effort to go out looking more put together.

Another big failure is not making a good argument for paying the higher price of many organic or sustainable options. I need to work on this. Maybe listing cost, and then price per wear? How to convince people it's worth the price, especially when the first thing you hear (especially among my friends) when you give them a compliment on a piece of clothing is how cheaply they got it for and when.

I don't want to turn into a person who harasses people into doing things, and over the last year even though I never told anyone else what to do, I got a little bit of that vibe going on.

Not the most thought through post, but I needed to get it off my chest.

This is

The end of the year

It's been a while, a long while since I've posted to this blog. I am surprised that the year is coming to an end so quickly, my year of only buying "sustainable" clothing. I put sustainable in quotations because it is a constant struggle to decide what is truly sustainable. I struggle with wondering if mankind can even sustain it's basic needs, let alone it's wants. And I freely admit that I want way more than I need.

Christmastime always brings this want into focus. Not only my desire for objects, but my desire to give other people things. This year I tried to give many pieces of artwork, which I justified to myself by telling myself they are pieces of paper and biodegradable. But I did give this artwork in frames I bought from the store, and despite my good intentions of bringing my own bags, there was still a pile of un-recyclable plastic wrap that each frame came individually wrapped in. It could be worse, but I know it could have been better. For family I bought a lot of presents from Gaiam as well as food presents that I felt pretty good about. Even then, I knew these items would be delivered in tons of packaging, including plastic bags that the organic cotton shirts I bought would come in. So, although I tried to be sustainable with my holiday choices, there was a lot of room for improvement.

My friends have all been very respectful of my choices in their choices of presents for me, from great books, to solar chargers to organic yoga pants they seemed to understand and make an attempt to get me things that followed in my beliefs.

My family made some choices that reflected my beliefs, but a couple that they just completely ignored. This is frustrating, because I know it comes out of a desire to want to get me nice things, yet it ends up making me feel terrible in the end. Conveying that less is more seems nearly impossible sometimes, I wish I could explain that I'd rather have one organic tee shirt and nothing else than an organic tee and five other non-sustainable items. I guess it comes with time, and the year before there were no sustainable items in the gifts I received.

As for the end of the year, I am not planning any spending spree on once forbidden items, it seems easy enough to continue on as I have. Over the months I have longed for a couple of totally unsustainable items, but I haven't given in and really never felt like I was missing out on something so badly. I am looking forward to another year of shopping at Envi, Greenloop, Title Nine, Gaiam, Kaight and the other wonderful places I have purchased items for over the past year. I feel better that my money is going to a conscientious group of people and items that are if not totally sustainable, on their way to creating a sustainable future. I think this is perhaps the first time I've ever kept a New Year's resolution the whole year and it feels pretty good. Hopefully I can figure out one for 2008 that can have the same personal impact.

Just Ask

I have started to realize how important it is to just ask for sustainable clothing, even if you are pretty sure a place doesn't carry it. First of all you can be surprised, many places are experimenting with carrying some organic options. Sadly they are often hidden and mixed in with everything else. Asking can often be a way of "training" the salesperson to understand what organic or sustainable is. I have been met by many a salesperson that asked me if "organic is a brand?" Until the sales staff is asked, they often won't bother to learn anything about it. I have also been in the situation where one person is aware that they carry a sustainable item and another isn't, it lets the store know that they should inform their whole staff on the sustainable options. Be sure once you ask you double check the tags yourself, I have also been told things are organic when really they just meant that they were cotton.

So while you're asking, you can ask the staff at Nordstrom to steer you towards these:

I love the World Wildlife Fund's hotter than I should be shirt, although I am not sure if I have the nerve to wear it. It is a great message, a little sassy, and bound to start conversations. A nice balance between the eco doomsayer tees and flowery eco hippy tees. I must admit I have a few of both. I saw these tees at Nordstroms and they are very soft and nicely cut.

Ok, I should be here more than once a month!

So things have been busy to say the least, everywhere but the clothing department. I have not been thinking about clothing much this summer, and have honestly been frustrated by the choices when I've gone out to look. But, a little clothing hiatus produced some pleasant surprises when I stepped back into the mall on a recent 97 degree day.

We went to get a gift for a friend at the Levi's store and while there, I found new men's and women's eco styles, and older styles on sale for $20! That's a bargain in case you haven't ever bought a pair of organic jeans! The newer styles were great and a little more versatile for my figure. I was excited to see that for guys they have 514s in eco now, my husband's cut of choice.
I walked away with four new pairs of jeans that day, which is great because I have about the same amount that are disintegrating into feathery cotton puffs.

On the way out I was walking through Nordstrom and saw a shirt that said "Green is the New Black" the cynic in me said, oh yeah right, I bet that shirt's green. So I went up and checked and it was %100 organic cotton. Another pleasant surprise. They had 6 different styles that day. I bought a couple, though they are a little preachier than I would usually own. The nice thing about wearing a glaring green message on your chest is that you feel even more impelled to practice what you preach. Of course this is marketed to teens, and I alas, am not one, but i will wear it with pride anyway.

So my last pleasant surprise was that when looking online to find a pic of one of the tees I bought, I saw that Seven for all Mankind finally make organic jeans! These, of course are no bargain, but there are plenty of teenage girls and adult women that walk around with Sevens anyway. So I think it's great that they are introducing organics in their line.

Socks at Walgreens.?.

I am in Indiana visiting my family, and to say there are little less organic items in stores around here is putting it mildly....But, I had to go to the local Walgreens to pick up some things for the kids and I found 3 pairs of earthables socks, for myself. I have never seen this brand before, but two pairs were made of hemp and one out of bamboo. They are lightweight and had pretty nice colors. I don't know if they were made by Walgreens, because I can't find a company website on line. They were on sale for $2 a pair, and there were only a few pairs left at the Walgreens here, but they are woth checking out if you are near a Walgreens.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see the Walgreens carried Jason personal care products. It is nice to see environmentally friendly natural products in a store like Walgreens, especially in a town like Valparaiso where there is not a Whole Foods anywhere near by. The CVS in Providence cannot even make the same boast and is seriously lacking in natural/organic care products.

Now if I can only find some Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore souvenir tee shirts that are also organic, I'll be all set.

salsa

The new thrill in my life has been to go out salsa dancing on Wednesday nights at the Black Rep here in Providence. Since I haven't danced socially since high school, and have never done any latin dancing at all, I realized my evening wardrobe can use some additions. Although I have been getting a lot of mileage out of some nice wide-leg Edun trouser-style jeans and silk/hemp blend cami from The Oko Box, I am itching for some other choices. I need things that are nice looking, easy to move in, cool, and that stay put when you're twirling around like a top.

First on my salsa wardrobe wish list would be some more skirts. I found this %100 organic cotton W's Solimar skirt skirt on Patagonia's site. There are other patterns that have a great contemporary feel to them, but I liked the touch of red in this one. This skirt would look great pared with a strappy red tank, also from Patagonia. Both could also easily be dressed down with some thongs during the day.

For a little dressier evening, this black hemp and silk blend Stewart and Brown dress is gorgeous, and would be nice and cool on the dance floor. The eyelet detailing is really pretty, and gives it a sweet touch that is a little less racy. I think it's the kind of detail that can also make it a dress that doesn't seem too over-done during the day.

As I said, this is still the early stages of a wish list, so I'll let you know how they pan out, if I get any of them. For the record, The Under The Canopy tanks I purchased from Whole Foods have been my best buy this year. I definitely recommend them as a closet staple. They are pretty, flattering and versatile.

on Target? no, but getting a little better

For a while now I have lamented that Target seems way behind in organic clothing, as in I've never seen a piece of organic cotton clothing in the store. I would think they would be a little quicker on the uptake of sustainable clothing, because they are so progressive using great, cutting edge designers. Cool and tempting but why not sustainable?

Although I have not hit clothing gold at Target (and haven't seen anything that will suggest I might sometime soon) I did find two happy surprises. One was a set of organic sheets for my son's bed. They are light blue, and fitted sheet, flat sheet and one pillow case were bundled on sale for $20! The color choices were a bit limited, but there were four choices that could accommodate a lot of different rooms.

I also found some nice green organic dish towels. These were not on the web site, but only in the store. On line I also saw organic bath towels, and though I didn't notice them in the store, I also wasn't looking for bath towels at the time. The sheets and dish towels were both on nice end-cap displays, very obvious and easy to find.

I know there are a lot of great companies out there selling organic sheets outside of big box marts, but I also think these are the places where average americans will likely make their first organic purchases, so I think it is a good sign when you see anything sustainable in those places.

I haven't been back to see if the organic line at H&M has arrived at the local mall, but I'm not holding my breath. I was recently in Sweden, home of H&M, expecting the huge line of organic products that was promised on their web site half a year ago. I was disappointed to only find a hand full of tops in two different cuts.

The wait continues.

Oh where, oh where

Where have we been?

Well, here and there, but not so much in front of the computer. I can't speak for Jen Long, but I know when the warm weather hit, I basically have spent ever minute I can outside. In striving to be more sustainable with the choices I make in other aspects of my life, I've spent the last month moving dirt and compost, digging stumps and rocks, and generally making the ground more hospitable for some edible plants. I've always loved gardening, but have stuck mainly to flowers. This year I doubled the size of my vegetable garden and then added a planting area in another part of the yard with blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and lots of perennial herbs.

Yeah, yeah, enough about food, what about clothes? Well, funny you should ask. (OK, nobody's asking me) Since the mall becomes more and more depressing each time I go and leave empty handed , for lack of sustainable options, I find myself getting my shopping fix at Whole Foods lately. What, you say? back to food? Well, kind of. I have noticed recently that Whole Foods seems to be experimenting with more and more clothing options. Granted, not a ton, but since I happen to be there several times a week anyway, I am very excited to check out some apparel after buying my beets and chard.

A few months back I bought a couple of Green Label tees there that I like. They are great, but admittedly super casual. Recently, though, I noticed that they have had a nice (albeit small) selection of Under the Canopy long sleeve shirts and tanks. I bought one tank, brought it home and wore it almost three days straight. (OK, say gross if you want, but I didn't do ANY heavy labor the first two) In any case the fit was great, and it was pretty flattering. I've worn it around the house with shorts, but I've also worn it out at night salsa dancing, and it works well in either situation. So, I went back and got a second in another color as well as a long sleeve scoop neck. ( The picture here says PURE, but the one I bought has no printing on it, which I like a little more)

They are a little pricey, $42 each, but the cotton feels really nice and the cuts are great, feeling more like something you'd buy at Saks then at the supermarket. That said, when I got to the register to buy the second two, a week later they both rang up at $22 a piece! They weren't marked as being on sale, so I am not sure if it was an accident, but it certainly was a deal.

Now if they can just put some Loomstates or Del Fortes on their end caps, I'll be all set. Well, maybe not all set, as it would be a little tougher to explain why the grocery bill was that high.

Second Time Around

I have spring fever and I have it bad. The last three days have been in the 70s. Depending on where you are reading this from, 70 degree weather may not sound like a big deal, but after a week and a half straight of 30 to 40 degree rain and sleet, it is very welcome.

So two things happen to me when I have spring fever. The first thing is that I have to stop myself from taking out a second mortgage on my home to buy everything that catches my eye at the local plant nurseries. The second is that I have to stop myself from taking out a second mortgage so that I can buy a new wardrobe that somehow flatters my wintry white legs, and keeps me cool, while still being comfortable.

So since second mortgages are out (we finally just paid ours off, yay!) This year I'm turning to used clothing boutiques, and Savers. Second Time Around on Thayer street in Providence recently saved me from going to a black tie wedding in jeans and a tee shirt. With only 45 minutes to shop, I found a great black dress that I will definitely wear again. They carry lots of gently used designer clothes and boutique extras. (I stick to the used clothing) You can find anything from Prada shoes, to a Milly blouse, to a pair of used Miss Sixty jeans.

Another great resource for Rhode Islanders is Into The Wardrobe, which also boasts a beautiful collection of used designer clothing. There is a wide selection and price range. You may find a pair of Gucci pants and then on the next rack something from Banana Republic, or Marc by Marc Jacobs.

For those who would like to go online and get their used clothing glitz on, there is Rodeo Drive Resale. I've gotten a couple of pairs of used designer jeans there in the past, citizens of Humanity and 7 for All Mankind. They have a wide range of articles. Some pieces there are new overstock, so if you are trying to buy only used clothing pay attention as to if it says new or not. They are very clear about which items are new.

So until more of these designers wise up and go organic, I'll be buying used. I read that 7 is supposed to be coming out with an organic jean, so I'll keep you posted if I find it.

The Grass IS Greener on the Other Coast of the Country

I just returned from a trip to the West Coast, with my husband and sons to visit my brother and his family in San Jose. While we were there, we stayed in a "Green Hotel" in San Francisco, went thrift shopping for clothes, and visited an organic vineyard in the Los Gatos/Santa Cruz area. I will be writing a blog about the great clothes I found, our sustainable stay at the Orchard Garden Hotel, and our visit with the wine maker. But first I wanted to mention something that really struck me as unique to the visit: the presence of green articles in the newspaper almost daily in the San Jose Mercury News.

Being in the center of the world's high tech industry, I expected to see plenty in the news about computers and other technologies. Being in the state governed by Supreme Eco-steward Arnold Schwarzenegger, I expected to hear a lot about sustainability and climate change. But the combination of the two brought much more than I expected: DAILY reports on green topics. Reports about efforts to persuade industry to recognize global climate change and to invest in addressing it. Reports about the technologies being developed to solve it. Here in Silicon Valley, California was the right combination: brilliantly persuasive people (politics), and brilliant people finding ways (technology) . I was really impressed and energized by the articles that spread out in front of me every morning at my brother's table.

Upon return home to a cold and rainy East Coast, I thought maybe it really wasn't all that greener over there. Maybe it was just that I was on vacation and actually had free moments to sit down and soak in a newspaper. And if I did that here, not far from Cambridge after all, I might just catch a lot of the same news. So I did a little experiment to see if it was just my daily routine or if there really is just a shortfall of green news on the East Coast.

To be fair, my experiment was not exactly the same as reading a newspaper. Instead I searched three newspaper websites for articles dated April 6-12, 2007 (the dates I was on vacation) with the keywords: "green sustainable climate change global warming environment". Here are the results (which may reflect more on each newspaper's websites more than their actual printed papers):

San Jose Mercury: 15 Articles
Boston Globe: 0 Articles in the one-week timeframe, 1 Article in the past month (March 18)
Providence Journal: 1 Article (April 8)

See for yourself:

San Jose Mercury News
04/06/07

• WASHINGTON - Global warming will permanently change the climate of the American Southwest, making it so much hotter and drier that Dust Bowl-scale droughts will become common, a new climate report concludes.
• Warming threatens natural wonders

04/07/07

• Bleak U.N. report on global warming derided as too soft

04/09/07

• We back Boxer's global warming bill

04/10/07

• Sheryl Crow goes green for college tour
• Kerry, Gingrich debate global warming
• Planting trees falls short at saving the world
• Trial starts in industry challenge to states' authority over auto emissions

04/11/07

• ConocoPhillips join coalition for greenhouse gas emissions caps
• Pizarro: `Green Challenge' offers hope for planet
• Larry Hagman backs green causes
• New solar panel design traps more light
• Editorial: More haste, less thought rule if lawmakers move too fast on global warming

04/12/07

• Schwarzenegger gives Washington a pep talk on going green
• Survey finds 81% worried about global warming

Boston Globe
03/18/07

• A choir of voices joins to preach saving the earth

Providence Journal
04/08/07

• 5 environmentalists to be honored

It seems to me we have a lot of catching up to do out here! I hope to be part it!
Meanwhile, enjoy all the articles!

Skinny and skinny and skinny.

Over at Levis, there were a few new additions to their organic line that were nice looking. The best of them were in the skinny jean category, which I'm not always sure I can pull off. That said, there are a lot of skinny young things out there running around in them, so why not make them organic?

Levis did have another non-skinny eco-jean offering, which was the traditional shrink to fit 501s. These are in the red line and carry the heftiest price tag I've seen so far for organic jeans, $245. Damn. Not fully remembering how the shrink to fit era worked, I am intimidated by the fact that when you buy them, they don't fit at all, and you have to kind of guess what size they'll shrink down to. A gamble I might be willing to take at another price, but $245, ouch. Has anyone tried them? What were your results? The thing I like about them is that they are a classic cut, which would probably work better on me...but it's a lot of money to spend on jeans that I know already fit perfectly, let alone ones that may shrink too much or too little.

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of H&M's organic line, which is supposed to be arriving here in Providence next week. H&M's website says that the line will be available in all stores nation wide, so this seems like a great way to get some widely available and reasonably priced organic clothing.

As soon as I have a weekend free, I am planning on visiting my friend Leita from the Y, who also happens to be a seamstress who reinvents used clothing to give it a second life. I have been eager to turn a much loved pair of 7 jeans into a jean skirt. The samples I've seen of her work are great.

I have been really interested in places and people that rethink used clothing, because as of right now I don't have the skills to do it myself. As we move (hopefully) into a more sustainable future, people like Leita will and should be valuable resources. It is a worthwhile search to find someone in your area that can turn something that was once loved, but now needs a little tweaking, into something you can wear for another couple of years.

Global Girlfriend

women made.
eco-friendly.
fair trade.

If you are interested in any of the above (and you probably are or you wouldn't be reading this right now) check out Global Girlfriend. Here you will find not only beautifully styled, hand-made organic cotton apparel, you will find yourself in the company of women caring about women, caring about the planet, and caring about style. Each purchase you make here will benefit women's cooperatives or non-profit organizations that support women's human rights across the globe. You will be helping impoverished women help themselves while you treat yourself to garments that are "lovingly produced from seed to sewing machine."
Beautiful. Earnest. Green.

...and affordable.
I first purchased the two t-shirts, sweater and skirt
in the images above (no that's not me!) from Global Girlfriend almost two months ago. I don't know what took me so long to post this blog, but don't take that as a non-endorsement of their products! Because when I revisited GG's website tonight to refresh myself about their mission and values, I found myself ordering more items. But first let me tell you about the ones I already own...

The green sweater was only $36.00 (on sale from $72). It's merino wool, lightweight yet warm. I have worn it several times and I really like its texture and color. It's great for work with a skirt, or more casual with jeans. I ordered a large, but for a little more fitted look I would recommend a medium.

The skirt was only $28.00. I haven't worn it yet thanks to winter never easing it's grip on us here is Providence, but I am looking forward to wearing it soon!

The white scoop neck t-shirt has a simple, appealing neckline and shape and will be one of those constantly worn basics. At $26.00, it's more than I would spend on something similar at Old Navy, but it's still bound to cost only pennies per wearing. And just think of all the chemicals those pennies are saving from the environment! (One caution - I ordered a medium, and it fit perfectly, but after washing it is now just a little snug. I would recommend ordering a larger size on this item as the cotton does not seem to be pre-shrunk.)

My favorite of all is the blue empire waist t-shirt. It's casually elegant with it's empire waist and lightly gathered bustline. It's elongating with its extra long waist and sleeves. It has the sweetest micro-lace detailing on the neckline and sleeves that make me like to look at my wrists the way nice shoes make you enjoy looking at your feet. It's charming and feminine without trying too hard. And it is sooooooo soft! I like it so much I bought another tonight. And guess what? It is now on sale for only $14.00!

And what else did I buy tonight? Two more scoop neck t-shirts, but short-sleeved for summer, and in a size larger. One white, one lime green.

And I am helping an order of Franciscan nuns in India who employ and care for 120 disadvantaged and handicapped women. And I am helping 300 small organic farmers. And a colony of knitters in Nepal.

And although India and Nepal are far from local, certainly the reduction of farming chemicals anywhere in the world benefits us all. I think the positives harvested in the organic farming process and the improvements in the lives of impoverished women offset at least some of the negative aspects of shipping, if not carbon. And hopefully UPS isn't rolling out empty planes or trucks, so the impact of shipping my small orders is lessened by the thousands of other small orders in the cargo.

But if you would like to shop locally and remove all doubt, check the Global Girlfriend store locator. If you live in Rhode Island, stop in at Most Naturally in Narragansett - you can find Global Girlfriend items there! I'll be checking it out next time I go surfing! If winter ever ceases... Or if I can find a recycled winter weight wet suit.... Anyone want to sell me a second hand surf board?

Howie love them

Howies makes me want to cry, tears of joy and tears of pain.

Let's start with the joy. First, their clothing is great. Tons of style, and not just basics, but not trendy enough that you'd want to toss them a season later. They use lots of organic and recycled cotton, and buy accredited, sustainable wool. They also manufacture clothing in a way that is highly durable. Highly durable means longer life, which means less crap for the land fills.

As far as a company, they seem very socially responsible and honest. They are not claiming to be the perfect green company, they are smart enough to know there is always room for improvement, but that said, they seem amazing. They are using some of their own profits to do "Little Big Voice Lectures" where they are going to teach people how to promote their own causes in a way that is plausible for someone without a lot of money behind them. And as I said earlier they are using sustainable materials, making durable items.

Good people making good products doing good things for the environment, why the tears you ask? They are in the UK, that is why. I am not in the UK. That means there is a whole lot of carbon related guilt between myself and any piece of their clothing. Some of you might be saying, uh...Jenn, do you think your Levis Eco orginated in Providence Rhode Island? Right...no... not so much. But I honestly don't know if shipping one individually bought item from over seas is as efficiently shipped as a company shipping many items from overseas. Maybe it's exactly the same thing. It might be smart to do some research. Some research is definitely in order.

I also cried tears of pain when I read their David and Goliath battle with Levis. I would much rather support the little guy, whose whole business is trying to be ethical, than the big corporation that occasionally makes an effort to do the right thing. So, I am a little sad that I have some Levis Eco, but no Howies jeans to call my own. I still do believe that big corporations like Levis need to get on board with sustainability for our world to have a chance, but I'd like to see the smaller guy do well and get some credit, especially when they were doing it first.

Hopefully we'll see more small companies with the ideals of Howies cropping up here in the US. Places like Patagonia have been doing the right thing and leading the way for a long time, but they don't have the same indy-kid style that Howies has. They do have the same love of the planet, love of outdoor sports, and understanding from being outdoors how much the environment has been negatively impacted by poor choices by human beings.

So for the time being I will adore the clothes from afar, becauset I'm not sure I should purchase them yet. Is there a Terra Pass for shipping? Not yet, but maybe there should be.

I'm blue, but it's ok

Before I get bloggin about how blue I am, check out this fabric design by Natalie Wright, very apropos to the no impact man post. For the record, I am not sure if the fabrics she uses are sustainable or not, but her blog definitely has a sustainable vibe about it.

My purchases from both Patagonia and The Oko Box arrived on the same day. As I opened them up, my friend Simone commented, " You're kind of doing a blue thing now" To which I commented "no, I'm not," and then looking down at the new clothes in front of me, "Oh, I guess I am."

It wasn't entirely intended. When I went on the Patagonia site, I immediately loved this eco-waffle tee, but I did not immediately love the colors. The coral/peach was...just not something I'd wear. There was all black and all white, which I would wear but didn't have the two-tone raglan thing going on, which set it apart from a million other organic tees (right, as if there are a million to choose from). I will probably end up buying a version in black too. ( designers at Patagonia, why not a black and white combo??) There was also a pretty crazy yellow, but again, not so much me. So two-tone blue it was. I did also get the Diego Scoop top, which was in Raffia (otherwise known as beige), and the only other color choice for that was blue.

The tiramisu tank, made from a hemp/silk blend that I purchased from The Oko Box came in blue. I had ordered it in black, but it showed up in blue. (that's not me in the pic of the tank to the right, btw) It was actually a nice surprise, because the blue ended up being really lovely. But that in addition to the long sleeve organic cotton shirt I also bought from them ended up being a whole lot of blue.

Blah,blah, so what's the point Jenn? I guess it's just that at the end of month three, I am definitely making some trade-offs as far as color choices, but it's not that bad. The biggest concession I thought I would have to make in trying to buy only sustainable clothing for a year was that I would slowly devolve into a very crunchy looking hippie girl, and that's not who I am. Or, maybe, it's not what I want to look like. My husband is starting to argue that it is who I am. I think there will be more people willing to make sustainable choices if they feel they can retain their individual style while doing so. There are a lot of sustainable choices out there, but they are definitely more limited and you have to make some trade-offs. That said, so far I don't have rainbows flying out of my ass and I haven't been invited to any Phish shows. (apologies to anyone who does have rainbows flying out of their ass, and the kindly phish guys)

Extreme Extremists going to Extreme Extremes

There were more than a few people* that emailed me about No Impact Man, after reading an article in the New York Times on the 22nd about him. The Times article was called "The Year without Toilet Paper", and though an interesting article, I found it really trivialized what Colin Beavan (no impact man) was trying to do. I am sure the title of the article drew more readers than others might have, but for the NYTimes to essentially focus on potty talk to sell an article was a little annoying to me.

It amazes me how angry or disgusted people got about this man's year long experiment to try to erase his impact on the earth. I notice that people love to call any environmental decision extreme. The best way to exploit this, in this particular article, was to play on the teepee issue. I do use toilet paper (seventh generation when I shop) and I'm not yet ready to give it up, but for the sake of argument, I will say that it seems a little extreme to cut down a tree to wipe your ass with. I have to believe at some point, that we are all so detached from the realities of our every day consumption, that we have no idea how extreme our lifestyles actually are.

I am not where Colin Beavan is, but I have to applaud him for trying to figure some things out for himself. People think he is so extreme because they don't look at, and don't want to really look at the extreme impact of their own daily habits. We should applaud someone like this, who is in essence doing the research for all of us, living the life, figuring out what fits, what works and what doesn't. Am I adopting the same lifestyle? No, but sometimes I think it is worth going to more extreme measures to come back to a place that was better than where you started.

*said people, please don't stop sending me articles!

At the mall....not so much.

Being at the mall is a draining experience. I always find it a little depressing and overwhelming, but I ventured in to buy a pair of organic Levi's for my friend Ginger's (aka Jen G.) birthday. While I was there, I figured I would not just assume that nothing was organic or sustainable, but go ahead and ask.

I got a lot of blank stares from the salespersons at Nordstroms when I asked if they had any sustainable clothing. I rephrased to ask if they had any organic clothing or clothing made from bamboo or soy products. Still no luck, although while in Nordstroms I saw some nice higher-end organic sheets and bedding in their small home/gift department. A small little victory to see anything organic in Nordstroms, but not the thing I was looking for.

When I went into J Crew, there were a lot of items that looked as if they might be sustainable, but again when I asked, nothing actually was. That was a recurring frustration... items that had a green style, without actually being green. The saleswoman there was very nice and said that there had been a lot of people asking for sustainable products lately. I felt a little better that she at least knew what I was talking about, but still was depressed that not one item in that huge store was organic.

In store after store I was pointed to the store's "natural" products, otherwise known as cotton. I did not take the time to explain how unnatural conventionally grown cotton is, or at least how unnatural I find it to be. I suppose I could have, but I didn't. Maybe I should have, but I didn't want to get into it that day, and most salespeople I met didn't seem as if they'd be very receptive anyway.

When I finally got to Levis, they were all very nice and recognized me, which made me wonder if they were just a really good sales staff, or if nobody but me was coming in and buying the organic Levis. Hopefully not the latter. In any case, I got Ginger's jeans and another pair of skinny organic jeans for myself.

So, other than Levis, there were slim organic pickins at the mall, not a big surprise, but disappointing anyway.

When I finally got out of the mall, the warm March weather gave me a little summer longing, so I went online to look for some summer clothes. I found some organic shorts at the title nine store along with some cute hemp sneakers. Neither of these products were very clearly marked as sustainable and organic in their naming, and as far as I could tell there were not more sustainable products on the site. It is hard to know, since you can't tell by quickly browsing, but have to click on individual items to read the material descriptions.

Enticed by Design: Terra Plana

Another NYC find - this Terra Plana leather bag at United Nude. A steal at $75.

Officially, purses and shoes are exempt from our New Year's Resolution to buy only organic or sustainable clothing. But we had seen Terra Plana shoes on the Internet and were impressed by their aim "to be the most innovative and sustainable designer shoe brand in the world". So when we passed the United Nude Shop we had to go in and check out what Terra Plana shoes looked and felt like up close. The shoes were unique and desirable, but it was this purse that really grabbed my attention.

I was drawn to its simple shape, clean lines, and attention to detail. It's functional too - holds my laptop, cell phone and I-pod neatly, while having a few extra pockets for other items. The leather is vegetable tanned so that no chromium (a compound considered by the EPA to be highly toxic to humans and a probable carcinogen) is in its environmental footprint. And most of the remaining materials, such as the fabric on the handles and shoulder pad, are recycled from other discarded products.

So while I wasn't required by our pledge to buy only an organic or sustainable purse, Terra Plana enticed me by design to widen the scope of my resolve! And that feels as great as it looks!

Tees at the Supemarket

What not to Wear? How about diuron, naled, s,s,s-tributyl phosphorotrithioate, dicfol and aldicarb, some of many chemicals used on conventionally grown cotton that are considered PAN (pesticide action network) Bad Actor pesticides, because they are known to be carcinogens, reproductive or developmental toxicants, have high acute toxicity, are neurotoxics or pollute groundwater. None of which are making me so excited about cozying up to the cheap target tee I often wear to sleep in.

So, I was psyched to find some reasonably priced organic tees for $29 at Whole Foods. Green Label Organic makes sweatshop free, low impact dyed, 100% organic cotton tees in both men's and women's cuts. I chose one with a hummingbird, and one with a skull design that says Live Green or Die. It is generally not my style to wear shirts with a political message, or any message, but I liked the design so I went with it anyway. Some of their designs are a little crunchy for my taste, and most carry a message, but the messages are good. Be sure to check out the BUMMER tee.

I love Loomstate as a company and really like their tees, but they come in at a pricier $49-$59 range. The styles are nature inspired, but generally sans anything that could be construed as dogmatic. Though they are expensive, you can often find them on sale at places like BlueFly. Currently I haven't found any of their tees at Bluefly, but they have some great Loomstate jeans on sale for $59.

In theory, I like to try to buy and support the organic brands before they go on sale, but some items can feel prohibitively expensive. If I am going to buy things on sale, I should probably make an effort to buy from companies like greenloop, who only sell sustainable clothing, instead of places like Bluefly that sell everything. But I'm not going to beat myself up over the occaisional on-sale Edun eluxury purchase.

More Vintage Finds

A week has flown by since our trip to NYC - high time I shared my finds!

Like Jen, I fell in love with Hairy Mary's. Though I wasn't as lucky as Jen was fit-wise with the georgeous dresses made from vintage fabrics (jealous!!), I did find a couple of classic vintage items that I am sure will become staples in my wardrobe.

The first is a vintage 70's guaze and lace blouse that quenched my winter's thirst for something sweet for the summer. At $45, its a bit more than I would have paid in 1975 (when $45 was all I could earn from nine nights of babysitting), but in terms of sustainability, that's only $1.50 a year for its 30 years of charming style. A real bargain when you think of it that way! Besides, I would only have to babysit one night these days to recoup my expense! And I get to enjoy a beautiful garment that is new to me all the while triggering happy memories of my first pairs of big bell Levi's and Earth shoes, and my first Led Zeppelin album...something a lot of the 70's inspired new fashions attempt to do, but not nearly as authentically. If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving...this shirt!

My second purchase from Hairy Mary's is the belt shown above. It was hand made by a mysterious NYC local who left it there and disappeared. So I don't think it qualifies as vintage, but I think it qualifies as sustainable since it was locally handmade. OK so it is black and I say I never wear black. That is mostly true, but every now and then, someone gives me a black or gray gift in the form of a shirt or sweater, and it would be unsustainable for me NOT to wear them right? But without the appropriate accessories, like the essential black leather belt, the items just sit in my closet. Now I get to break them out. And you will get to enjoy how pasty pale, but uber chic I will look in them!

How used?

It seems as if buying used or vintage clothing is the most sustainable way to go if you want to have the least amount of environmental impact. This is a great interim solution for a lot of the problems that the apparel industry causes for the environment, but it relies on the assumption that lots of people are going to discard lots of items way before they are used up. I know many people who have been excited by a barely used purchase, found at a good price, myself included. I recently was pretty psyched about a wool sweater I scored at Savers for $4. It was as if it hadn't been worn at all. I remember seeing the same sweater new at Nordstroms within the last year. I should feel great about that, right? But what it really points to is a not very well thought out original purchase.

I am all for organic, used and reclaimed materials, but maybe the first step towards purchasing with greener intentions is to really consider the quality and life of the purchase and consider if you will want to wear it for years to come. I purchased a sundress in 1992, that was more than likely not very environmentally manufactured. That said, it could possibly be one of my most environmentally sound purchases because I have worn it many times every summer since then. It is starting to get a little shabby, and I wouldn't wear it to a nice dinner, but it is still perfect to hang out in all afternoon in the sweltering heat. I wouldn't want to purchase the same dress made by the same manufacturer today, because there are much better methods to make a dress, but I hope that I can try to use a little more foresight with my purchases to find things that I won't be sick of by the end of the year.

This said, I am a little torn about a consignment shop I love here in Providence. The owner is nice and does a great job editing her selection of clothing she. Unfortunately, she requires that clothes are from the last couple years, if you want to consign. This does mean that she carries a lot of current and trendy items, but it also means she is encouraging more rampant thoughtless consumerism. I am torn because it is better that the items be used then discarded, but the person consigning is being "rewarded" for buying new items often and then selling them off before they are anywhere near the end of their useful life.

Other vintage or consignment stores that don't promote the same 2 year old time limit can theoretically exercise better environmental practices while still allowing a little more flexibility. They have more of a grand clothing swap vibe. It is possible that you could buy a used item, take care of it and wear it for a few years and then donate or consign it for something else that is new to you.

I am a big fan of clothing swaps, you just need to make sure you start chatting up some friends about your size to invite. Unfortunately, I am a gigantor, so it doesn't happen that often.

Anyone that knows me, knows I'm guilty of pretty much everything I mentioned, but I am trying to reform. I am also trying to rethink things that I have always taken as positive, like used=good. Check out Rusty Zipper for all kinds of used and vintage finds.