As my friend, Sustainable Lifestyle Guru and Karmakonsum founder Christoph Harrach states, the Green Fashion movement is a web2.0 movement. He calls it “Eco2.0″. Weather it’s true or not globally, in Germany most cool green fashion labels available are sold online.

Some labels go even further and let their customers be part of their communities deciding over styles, models, and where the money spent for charity goes to. Fair Trade clothing sold over music labels, online design contests, innovative ideas are getting so normal that we don’t even react. But isn’t it great to not only decide for wearing great clothes with a conscious feel, but also being able to connect to your clothing labels within social communities? In the end social fashion is starting to mean more than organic cotton, it can meanwhile mean that you as a costumer decide how the new collection looks!

One of my German favorites here are Armed Angels, who have a radical community approach combined with high ecological and social standards of their production and Fairliebt (”Fairly in love”), who sell simple Fair Trade shirts with a strong feeling for a new community of young, conscious buyers with a dedication to great style.

An another very innovative approach has the (not German) eco-fashion surf label NVOHK, who claim to be not only community based but community managed. You get your investments in the company back in shirts. 35% of the profits goes back to the people taking part in the community.

Internationally there has been a boom of new online selling green fashion labels, online boutiques and webshops. I counted over thousand green fashion brands and designers on the internet by now. The internet is taking over our daily fashions. Styles are spotted over blogs, and dedicated online fashionistas influence their beloved fashion designers without even knowing it.

Can we say we are changing the world, just by doing the same thing we always do: sitting behind our computers pressing about 60 different buttons all the time? Yes, we can! We are just doing it. Here the social fashion revolution starts. With a simple mouse click you become a green fashion chick. And if you like, you even decide what shirt is designed to be ready for you next month…

This is a Brand New Blog on Feelgood Style, and I’m one of your Editors, so let me introduce myself. I’m an outsider here on the Feelgood Style blog: male, non-American, style activist rather than fashionist. There’s fashionistas going green and there’s greenies going stylish. I’m from the last category, and there’s less difference than one would think.

Born in The Netherlands, I moved to Berlin, Germany three years ago. I was attracted by the vibrant creative atmosphere, the melting pot of styles and cultures, and the meanwhile legendary party scene. Berlin is a city of design and individual styles. There’s no uniform dress code, generally you can wear anything and feel independent. I don’t have to shave before I buy my croissant. A good beard is even better. In the area I live there’s yuppies, Arabs, gays, punks, hippies, freaks, students and creatives all living side by side. I see more fake than real brands on the streets. I see beggars and hummers. I see Swedish fashionist(a)s Nu-Rave the city. I see young kids spraying their pieces. Just outside my door there’s a park full of parties when the sun allows it. It’s hybrid, rough, edgy, and real. That’s my style.

Living a Conscious Lifestyle

Lifestyle is strictly personal, and in the end it’s you who creates the world you live in. Since I decided to consume my food, cosmetics and clothing more conscious, I feel a lot more energetic. I consume things that have value, quality, things I can relate with. The biggest change was in the wardrobe. Clothes create who you are and how you feel. With soft, organic cotton on my body, I just feel more relaxed and meanwhile stylish. It’s an invisible expression of style, but with a great difference and strong expression of my personal lifestyle and values.

I’ve been on organic cotton farms in Uganda and Turkey, and I’ve seen several fair trade and social aid projects. I’ve been collecting information on hundreds of sweatshop free, fair trade and sustainable fashion labels and designers. Green fashion is hot, natural cosmetics are a must, social entrepreneurship is the future standard, meanwhile in fashion it still is a small market. You really need to find your way to get the best, most stylish stuff to wear. I hope we will be a great stylist for you and help you to make your style choices feel good.