Green Options

Ah, the world of fashion - what a pure pain in the butt it can be to try and keep up with trends. After over 10 years in the fashion world, I’ve found it is best to wear what makes you both comfortable and confident. As eco-concerned citizen, buying clothing and accessories made from new, sustainable fibers can be more than expensive, depending on the style you are looking for.

Buying vintage or used clothing is, possibly, more sustainable than buying new goods, whether made from green fibers or not. Finding the time to browse scores of second-hand stores can take up a whole weekend afternoon - something that most people simply cannot spare. Both Craigslist and eBay can be quite touch and go when it comes to fashionable finds, so what is a greenie to do!?

Never fear, Swango is here! Started just last year, this online shopping site has become a favorite among sustainable shoppers of all ages:

In an effort to decrease the environmental impact of consumer waste and fast fashion, 15% of Americans choose to purchase their clothes at consignment and resale stores. This saves around 2.5 billion pounds of postconsumer textile waste from entering US landfills. Swango is dedicated to furthering this trend of clothing and shoes recycling. Join us in battling the inalterable consequences of needless textile waste and helping to preserve our beautiful planet.

Always looking for the inside scoop, I recently chatted with one of Swango’s co-founders, Jeff Poulton, to get the real info on this new online fashion superstore. Keep reading for all the juicy details from our interview, including Swango’s non-profit partner, green fashion’s role in the eco-movement and more!

How did the idea for Swango come to be?

It’s almost impossible to quantify the thrill you get when you find the perfect piece of clothing at a swap meet or thrift store. Is it the price you [didn’t] pay, the fate that brought you to find an item so uniquely you, the guilty pleasure that you somehow got more-for-less?

Oh yeah, you read the subject of this post correctly … shopping, eek. The holiday gift season usually begins the day after Thanksgiving, a day which I intentionally avoid doing any buying. This year, shops and merchants are breaking out the good stuff (and the good deals) right after Halloween to try and help jump-start the economy again.

If having a gift-free holiday is not something your family would go for, why

[...]

A research team with the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) in Australia is working on a project to integrate energy-generating materials into our clothing. By simply collecting the energy in our movement, vibrations, and friction, our clothing could create enough juice to power up our mobile phone, mp3 player, etc. The Australian Defense Department awarded the team of researchers a $4.4 million grant to deem the technology feasible.

[...]

This past week, I have been immersed in the pleasing insanity that is Portland Fashion Week. Though there were not any children’s lines being shown at the event, I learned about Little Marmara while I was in town, thanks to an e-mail from founder Gabrielle Ackerman.

At Little Marmara, we believe in simple things. That we should treat the environment as we would treat ourselves. That nothing should go next

[...]

For the next week (beginning tomorrow), I will be in Portland, Oregon for their Fashion Week. Though Portland may not be a big fashion hub like New York or Paris, they do have one thing covered much better than most cities - sustainability. This year’s Portland Fashion Week is going to be the most sustainable fashion week ever, with every effort put in to make all elements of the events [...]

When a baby is born, it is so pure and natural, yet will soon be exposed to all of the harsh chemicals of the modern world. It is true that babies are exposed to some toxins in utero and through breastmilk, but this exposure is limited and mostly out of the control of parents. What is in the control of new parents are the kind of products they use on their baby,

[...]

I hope this is of interest. Please contact me for more info…Jerry

 I hope this is of interest to all. please contact me for more info….Jerry
 

The world’s most imperative fashion invention of all time (or at least one of the top five) has to be denim jeans. Somehow, since its nearly 200 years of being invented, manufacturers have made it unthinkably difficult to find that "just right" fit. Once you begin adding in the factors of sustainable fabrics and Fair Trade practices, your brand options become even more limited, in turn restricting your chances of finding

[...]

It’s October, and the cool temperatures here in San Francisco have begun to set in. Trying to live as green a life as possible, I have been resisting the urge to turn on a heater; simply opening the blinds and having the sun shine in has a similar effect.

Next, layers are key and making sure the extremities are covered (i.e. hands and feet). Buying a new pair of slippers has

[...]

Ghouls, goblins, and tasty goodies are just around the corner. That’s right, Halloween is now just a month away - have you decided on your costume yet? If not, your green style maven is here to help with two collections of affordable, easy-to-make outfits for both adults and kids, care of Ms. Martha Stewart. For the younger tots, 7 Grocery Getups features hula dancers, a cheerleader, cowboy, princess, flapper girl,

[...]