fashion trends 2011: Eco Friendly Clothing

Purchasing eco friendly clothing (and vintage clothes) can make a difference in our world. On this page you'll find tips on buying and wearing eco friendly fashion -- from resuable shopping bags to organic clothing to eco friendly jewelry.

So What Exactly Is Eco Friendly Clothing?

It refers to items considered to inflict no harm to our environment. Just think about it for a minute and look at the big picture. Sure, it's glamorous and exciting to buy the newest clothes and accessories from your favorite retail store but have you ever come to think about how it's impacting our earth?

By earth, I mean, the air we breathe, the water we bathe in, the animals, and the beautiful trees and flowers that makes you go "aaaah, life is beautiful".

How Clothes and Accessories Damage Our Planet

The clothes we wear are made of fabric and materials can cause great damage to both nature and people like you and I.

Because:

The chemicals farmers used to protect the textiles as they grow can harm wildlife (think about those sweet pandas), contaminate other products and get into the food we eat
The clothes we throw away take up landfill space. Most of it is hard to decompose.
The chemicals used to bleach and color textiles can damage the environment and people's health
People (even elderly and young children) who make the clothes often work in awful conditions. Most of our clothes are bought from the cheap South (like for example India, Taiwan) and the workers work hard and long for very little money. Guess how much an Indian sweat shop worker receives for a designer piece you paid 100 dollars for? A couple of cents.. a day! Resource: British fashion documentary where teenagers stayed in India for a month to experience what happens behind the scenes. I don't remember the title of it.

Making a Difference With Eco Friendly Clothing

Going green doesn't mean you should swap up your whole wardrobe with only organic clothing. Now I'm not going to chant "Save our earth" because I am guilty of buying new stuff all the time. I'm talking about making a difference even if it's just a small one.

Like for example using reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags to carry your grocery. Just imagine if 100 other people do the same, or how about 1000?

Here are a few ideas on how to be an eco-fashionista: 7 Eco Friendly Clothing Fashion Ideas

Organic Tote/ Gaiam	Reusable Shopping Bags This is the easiest way to make a difference. Instead of paying a few cents for ugly plastic bags, go green with a stylish reusable bag when going shopping. Organic bags made of 100% cotton are also a very wise option.
Handcrafted Necklace/Novica	Handcrafted Jewelry and Clothing Try eco friendly jewelry like handcrafted necklaces, bracelets, belts, shoes, etc. By buying from someone who makes their stuff themselves, you'll help reduce the toxins created when manufacturing items. Plus, handmade clothing is original.
Organic Dress/ NIMLI	Organic Clothing and Accessories Most brands today both designer and retail are dipping their toes in the water when it comes to eco friendly clothing. You can find environmentally-friendly range from organic underwear to jeans, at retailers such as Top Shop, Zara, Banana Republic.
	Vintage Clothing Looking for unique ways to expand your wardrobe? Then you can never go wrong with pre-used items. However, you can find clothes with mint condition which means that the garment was made in the old days but was never worn.Some of the widest selections of vintage clothing and used items can be found at online stores, but if you like the thrill of going on a discovery trip to your local vintage store, then by all means, do it.
Pearl necklace from Etsy	Your Mom or Grandma's Closet You have no idea how many treasures I found in my mom's jewelry box. Most of it was inherited by her mother. This is the cheapest solution to eco friendly clothing.
	Reinvent or Fix Your Clothes Do you have stuff that have been stuck in the back of your closet but haven't been able to wear? It's either broken a size too small or big, or you're just clueless on how to wear it. I say, fix it right away! Take it to your tailor, do it yourself or have your mom do it.Also try wearing it in new ways. Instead of the same outfit combinations, see if you can wear it differently.