VideoHave you really thought about what happens in those factories?

Who makes your clothes? This EcoSalon exclusive video by Ace Salisbury and designer Eliza Starbuck takes a look at that very question, and with the help of animated character Buttons the Cat, makes it clear that sometimes humor makes it easier to put things into perspective.

We love the art of storytelling, so every week we bring you a video that has been making the rounds at EcoSalon. Enjoy!

7 great color combinations to best suit your mood.

Thomas Carlyle, British essayist of the 19th century, wrote “If the cut of the costume indicates intellect and talent, then the color indicates temper and heart.” To which we heartily agree. But how best mix and match your wardrobe for your mood? Check out these seven color combinations that you just might feel a connection to.

Sage and Sapin
We asked Alice Wu, co-founder and co-designer of sustainable line Feral Childe, to weigh in on some of her favorite color combos. As Alice told us “I love piling on different shades of the same color – like making an outfit with Kelly green, forest green and turquoise all at once.” MWA_MWA of Chictopia went for a monochromatic yet startlingly dramatic look, pairing two similar and yet contrasting shades of green.

Pink and Red
Alice also told us, “for a more subtle effect, you can just go tonal, with a dusty pink and deep red.” Zoe Saldana did just that in this dress by Parbal Gurung.

Silver and Gold
Feeling ready to glow? Consider matching metallics such as silver and gold. Heidi Klum made a bold, shimmery statement at Elton John’s post-Oscar party in a dress from Julien MacDonald’s fall 2009 collection.

Orange and Hot Pink
Consider color blocking in bright, vibrant colors to make a bold statement. Joanna Larido of Chictopia paired this hot pink skirt with an orange sheer top.

Red and Blue
What to make a bold statement? Think about loud, contrasting colors to give a shout-out to your brave personality. Doucette Duvall gives us this adorable piece made from 70% “rescued” materials.

Maroon and Aquamarine
Junebabie from Chictopia paired this maroon sheer skirt with a vintage aquamarine blouse. The color combination is startling yet utterly chic.

Brown and Blue
This sustainable peace silk tunic comes from silk harvested humanely in India from a silkworm-sparing technique. Using vegetable dyes, its contrasting color combo brings light against dark in a funky, fun manner.

Flickr/stawarz

Come closer, gentle reader, for I have a confession: I’ve been known to totally ignore “dry clean only” labels. Dry cleaning is expensive and in a lot of cases, not eco-friendly, so I prefer to hand wash and air-dry my delicates. Yup, I’m a clothes drying renegade (just ask my boyfriend after he’s walked into the bathroom and discovered sweaters drying on every available surface). Of course, this creates some challenges, since I don’t have any outdoor space for a clothesline.

Fortunately for me (and the rest of you apartment-dwellers), there are loads of options for drying racks to fit all types of spaces. Here are five of my faves:

1. D-Rack Clothes Drying Rack
   One of the cool things about this drying rack is that it can be mounted to a wall, the back of a door, or be free-standing. It also allows for lots of different configurations depending on your needs.
2. Leifheit Indoor/Outdoor Wall-Mount Dryer
   This nifty little gadget (pictured above) is versatile enough to drying clothes inside or out. It also expands to offer up to 33- linear feet of drying space!
3. Kenney ONZ Magnetic Drying Rack & Magnetic Hooks Set
   For those who are truly short on space (and have in-unit laundry), this drying rack attaches to your washer or dryer magnetically, holding shirts, dresses, and other items as they dry.
4. Lingerie Drying Rack
   Perhaps not as versatile as some of your other options, but incredibly compact, this lingerie drying rack holds up to 12 pieces and hangs in the shower or the back of a door.
5. Household Essentials 5009 Collapsible Indoor Tripod-Style Clothes Dryer
   I love how this collapsible clothes dryer has such a small foot print, yet it holds up to 36 garments at a time.

I grew up in sunny Australia where it was, and still is, normal to hang your wet laundry out to dry on an outdoors clothes line. With the luxury of space and a warm climate, most Australians either do not have a tumble dryer at all or regard it as a back-up for emergencies only. Rich or poor, city or country, culturally this is how things are commonly done.

In my mid twenties, I moved to London. Suddenly I had neither space, nor climate, on my side. My partner and I lived in one-bedroom apartments for nearly five years, with no outdoor space. As is common in London, the apartments came furnished with a front-loading washing machine in the kitchen. I had no experience with drying clothes inside in a confined space, so I might have been tempted to use a dryer had one been provided.

But none of the four London apartments we lived in came with a dryer. And it seemed that no one I knew in London had one either. Of course, tumble dryers do exist in Britain – and they are a big contributor to the nation’s greenhouse gases – but they are certainly not ubiquitous. We looked around and saw that people got by with indoor folding clothes racks and by putting clothes on the central heating radiators, backs of chairs or stair rails, so that’s what we did too. For bigger items such as sheets, we hung them over the backs of doors. My family in Scotland had a clothes pulley installed above the stairs – a clever device where an indoors clothes line is raised or lowered with a pulley system – but we never had this luxury as a renter.

Now in California, our rental home comes with a washing machine and a dryer on top. This is normal around these parts, despite the relatively warm climate and the fact that many houses have backyards. But my drying habits have stayed with me and knowing what I know now, I am not prepared to start using a tumble dryer for my clothes. Firstly, they are tremendous energy vampires – one of the most power-hungry appliances in the home. By not using a dryer I am saving money and helping the planet. Secondly, dryers are rough on your clothes and even garments that are marked as safe for the dryer will not last as long if dried this way regularly. Finally, I now know that drying your clothes naturally is really very easy, no matter the space or the climate. I might only have a two-bedroom cottage and no outdoor clothes line but if I can do it in a one-bedroom apartment, I can certainly do it in my comparatively spacious California home.

I’ve been asked to share with you some of my tricks and tips from a lifetime of doing laundry. I’m not some Martha Stewart wannabe and these are not amazing revelations that will come as news to anyone who has experience with natural clothes drying. Also, I’m not trying to lecture you about how to live your life but simply telling you what I do at home. Perhaps it will help!

My Set-Up

Obviously every home and family is different but this is our current set-up.

We have floor space in the laundry room, which gets reasonable sunlight, so we have a folding clothes rack here. It’s a wonderful luxury for us to actually have a laundry room, since we generally had the rack in the living room when we lived in London. We dry dress pants, jeans, skirts and towels (done in a separate load of course) by hanging them on the rack. Most clothes only take a day or so to dry. Jeans can take longer and may need turning over after a day to ensure air can circulate around the waistband. On an outdoor line we would hang jeans upside down and not fold them over at all, but our clothes rack is not high enough for this.

We also use the rack to peg out underwear and socks. The pegs are not strictly necessary but they do prevent the clothes falling on the floor and they allow more surface area to be exposed to air. I always sort the socks and hang them out as a pair, so they can be put away more easily and I can hunt for missing socks straight away.

We have a curtain rail in the bathroom. This was not installed especially for this purpose but since it’s there, we use it. A clothes rail on wheels would serve the same purpose if you have a convenient place to put it. We generally put shirts and t-shirts and dresses on a coat hanger and hang them on the rail in the bathroom. That way they can be transferred straight to the wardrobe when dry and, except for formal wear, they often do not require ironing.

We hang sheets over the backs of doors. It looks a bit messy but it’s one day once every few weeks (we have several sheet sets) so it’s not a big deal. I do miss an outdoor clothes line for this.

There are only two of us at present and of course this makes things easier because the laundry loads are smaller than a larger family. However, I think the biggest factor is habits and space. Based on my experience growing up and that of other families in Australia and Europe, I believe if I had an outdoor clothes line or a clothes pulley or space for several drying racks, then I could easily accommodate family-size laundry loads.

Hanging out clothes takes about five minutes so I don’t regard it as a significant amount of work. It’s not an unpleasant chore, it’s just about being in the habit of doing it this way. We might find it difficult to cope with the increased laundry with a family but only because we have a small home. We would probably want to move somewhere bigger when and if we have children anyway, for many reasons besides the demands of laundry.

Do what works for you and don’t be afraid to improvise. Even if you can’t eliminate dryer usage altogether, cutting down would benefit the environment and your wallet.

Tips

• The most important thing when you are hanging out clothes to dry is to shake them out so they are straight. Don’t hang out a shirt with the arm bunched up inside itself or it will dry crushed.
• Outside, I like to fold t-shirts over the line and peg them on the seam under the arms so the peg marks do not show. Inside, I usually put them on a hanger, like the shirts, to save space on the rack.
• The more surface area exposed to the air, the faster the clothes will dry. If you need clothes to dry quickly, peg them upside down with no doubling over. The rack has more limitations in this regard than an outdoor clothes line or pulley because it is lower to the ground.
• Hang socks in pairs. This makes it easier to sort the dry laundry and reduces missing sock syndrome.
• If you are low on pegs, you can share one peg between the edges of two different items of clothing. Any difference in drying time is marginal.

Images: alessandraelle, Living in Monrovia, bigwibble6

Buying lots of new things seems to be going out of fashion.

It’s not hard to see why – you can’t spend what you don’t have. And while we’d always advocate shelling out for the best-quality, well-priced (i.e. not super-cheap) products, there’s another way to get exactly what you want on a tight budget. It takes a little more effort – but it’s fun, creative, and it’s been popular for thousands of years. It’s bartering.

Products or services, a straight swap or a fierce haggle…bartering is an online boom industry that’s never been more timely. Where to start? Here are 20 places that will help you click your way to a new wardrobe, bookshelf or even four walls and a ceiling!

http://bookmooch.com

What’s traded? Used books – hardback, paperback, anything with pages you can turn.

How does it work? You’re earning and spending “mooch points” – earning by searching for titles, giving them to other members and telling people you’ve received what they sent you…and spending by acquiring the books you want (with a further option of making a donation to the charities Bookmooch support). It’s a system that rewards good practice – and since books fit nicely into small parcels, it operates worldwide.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/

What’s traded? Books. But in the most fun way possible.

How does it work? Welcome to one of my favorite concepts on the web – a place where books are freed into the wild, to not only contain stories but become them, as well. You register your book onto the site on its own profile, and then you write the book’s individual Book Crossing identifier and associated web address on the book’s inside cover, along with a message asking anyone holding the book to go online and register where and how they got it. Then…you take it somewhere fun, and leave it there. You update the  profile to say where you left it. And you watch. With a bit of luck, it’s the start of an amazing journey! Meanwhile, you check what books have been “freed” in your local area, and you go in search of them. Awesome fun.

http://www.craigslist.org/

What’s traded? Absolutely everything.

How does it work? It’s the daddy of all bulletin board sites, it’s the subject of a documentary, it’s permanently busy (20 billion page views a month), it’s simply everywhere…and it’s a bit of an online Wild West. Search hard enough and you’ll find what you want – but there are no safety nets here.

http://www.freecycle.org/

What’s traded? There is nothing that isn’t offered on Freecycle. It’s Life in miniature.

How does it work? We love Freecycle! Love it! Sorry, I couldn’t contain myself there. This is a colossal (4,000+ groups, 6 million+ people) network of non-profit recycling hubs, operating as online bulletin boards. Everything is given away free. You log on at key points during the day, scan down the list of offers, spot something you need and leap to the phone, hoping nobody beats you to it. It’s also a great way to shift unwanted possessions quickly, for example when you’re moving house (I got rid of a single bed in this fashion when I was at University). It’s all about what someone wants to give away for free. I’ve even seen an iBook on there – apparently snapped up in about ten seconds.

http://www.frugalreader.com

What’s traded? Books…and book-related gossip.

How does it work? It’s not just a site to swap books back and forth (you list the books you have; other people request them when you’ve posted your list; you get credit to request books yourself). It’s a reading community, with reviews, discussion forums and all sorts of lines of communication at work. That final “Relate” in the tagline is what makes it distinct from its competitors.

http://www.house4trade.com

What’s traded? Only your home, dude. No biggie.

How does it work? Obviously this is a big deal, in every sense. This site is all about permanent house trading, and so it’s really a sophisticated way of getting in contact with people – no PayPal purchasing here – but the backbone of the site is a very real Real Estate Network.

http://www.makeupalley.com/swap/

What’s traded? Well, now, this should polarize you. Fancy putting on the slightly used makeup of a stranger?

How does it work? You browse the items on offer – you find something of your own that the swapper would be willing to accept in return – and off you go. The FAQ notes that all swapped items should be cleaned with alcohol before swapping, and only unused mascara should be swapped, but even so, there will be some people who will flinch. Since there’s a feedback system and therefore an element of accountability, there’s probably little to fear. Satisfied or disappointed swappers can also air their views on a product review page.

http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php

What’s traded? Right there in the title.

How does it work? Credits, that’s how. When you successfully send away a requested book for trade, your account swells by one credit (or two, if it’s an audio book). And if you spot a book on offer, it costs you one credit to complete the process. You can also put in a standing order for a book that’s not yet available – which is unlikely, as there are over 3 million titles in there. How much media coverage has this service enjoyed? Maybe all of it.

http://www.readitswapit.co.uk/

What’s traded? Books books books.

How does it work? Running since 2003, this is a veteran of the swapping scene (but note the dot-co-dot-uk…yes, it’s Brits-only, I’m afraid). Want a particular book? You click through The Library, their swap-enabled directory of books, and you choose. The person whose book it is gets confirmation that you want to swap – and checks out what books you have on offer. If there’s a meeting of needs – swap ahoy. It’s all free – the only payment ReadItSwapIt asks for is a voluntary donation to a registered charity.

http://rehashclothes.com/

What’s traded? Clothes and books.

How does it work? Rehash is in it for the good of the environment (their recycling-style logo is a big clue). When you “rehash” (i.e. put up for swap) an item, it’s listed as a page in the site’s Trading Post hub, and people make offers that you can flick through and weigh up. Once you’ve confirmed a mutually acceptable deal, the mechanics of getting item to new owner are left completely up to you. The site also has a nice line in community-based activities and reference resources.

http://seedypeople.co.uk

What’s traded? Unwanted bags of seeds – anything from vegetables to trees.

How does it work? Unfortunately, by the looks of it, it isn’t working – there’s not much going on in that site right now. But it’s such a fun idea that I felt it worth including for the concept alone. Trading plant seeds has terrific potential (although food-related legislation might be a hurdle to clear) – and postage? Cost of a stamp.

http://www.swapace.com

What’s traded? Everything under the sun.

How does it work? Want the push & pull of a negotiated deal? This is the place for you, because you don’t swap based on existing predetermined values – you decide how much your swap is worth, by haggling (using their fancy electronic negotiation system). When you both see eye to eye, the swap can take place – accompanied with the quiet satisfaction of knowing you gave it your best shot.

http://swapcove.com/

What’s traded? In theory, anything you like, large or small. (Since it’s new, it’s still sparsely-populated).

How does it work? There are no points, no credits…it’s all about how much you think your swappable item is worth. You use this SF-based site to come to an arrangement on your terms only. It looks nice, there are plenty of great features (such as finding deals within so many miles of your home) – but right now it’s waiting for enough people to bring it alive. One to watch.

http://www.swapcycle.co.uk/

What’s traded? Anything goes, it looks like.

How does it work? If you’re in the UK, you can use it to offer goods or services by making a formal trade offer to someone, in exchange for their goods/services. If they decline, you can open an e-mail and start negotiating, or move along to a more successful attempt. Some of the offers on here are fascinating broad (“Wanted: anything with an engine in it”) and the front page is rather tatty, but it looks like a good place to check out for cars, clothes and mobile phones.

http://www.swapstyle.com

What’s traded? In a word, glam. Clothes, accessories, cosmetics, shoes.

How does it work? You build up your swapping potential by gaining a positive feedback score, so that other people can see you’re a trustworthy recipient of their fashion triumphs. You can also go for Address Verification status, which is a physical letter containing a code that once entered, confirms you’re where you say you are. Once you’re trusted and verified, you never have to wear the same thing twice and you can keep your principles intact.

http://www.swapthing.com

What’s traded? Mainly music, but generally a bit of everything in the realm of the small to medium-sized.

How does it work? This site is much more eBay-esque in that you can offer an item for swapping, but also choose to sell it, transacting via PayPal. There’s no fancy automated bartering engine behind the scenes: you create adverts, you sift through e-mails, and you move items and/or money around. It’s strictly hands-on, so if you’re a control freak, this is the one for you.

http://www.swaptree.com

What’s traded? Books, music, film & television DVDs, and video games.

How does it work? It’s all about the barcode. Input the UPC or the ISBN from the back of the item you have, and the fancymajiggery behind the scenes at Swaptree will find what items are offered for trade in return, and display them Amazon-style down the screen. What’s more, it’ll keep searching while you’re logged off, meaning you’re faced with a new list of potential swaps every time you log on. Specific to entertainment media – but brilliant at what it does.

http://www.tradeaway.com/

What’s traded? Things from the very, very small to the astounding large.

How does it work? “World’s Largest Online Barter Exchange Auction Site”, TradeAway boldly claims. It’s big, we’ll give them that, but that big? Anyway, there’s plenty to see here. Listings range from the so-brief-they-must-be-spam all the way to exhaustively detailed multimillion-dollar property offers, but the theme is bartering. It’s true: this is where hugely expensive real estate gets swapped!

http://www.u-exchange.com

What’s traded? Items big and small, including vehicles – and homes, just for the holidays.

How does it work? It’s up to you – what this site does is put you in touch with a wide range of bartering services, and provide you with a profile on which you can flag up your status (Trading or Away) – but that’s it. Less a specific service, more a gateway to lots of them.

http://www.whatsmineisyours.com/

What’s traded? Fashion!

How does it work? This site is based in Britain but most items seem to have overseas delivery as an option. As a trader, you put a detailed advert up, attach a price to it for comparative reasons, and mention what items you’re interested in acquiring in return. Then you wait for an offer, tailored to the price or your item (or perhaps attempting to haggle you down a little). Or, if you want to get even more organized, you can set up a Boutique, rather like a shop in eBay. Bags are the most popular trading item.

Useful links:

The Budget Fashionista

“Money Is Dead: Long Live Barter?” – Times Online

Image: stuartpilbrow