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!

Tips for traveling light (stylishly) wherever you may roam.

Anyone who has ever tried to haul oversize suitcases along city streets, onto buses and trains, or up the stairs of a subway platform is well acquainted with the less glamorous side of travel. There are the sweat-stains, the fear of being mugged whilst carrying everything you own, the inopportune dropping of documents, and the desperate search for somebody, anybody, to help you carry your baggage up the stairs.

You’ll often hear globetrotters extol the benefits of packing light, priding themselves on the ability to pack only a modest carry on, whether going away for three days or three weeks.

Recently, I’ve come to realize the benefits not only of packing light, but of living light as well. For the past eight months, through different seasons, continents and hemispheres, I’ve lived only with the contents of my trusty Samsonite bag. Other than the few boxes of sentimental paraphernalia currently gathering dust at my parents’ house, I have little else in the way of worldly possessions.

My stint of extended suitcase living – of which there is no end in sight for the foreseeable future – has been a liberating exercise. At home, I’ve always struggled to minimize my belongings, donate the things I don’t need, and only make conscious purchases. On the road, those practices have effortlessly become a requirement of my existence.

While lugging all your belongings on your back is an impressive demonstration of minimalism, it’s a slightly less challenging one when it’s completely acceptable to look, well, like a seasoned backpacker.

Instead, I have appeared to the outside world as a stable member of society, rather than the quasi-transient one that I actually am. Meetings, interviews, weddings, and dinner parties have all been attended in appropriate and stylish, dress. The best part about this has been proving to myself that living with this kind of simplicity is not only possible, it’s preferred. And somehow, my life seems richer for it.

Shopping is rarely on the list of priorities these days, which is a boon for my bank account. When I do buy something, it’s usually of a higher quality, because I buy things less often. The house wares section of stores – the part that sells things like salad bowls, plush bath towels and scented candles – seems humorously irrelevant to me. In short, when the weight of your material possessions can’t exceed 23 kg, it leaves a whole lot of room for everything else in life.

With that said, there are a few tricks to mastering this spartan sense of style. Fortunately, none of them involve Teva sandles or convertible pants.

• Find a good blazer- a fitted jacket can make even the simplest outfit look sharp. A black or navy blazer does triple duty – wear it to a meeting, over a cocktail dress, or with jeans and a t-shirt on a long flight – and no one will suspect you have no permanent address.
• Don’t get attached- Each time I’m about to move on to a new place, I take careful stock of what I’m actually going to use while there. When I realized I probably wasn’t going to need a pair of chunky (and heavy) platforms while exploring Asia and Africa, my roommate in London happily took them off my hands. It’s important to get rid of stuff responsibly though – don’t just throw it away. There are almost always local charity shops, thrift stores, or perhaps even some appreciative locals who might be happy to acquire some of your stuff.
• Neutral, but not boring- Any list of packing tips will stress packing with a neutral color pallet in mind. While this is certainly a prudent tip, dressing in heather gray, beige and black can get pretty boring when you’re doing it for months at a time. I like to collect colorful scarves and sarongs when I’m traveling – my favorite piece being a green patterned sarong I bought on a beach in Kenya – because they add interest to outfits, can be worn in multiple ways, and don’t weigh much. I also try to keep the weight of fabrics in mind: heavy knits like sweaters or denim should be neutral, because they’re worn the most, while color can be added with light items like linen sun dresses and silk tops.
• Think about what you’re accumulating- When you’re traveling or living in new places, it’s natural to want to buy stuff. But the weight of those funky wooden beads you bought from the street hawker or those quirky vintage tins you found in that antique market add up. I once watched a roommate pack and find she had accumulated three times the baggage weight allowance for her flight back to Brazil. Don’t think that just because something is cheap and novel that it’s worth buying.

To be fair, there is some sacrifice involved in suitcase living, missing my French press coffee maker and wishing I had a bicycle are two. However, I’ve found in recent months that what I’m lacking in stuff, I more than make up for in the experiences I’m accumulating.

Luckily, I don’t think the airlines will be limiting the weight of those anytime soon.

Flickr: kthread

Pretty images are like crack. I can’t look away. I can’t stop clicking on page after page, link after link, saving many of them to peek at later, surreptitiously, like something forbidden. The thing is, they kind of are. Because seeing all of these beautiful things on a daily basis – dresses, jewelry, lanterns, pillowcases, even stupid things like paperweights – make me want to collect. To spend. To accumulate. Groan. Am I once again buying things I don’t need?

I blame the internet.

For example, something wonderful arrived in my inbox yesterday: an invitation to join Pinterest. Not only is Pinterest a personal online ‘inspiration wall’, a place to digitally ‘pin up’ things you love, whether items of clothing, pretty hairstyles or simply images that strike a chord – it’s a feast for the eyes. A dangerous one. Take a look and tell me you don’t sigh and ooh and covet.

Having just recently joined Polyvore, the site that lets you arrange items from practically any store on the internet into lovely little ensembles, and inevitably falling into hour after hour (oh man, I really just revealed something about myself there, didn’t I?) of browsing the images created by others, I feel myself wanting. Me, a woman who just sold or donated three-quarters of her possessions to be free of the burden of too much stuff. A woman with a somewhat austere, carefully edited closet of matching items that can be worn in as many seasons as possible.

The last time I brutally culled a dozen blouses, skirts and dresses I told myself that from then on, each individual item I added to my wardrobe would have to earn its place.

But… look at that perfect little black dress… oh, and the way it’s complemented by those vintage mustard-yellow heels… and wouldn’t they both be set off to utter perfection by that eggplant wristlet? A simple pendant of rough violet-hued quartz on a long brass chain would pull it all together… Sigh. Just. Stop. Already.

And then there are all the other sources of sartorial temptation. My browser bookmarks are packed with blogs curated by enviably stylish people, like Kathleen and Hannah and Tamera (whose musings on digitally-induced desire inspired this post). Street style blogs like Lookbook.nu give me all sorts of ideas for possible additions to my closet.

It’s not just clothes. I have folder after folder on my Macbook of beautiful interiors, and get caught up in online shelter mags that make me want to get rid of everything I own and start from scratch with a newly acquired aesthetic that will change again in a few months, thanks to all of these pictures.

Help, I’m drowning in beauty, and I just clicked Add to Cart.

Of course, it’s possible to still feel this nagging sense of want without the internet. For centuries we have walked down main streets in cities all over the world and peered into store windows and wished or perhaps purchased. And we are surrounded by advertisements that are designed to provoke a lust for material things.

But the internet has opened up a whole new world of temptation. It exposes us to objects and styles that we might never have seen otherwise. And it makes it so damn easy to track those things down, to have them in a cardboard box on the doorstep within days.

Does this promote the problem of overconsumption, or pave the way for more considerate purchasing? It certainly has the curious effect of lowering that all-important number on my bank statements. There’s a reason I’ve become a clothes nazi: I’m planning to build and live in a tiny house (a plan that has been delayed but is nonetheless still on). Piles of possessions are out, edited is in.

The solution? Self-control, of course – which is not as easy as it sounds. In this digital age of imagery overload it’s easy to feel unfashionable. Plus, I work online all day, so the exposure never ends.

Temptation is tough. I will still save all of those pretty pictures, if only because I so enjoy looking at them, and because inspiration is a precious thing. But rather than treating it like a buffet of goods beckoning me to buy, buy, buy, I hope I can learn to value them more consciously.

The fashion industry is facing many challenges, but one of the most pressing issues is water usage.  The textile industry is the third largest consumer and polluter of the world’s water. Water consumption is a huge problem for growing fibers such as the ever-thirsty cotton plant, with nearly 400 gallons of water required to produce just one cotton t-shirt.

Waste water is conceivably an even bigger issue than consumption. Toxic chemicals produced from dyeing textiles, along with other chemicals such as those used to produce synthetics, are contributing to a major crisis in pollution of fresh water, affecting the health of a number of species, including humans.  (Read The Consequences of Chemicals, Future Fashion White Papers).

Heavy metals such as chromium and cadmium, which are used to make bright and vibrant dyes, pose a threat wherever they appear in a product lifestyle, particularly the use of the dye in dye wastewater. Air Dye is a revolutionary technology that dyes textiles without using any water. Not only are they reducing the overall amount of water required to produce a garment, but this technology also prevents toxic chemicals from entering our ecosystems.

Some manufacturers work in closed-loop production, which means that the waste or effluent produced is treated and re-used, reducing the amount of toxic waste normally disposed of into the ecosystem.  The company Lenzing is a great example, with their fabrics modal and  tencel, made from a wood pulp much like bamboo (which has yet to be manufactured in a closed-loop environment).

But so much attention has been given to the energy, chemicals and water that go into making a garment that what many people don’t realize is the majority of the environmental damage comes once a garment has been purchased. The energy and water required to wash a garment has far more devastating effects than the growing of the raw materials and the manufacturing of the textiles. Surprising? Not really when you consider that the average piece of clothing lasts three years, and is laundered hundreds of times in its lifetime.

The average North American household washes 400 loads of laundry per year. This accumulated number of washes requires 13,500 gallons of water to complete, and is equivalent to how much water it takes to fill a standard above-ground pool!

The first steps towards recovering from our water addiction begin with wearing our clothes several times before washing. But once we get to a full laundry basket that is truly in need of a wash, there are a few basic tips to help you get started on eco-friendly and budget-smart laundering habits.

1) Wash your clothes in cold water: An interesting fact – using only hot water for washing your clothes uses more electricity in a year than leaving the refrigerator door open 24 hours a day for an entire year. Cold water is the best alternative, as it not only reduces fabric shrinkage, but it allows colors to remain vibrant. So your clothes will fit and last longer AND you’ll reduce your carbon emissions by 500 pounds a year!

2) Wash full loads: Washing machines are most efficient when operating at capacity. Take advantage of your washing machine’s full potential and load it up. Your budget will thank you for it.

3) Use the right amount and type of detergent: When doing a load of laundry do you use the cap size as an indicator of the amount of detergent you should use? If so, odds are you are using way too much laundry detergent than what is actually needed. The amount you use should reflect the guiding lines on the inside of the cap. Here’s a great article on Treehugger with more information.

Another helpful hint is to look for phosphate-free detergents. Phosphates are the leading chemical agent in algal blooms and a major cause of aquatic ecosystem depletion. Also, instead of fabric softeners, try using white vinegar in the rinse cycle. The acid vinegar will neutralize the basic detergents and as a result will help keep your clothes looking clean.

4) Consider an Energy-Star rated washer: Gone are the days of scrubbing our laundry by hand down at the lake. If you’re in the market to replace your washing machine, consider a more cost effective one. An Energy-Star or front-loading washing machine can save thousands of liters of water a year and be 30 – 85% more energy efficient.

Image above from Costello Tagilapietra’s 2009 show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week featuring Air Dye technology.

Related posts: Nifty Eco-Friendly Laundry Tricks Worth Trying
Eco Laundry Drying Secrets Revealed
Squeeze Em’ Into Any Teeny Tiny Space Laundry Racks
10 Myths About Dry Cleaning
Dry Clean Only? An Eco Expert Tells Us When It’s Safe to Ignore Labels

We recently had Peter Ingwersen, founder of Noir on record, saying, “Technology will save us all. I think that man-made fibers are truly amazing and will be the new hot thing in eco-materials. We will all need to overcome our prejudice that natural made fibers are more eco-friendly.”

Not to worry, Peter, you know as well as I do that there are mad scientists, I mean pioneers, out there pushing the boundaries for all kinds of fabrics. Take this new one made from tea, of all things.

The fabric is grown in a soup of green tea, sugar and other nutrients, over the course of several days. Bacteria is then added to the solution to produce “long filaments of cellulose that clump together to form thin mats of fabric that float on the top of the mixture. Once dried, this becomes become see-through and similar in appearance to papyrus. However, it can be treated, dyed and molded to produce different textures and effects,” says the UK’s Daily Telegraph.

The project is led by Suzanne Lee, a senior research fellow and designer at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, who has already used the material to make clothes. This has inspired Professor Paul Freemont and Professor Alexander Bismarck, materials experts at Imperial College in London who are furthering research on the fabric “using synthetic biology techniques by introducing the genes needed to produce these cellulose sheets into other bacteria.” More details are outlined on the project’s website, Bio-Couture.

There’s just one problem: While the fabric is extremely tough, apparently it really stinks.

“It doesn’t have a very nice smell at the moment though because it is produced by bacteria, but we are trying to overcome that. There is still some way to go before it can be used as a standard item in the high street,” says Freemont. “These are projects we need to think about because of the impending resource shortages we face and one thing we are not short on is bacteria.”

How refreshing?

Image from Bio-Couture

Kids grow up so quickly, and a great green way to keep up with their constantly changing clothing size is to wield your craftiness and upcycle what you already have on hand to fashion darling garments for them. From cheery dresses made from pillowcases, vintage tablecloths, and daddy’s old button-down shirts, to a cardigan made from a flour sack, here are seven ingenious examples of designers upcycling what you’d least expect to create showstopping wardrobe staples for little ones.

Vintage Tablecloth Sets a New Standard as a Gorgeous Dress for Girls

The dress seen at the top of this post was fashioned from a vintage 1950′s tablecloth! The next time your tablecloth gets an indelible stain, consider repurposing it into a sweet summer dress for your daughter.

Vintage Ties Upcycled into One-of-a-Kind Onesies

Your little guy can mix business with pleasure by wearing one of these tiesies to his next formal event, or just to be hip on a daily jaunt! This organic cotton bodysuit features a vintage tie applique that is sure to cause heads to turn, and lots of cooing from admirers.

A Pillowcase Becomes a Bright & Cheery Dress

Your daughter really could make anything look adorable, as evidenced by this pillowcase dress. Who knew bedsheets could look so amazing outside the boudoir? Once you update or redecorate your bedroom, don’t throw old sheets to the wind. Make them into clothing instead!

Upcycled Knits Turn Patchwork Girl’s Dress

Do you have a ton of t-shirts tucked away? Piece them together into a patchwork dress of various colorful knits, as seen here in this upcycled ‘Pocka Pookah Posies’ Soren Dress. This is also a great way to preserve the memories often tied to T-shirt purchases, on a snipped scale.

Upcycling Mens’ Button Down Shirts into Girls’ Summer Dresses

Father’s Day is around the corner, and the dresses above were created from daddy’s button-down dress shirts. If the dad in your house has retired some of his duds, what cuter way to celebrate his day of honor than by dressing his little girl in one of his shirts, by turning it into a dress?

Woman’s Skirt Twirls into a Knot Dress for Girls

Speaking of cast-off clothing. We all have funky patterned skirts hanging around that we’re never going to wear again! Turn yesteryear’s fashion blunder into today’s fabulous dress for your daughter. Can you believe this knot dress was upcycled from a woman’s skirt?

A Summer Cardigan Cooked Up from Reclaimed Flour and Seed Sacks

One of the most impressive upcycling feats yet, these handcrafted, one-of-a-kind enchanting summer cardigans were made from reclaimed flour and feed sacks!

Inspiration is in the materials all around us. Before purchasing clothing for your kids, consider upcycling the fabrics in your home to create clothing as unique and original as your child.

Images: Blue Eyed Betty, Chirp and Bloom, The Measure

There’s no escaping it, laundry is a fact of life. Before you toss your next load of whites in the washer, take a look at these five planet-friendly laundry gizmos that claim to go easy on the environment while cleaning your skivvies.

Wonder Ball – According to the manufacturer, this spherical “proprietary blend of minerals and magnetics” reduces the surface tension of the water to allow the gadget to deep clean clothing fibers. It can be used with laundry detergent, or on its own with just water. It works in hard or soft water and will last you about 2,000 washes.

Dryer Balls – What’s good for the washer, is good for the dryer. Several companies make dryer balls, little orbs that you toss in the dryer clothes to keep your clothes from sticking together, so they dry more quickly. Apparently these little doo-dads can reduce drying time up to 25 percent. Who knew?

Static Eliminator Eco Dryer Sheets – Unlike chemical-laden disposable dryer sheets, these reusable alternatives can be used up to 500 times. The hypoallergenic fabric draws static electricity away from garments and whisks away clingy pet hair while tumbling around the dryer.

Soapnuts – Dried fruit gets your clothes clean? Evidently so. Soapnuts are actually the the fruit produced by a particular type of Himalayan tree. Once harvested, they’re de-seeded, dried, and packaged as a natural, organic alternative to standard laundry detergents.

Have you ever tried any of these laundry products? What did you think? Let us know in the comments. And for drying tips, don’t miss these eco drying secrets.

Images: Pretty in Print

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Wonder Ball – According to the manufacturer, this spherical “proprietary blend of minerals and magnetics” reduces the surface tension of the water to allow the gadget to deep clean clothing fibers. It can be used with laundry detergent, or on its own with just water. It works in hard or soft water and will last you about 2,000 washes.

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Dryer Balls – What’s good for the washer, is good for the dryer. Several companies make dryer balls, little orbs that you toss in the dryer clothes to keep your clothes from sticking together, so they dry more quickly. Apparently these little doo-dads can reduce drying time up to 25 percent. Who knew?

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Static Eliminator Eco Dryer Sheets – Unlike chemical-laden disposable dryer sheets, these reusable alternatives can be used up to 500 times. The hypoallergenic fabric draws static electricity away from garments and whisks away clingy pet hair while tumbling around the dryer.

• «
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
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Soapnuts – Dried fruit gets your clothes clean? Evidently so. Soapnuts are actually the the fruit produced by a particular type of Himalayan tree. Once harvested, they’re de-seeded, dried, and packaged as a natural, organic alternative to standard laundry detergents.

Have you ever tried any of these laundry products? What did you think? Let us know in the comments. And for drying tips, don’t miss these eco drying secrets.

Images: Pretty in Print

Gretchen Jones

Gretchen Jones designs MothLove, a rural, western roots inspired line using organic and natural fabrics. Jones tells me that her musings linger from the romantic 1970s aesthetic. Based on minimal and conceptual art principles, MothLove is “ethereal and sexy in its very simplicity.” Bohemian in lifestyle and design, Jones aims to consciously create modern and sustainable designs. In addition, nearly all Jones’ fabrics are environmentally conscious.

Aysia Wright

Aysia Wright is the founder of Greenloop, an online shopping site providing sustainable fashion made by conscientious companies who are committed to environmental stewardship and social responsibility. An eco-prener at heart, Wright also founded Project Green Search in 2009, which is a campaign aimed to, among other things, inspire people to align their careers with their environmental, social and humanitarian ethics. Wright tells me her personal style is “too casual to qualify (as an ecofashionista), but I enjoy styling others and supporting those designers and brands working based on a triple bottom line principle, grounded in good design.”

Anna Griffin

As Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Coco Eco Magazine, Anna Griffin’s philosophy is simple. As she shares with EcoSalon, “I knew when I launched Coco Eco that there were many women in the world who, given the choice, would choose ethically. What’s exciting is the growth in information, demand, and availability as consumers now take interest in what they are spending on, and where it has come from.” Griffin points out the days of burlap and sandals are long gone, as wearing eco fashion becomes chic and sustainable brands become ever more fashion forward.

Tracey Forrest

Tracey Forrest owns and runs True Collaborative Fashion, a Portland based showroom that represents independent fashion designers with a conscience. As Tracey explains, “We are not out to save the world, we just like working with companies that try to do things a little better.” The True Collaborative Fashion designers aim to manufacture locally in sweatshop free shops with fair labor practices, use environmentally friendly materials, when available, and help build communities through locally owned small business.

Josie Maran

Josie Maran has modeled for Glamour and Sports Illustrated, and she has appeared in films like The Aviator and Van Helsing. Now, she’s a budding eco-entrepreneur whose eponymous cosmetic line is one of the best on the market. Josie Maran Cosmetics is made up of a 70-piece line for eyes, lips, cheeks, skin and more.  It is free of parabens, toxins and petrochemicals, and it contains a large percentage of natural and organic ingredients.

Jasmin Malik Chua

Jasmin Malik Chua is managing editor of Ecouterre, a new site about sustainable fashion brought to us by Inhabitat. But as she modestly tells me, “I’m not a fashion plate by any stretch of the imagination.” Malik Chua favors understated, classic silhouettes that stand the test of time rather than the hot trend du jour. She believes choosing low-impact and preloved fabrics is important, but adds that “building a wardrobe with well-constructed pieces that you’ll relish wearing for years to come is truly sustainable.” You can follow her on Twitter @jasminchua.

Kelly Drennan

Kelly Drennan is the founder of Fashion Takes Action – a social enterprise with a mission to empower the fashion industry with the tools and resources necessary to become sustainable. Despite working as a fashion and lifestyle publicist for more than eight years, Kelly nourishes her inner hippie. An eco-mom to two young daughters, Kelly is inspired to get involved. As she tells it, “We all wear clothes. And if we can each change our shopping behavior – even just in terms of being mindful of the materials used, who makes our clothing, and where, then collectively we can really make a difference.” You can follow Kelly on Twitter @ecofashionista.

Kate McGregor

Kate McGregor owns and runs Kaight, an eco-boutique located in the heart of New York City. She founded Kaight in 2006 to satisfy her own cravings for beautiful, stylish clothing and accessories made from organic and sustainable materials. As she tells me, “It has been an incredible journey and I’m thrilled that more and more attention is being devoted to being conscientious.” Kate also writes for the store blog.

EcoSalon has praised the benefits of buying less this holiday season. At the same time, why not clean out your closets and give up what you don’t use so that someone who needs clothing and toys can benefit?

Modern Mom did a post on what they called Project Giveaway – which is an ideal way to describe what is going on in my own home as I rummage through closets, bagging what doesn’t fit and what we don’t wear. I must do it while my kids are at school because they are creatures of habit who cling to old items for nostalgia’s sake. They have put up a big fuss any time we have joined neighborhood yard sales and it has taken much cajoling to convince them to part with what they don’t use. They are generous kids with great core values but my 10-year-old likes to insist, “I’m saving that for my children!”

Follow my lead and spend a few hours this week allowing retired items to come out of the closet. An indicator you have too much?

“Drawers are usually overfilled and it is hard to find what you actually own,” I’m told by professional San Francisco organizer, Molly Coomber, who helps people get a jump start on what can be a daunting task.

For some, it’s a question of what to give away and how. I’m pretty ruthless about that, dispensing rather easily with what I think someone else could use. For those who struggle more, women like Beth Berliner of Revamp offer closet makeovers. Berliner’s service basically overhauls the contents of home closets helping busy people make the best use of what they do own.

“It’s the idea of being green and recycling and utilizing clothes that are part of your wardrobe in a different way,” Berliner explains. “I think you should get rid of what hasn’t been worn in years and what is not flattering to your body, which obviously changes over years.”

Berliner finds once you have cleared out ill fitting and outdated blouses, shoes and jeans, you are left with what really works for you.

“You end up with more because you can see what you have and you can pull more when getting dressed and save time weeding through your closet,” she says. “Taking stock of what is in there sets up a working wardrobe.”

I love the afterglow of weeding out, and I think an edited closet and toy shelves allow my children to be reintroduced to items they forgot that they owned.

In terms of what to take out, you can separate out garments  that are too small and have no sentimental value. Obviously, you aren’t going to toss out that first birthday dress or first copy of Good Night Moon, but if it has no sentimental value, kiss it goodbye.

I first donate to friends who can use the hand-me-downs and give away the bulk to various charities in my city, including the ARC, which offers  a household recycling pick up of clothing, furniture, toys and books and other household items you wish to donate. Many similar organizations abound nationwide, and are eager to collect during the holiday period. Warm weather clothing, especially,  is so appreciated this time of year.

You can also consign your clothing at many boutiques, such as Designer Consigner and the Junior League’s  Next-to-New Shop in San Francisco. Some of them pay as much as 50% on items sold and donate what doesn’t sell. Some also give percentages of their proceeds to good causes such as cancer research.

Be sure to ask for a receipt for the tax benefit of giving non-monetary items in 2009. Hey, it is just one more incentive for playing Project Giveaway. The biggest incentive for me is that cleaning out means less to contend with, and it feels so good.

Main Image: Liz Marie