- Eco Fashion Book Over-Dressed
In the age of the iPad, instant messaging and digital dreaming, it’s easy to overlook the value of the humble book. But who doesn’t love turning over the well worn pages of a classic, scribbling notes in the margins as thoughts tumble out at whim, and having a tangible treasure to hold on to through generations?
Eco-fashion, once seen as the sidebar of the fashion industry, is now a literary subject in its own right, and there are a range of new titles to keep you sustainably stylish. Whether you are after a history of the good and green elements of the industry, a how to guide on DIY fashion, or a personal account of how fashionistas can transform into conscious consumers, these gems will have you covered.
1. Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline
Author Elizabeth Cline turns her own consumer habits on their head in this journey of personal discovery and wardrobe revamping. A self confessed fast fashion consumer, Elizabeth questions what she is doing with all her cheap clothes and what social and environmental impact they are having on the world around us. Through following Elizabeth’s journey to the factories of China and beyond, you learn just how easy it is to break the consumer driven cycle.
2. Sustainability with Style by Lisa Heinze
This book says it is part autobiography, part eco guidebook and part cultural exploration. That’s a lot of jam-packed green goodness from Australian-based American author Lisa Heinze, who lets us sneak a peak into how she marries sustainability with style. After years of being a self proclaimed image obsessed fashion addict, she inspires us to make changes in our own life through her candid honesty, personal experiences and bag full of tips and tricks.
3. I Spy DIY style: Find Fashion You Love and Do It Yourself by Jenni Radosevich
If the academic angle isn’t your thing and you are looking for a more practical approach, then this book is the perfect pick me up. With a few easy to learn skills and some basic supplies, it takes you through 30 step by step projects inspired by the world’s runways, celebrity red carpet looks and timeless classic cuts. It even includes top tips from fashion favorites Rachel Roy, Olivia Palermo and Rebecca Minkoff.
4. To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing out the World by Lucy Siegle
Unlike some of the personal accounts of eco conscious living, this title is more of an expose on the industry, penned by The Observer’s ethical living columnist. Providing thorough detail on fashion and fabric production, it argues that it is possible to become an ethical fashion lover, with just a little bit of information and conscious questioning. It clearly advocates a new case for change and sets an ambitious agenda for the future of the fashion industry from an experienced and eco obsessed journalist.
5. Naked Fashion: The New Sustainable Fashion Revolution by Safia Minney
Written by founder and CEO of the famous Fair Trade fashion label, People Tree, Safia Minney provides inspiration and advice on how to make a difference through decision making. It also includes accounts of well known celebrities from creative industries talking about what they are doing differently to reduce their environmental impact, including British actor and Harry Potter heroine Emma Watson along with industry icon Vivienne Westwood. As an added bonus it also contains an ethical brand directory.
Top image: Zitona