Feeling down? Feeling elated? What are you wearing? Depending on your answer, you may find that your emotional state changes based on these very choices.

We’re all born naked, but that doesn’t dismiss the powerful effect clothing has on how we perceive ourselves, others, and the world around us. In fact, what we wear has become almost like a set of armour that sends messages to our subconscious, and to the individuals we interact with (or avoid) everyday. Not only do outfits seem to correlate with a current emotional state, but they can alter it, as well. 

How Clothing Affects Moods

1. Lifts Your Mood

Dressing up may take extra effort, but the impact it can have on elevating your emotional state is arguably worth the process. A small study conducted on 100 women demonstrated the positive impact wearing a favorite dress, jewelry, and jeans had on participants versus those who put little to no effort into their morning routines. Because we often dress like how we are feeling, as opposed to dressing to change our mood, the first thing we reach for could signal one’s true emotional state. Next time you’re feeling down, need a boost of confidence, or or want to reinforce your positive vibes, choose something from your closet that will lift your mood.

2. May Indicate Depression

Conversely, they way we dress may also indicate depression. The same small study of 100 women also indicated that those who chose baggy tops and jeans may be in a depressed or sad state of mind. Jeans were a big factor in both happy and depressed moods, but how the wearer styled them seemed to say more overall. “In the study, 51 percent of women would wear jeans when they felt sad or depressed, and only 33 percent of women would wear jeans when they felt happy or positive,” though these findings did not take into account the typical dressing styles and habits of more than just the participants. What this indicates is that a woman who normally reaches for figure flattering garments who slowly or abruptly switches over to baggy items may be suffering from an altered emotional state.

3. Improves Deal Making

Although this study used men as participants, we think the same principles would apply to women in negotiations, and could improve the outcome of such. For this particular experiment, some guys were asked to wear suits, which they deemed “upper-class,” while other guys were asked to wear sweatpants, deemed “lower-class,” before negotiating with a subject who was not told anything about the clothing. The upper-class clothing induced dominance in the wearer, garnering a more favorable outcome, and elicited an acquiescent response from the other unknowing subject participating in the negotiations. Bottom line: it may pay to dress a little sharper before asking for a raise, buying a car, or doing anything else that involves making a deal.

4. Boosts Physical Performance

Choosing the color red before working out could potentially boost your performance during your sweat session. The participants who exercised in red were shown to have higher heart rates and lift heavier weights than those wearing blue, although they reported similar rates of exertion. Athletes wearing red in the 2004 Olympics won more games, though this study did not support those results. Participants in red did not win more often than those wearing blue. Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine how well this color improves your physical performance. Need some motivation to actually workout? Researchers believe that wearing your workout gear first thing in the morning could motivate you to hit the gym.

5. Help You Trim Down

Fitness expert Valerie Orsoni told Reader’s Digest that French women are rumored to wear a ribbon around their waist before going out to dinner. This keeps them conscious of the midsection, and less likely to overeat. Although we’re not necessarily condoning this, and you should always consult a professional before adopting extreme weight loss measures, the theory is that the act of binding your body (wearing tight pants, tightening your belt, or tying a ribbon around your waist) will help you eat less and lose more.

6. Increase Deception

Thinking about buying those knock-off sunglasses or fake designer handbag? Beyond the obvious reasons, one study would urge you to rethink those choices based on the emotional state it may elicit. According to researchers, people who buy counterfeit designer duds are more likely to behave dishonestly and believe that others are being deceptive. Some participants wore fake sunglasses, while others wore authentic sunglasses. The individuals wearing fakes cheated across multiple tasks, and were more suspicious of others.

7. Heighten Brain Function

According to one study, participants wearing a white lab coat designed for a doctor, versus a white smock designed for a painter, had significantly improved cognitive function and selective attention when asked to perform on tests. This further emphasizes the notion that one should dress for the part (or for the job they want). When you have your exterior persona in check, it can significantly improve your emotional state. In other words, bust out that pantsuit, girl, and go make some waves!

Do any of these theories hold true for you? Share your thoughts on clothing and emotional state with us on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

Related on EcoSalon

5 Ways Vegan Fashion Changed My Life (Not Just My Wardrobe!)
How Fashion Shapes Identity: What Do Your Clothes Say About You?
The #LetNoorShine Campaign Combines Clothing and Activism to End Human Trafficking

The post 7 Surprising Ways Clothing Affects Your Life (Not Just Your Look) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Got an hour to kill? Knit yourself a jumper with the open-source digital loom called OpenKnit.

OpenKnit is the open-source digital fabrication tool that will knit you a jumper in under an hour.

The brainchild of Gerard Rubio, a designer based in Barcelona, OpenKnit uses Knitic software designed by Mar Canet and Varvara Guljajeva. OpenKnit pulls the designs from the software and then after measurements are entered and weights placed to stabilize the fabrics, the machine gets knitting.

“[I]ts novelty lies in the fact it is not only relatively affordable to build from the instructions posted on Github [around $700] but there is already something of an ecosystem around the venture,” reports Wired. “Collaborators Mar Canet and Varvara Guljajeva have designed the Knitic software that lets you input parameters for the machine to adhere to, to tailor the garment; and Takahiro Yamaguchi has launched DoknitYourself, a place to share all the digitally designed knitted clothes already made using it.”

But what’s the big deal? Why should we care about a modern knitting machine? Well, fast fashion for one. Anything we can do for ourselves is one less garment made in a sweatshop. “The point of the project, of course, is to upend and question all forms of traditional mass production — no biggie, then,” Wired explains.

“Presently, production outsourcing has become the norm: mass fabrication of goods at low costs improves corporate profit margins but pushes precarious labour conditions due to a race to the bottom in competing developing markets,” Rubio wrote on his blog. “Production entails long and precise processes before those goods reach our hands, many of which are pervasive in our daily life, and frequently in intimate contact with us, such as textiles. In such a context the market price we pay for goods has not absorbed the externalities created, thus we end up paying far less for them than the real impact they have in society and the environment.” He adds: “It’s always great to have fun and learn while working on something you enjoy doing but it’s also important to do things for a reason once in a while, and that’s the combination of ingredients that created the OpenKnit project.”

The best part of all of this so far is Rubio’s brazen attitude. He’s taken his knitted clothes and after disrobing mannequins at H&M and Benetton locations, he re-clothed them with his own creations.  He explained it  that he just wanted to “put some company names on the table, companies that perpetuate the status quo of the fashion industry and its model of production and consumption”.

Made In the Neighbourhood (ft. a clothing printer, OpenKnit) from Gerard Rubio on Vimeo.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Related on EcoSalon

Urban Outfitters’ KSU Sweatshirt: A Blood Stain on Our Fashion Obsession

Can Fast Fashion Brand H&M Change the Textile Industry in Ethiopia for the Better?

Can Forever 21 Ever Move Beyond Fast Fashion? Behind the Label

The post OpenKnit: DIY Digital Clothing Loom Disrupting Fast Fashion appeared first on EcoSalon.

What’s the best way to take care of your clothes? Hand washing! And really, it’s not that difficult, we promise. Here’s an easy play-by-play guide for how to hand wash clothes.

Hand washing your clothes is one way you can make them last (almost) forever. As laundry piles up, it might seem daunting, but making a habit out of it—like brushing your teeth or cooking for yourself— shows the same reflection of care for our clothes. Plus, consumer care accounts for the largest usage of energy in the entire lifecycle of a garment. So by hand washing, can save a ton on your energy and water use by cutting out the washer and dryer.

I use my bathtub for larger loads, but your bathroom sink or a bucket is great for smaller loads. Here’s how to hand wash clothes at home:

1. Separate clothes, just like you would while doing laundry, into whites and colors. Even if you know they won’t bleed, we are out for special attention right? Because you have complete control, I usually go a step further to separate out what is really dirty (aka my fiance’s work clothes) and what might have only a simple stain or smell like body odor.

2. As you are separating color and dirt-level, spray stain remover like Bac-Out Stain Eliminator or Attitude Stain Remover. These are non-toxic and organic!

3. Next make sure your sink or tub is clean. Try one of these 9 great eco cleaners for your home. Fill the space with lukewarm or cool water. As the washing space is filling up, pour in the required amount of hand washing or gentle laundry soap. Ecos, Greener Living Laundry Liquid, and Green Shield are great options, or try making your own.

4. Add garments, one at a time, giving thorough attention to each. Dip and lift the item several times so it’s evenly covered with the soapy water. Gentle rub any stain areas between your hands until the stain is removed. Add more soap if necessary.  Repeat this with each item.

5. Once each piece has received specialized, loving hand-washing attention, you can swish around all the garments together one more time.

6. Next, drain the sink (or tub), allowing dirty water to drain out.

7. Turn on the cold water, fill up the basin part-way, and thoroughly rinse each garment until all the soap is gone (you may have to do a second rinsing to get all the soap out, and remember, soap carries the dirt with it, so getting it all out of fabric is important.

8. Next, carefully wring-dry and set aside. If you are dealing with a very delicate piece, or a knit item, you should like it flat on a clean towel, then roll the towel around the item, then press down gently; water will be squeezed into the towel, but garment’s shape will be held.

9. Success! You’ve hand washed your clothes. Hang them up to dry outside on a clothes line, on a foldable drying rack, or get creative around your house (hang off backs of chairs or on a hangar in an airy spot). For very delicate items, lay to dry on a clean towel, and flip every few hours.

 Photo Credit: Luminitsa

Want more great laundry tips? See also:

Dry Clean Only? An Eco Expert Tells Us Why It’s Safe To Ignore Labels

5 Top Eco-Friendly Cleaning Recipes

 Top 10 Chemical-Free Cleaning Tips

The post Ditch The Washing Machine: How To Hand Wash Clothes appeared first on EcoSalon.

In need of a new eco-friendly outfit? Send us your recipes!

Our friends at Horny Toad are as food obsessed as we are, so to celebrate the start of autumn, we’ve teamed up to put together a fun food contest that’s inspired by celebrating fall days with friends, steaming cups of coffee on crisp mornings and new recipes with seasonal goods.

All you have to do to enter is send a recipe that is influenced by the photo:

• For the Adjunct Hoodie (top photo): Your best pie recipe that you simply can’t live without.
• For the Heartfelt Sweater (middle photo): A delectable breakfast pastry or baked good.
• For the Women’s Mixologist Shirt (bottom photo): Pomegranates are in season October – January, put them to use any way you please!

Send your submissions to food@ecosalon.com, with “Food Contest” in the subject line, by Thursday October 4, 2012.

The winning culinary masterpiece for each recipe theme wins the product featured in the picture, and you’ll get your recipe on EcoSalon and Horny Toad. Note that we can only ship to U.S. addresses.

As an added bonus, Horny Toad will offer free ground shipping to EcoSalon readers on all online orders until 9/30 with the code “ECOSALONSHIP.”

Good luck!

The post Recipe Contest: Send Us Your Favorite Seasonal Dishes appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you’re new here, we’ve been on a road trip down the West Coast this summer with our sustainable clothing company, {r}evolution apparel. You can track our journey here!

Whew. What a journey.

Over eight weeks ago, we set out to learn more about sustainable fashion and what we could do to help push the movement forward.

We met professors, designers, farmers, CEO’s, and people on the streets. We filmed it all. And this is a tiny, small bit of what we learned from these amazing individuals.

This is just the beginning for {r}evolution apparel; as we learn, and share, and converse, we realize that our work is crucial. We are all connected. We all matter. Every decision we make – from which tank top we buy to how we recycle our clothes – makes a difference.

Now, we’re taking time to sort through our footage, process our experience, and ultimately, create a short documentary chronicling our summer’s journey. Until then, we’ve loved posting here at EcoSalon and hope to stay connected to this community. We’ll be saying “au revoir” with a short trailer by our filmmaker, Steve Celano – enjoy!

The post {r}evolution reel: The Interviews Trailer appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you’re new to our journey (or even if you’re not!) we’ve created a video to introduce ourselves, our journey, and our mission. We’ll be posting here each Friday with videos and thoughts from the road, so we hope you’ll join the conversation.

It’s a tough question to answer. Sustainable fashion can mean so many things and be described in so many different ways.

But last week, while on tour, we took the opportunity to ask the people of Seattle this question: What is sustainable fashion?

We got a mix of answers – and not one of the same. So today, we’re sharing what it means to us.

Sustainable fashion is clothing that’s created with the whole life-cycle of the garment in mind. From design to sale, two questions are asked:

Where did that piece of clothing come from?

And…

What’s going to happen to it when it’s no longer worn?

Sustainability means a system of longevity that considers everyone and everything that’s involved, from the cotton farmer to the factory worker to the seamstress. It means using responsible (and low-impact) fabrics, ethically-sourced materials, and smart design that doesn’t deteriorate as quickly as the trends.

People often ask us where they can find sustainable clothing, so below is a list to get you started:

Buffalo Exchange, Good Will, Savers, Value Village. We always prefer buying used to buying new. Recycling, repurposing and reusing are the fastest way to get textiles out of our landfills. Remember, one (wo)man’s trash is another (wo)man’s treasure.

Horny Toad and NAU. These two labels partnered up, and you can find a combination of outdoor active-wear and casual wear all sustainably-sourced.

The Autonomie Project. Great basic tees, sneakers and pet products. Everything is organic, sweat-shop free, and vegan.

People Tree. Based in the UK, founder Safia Minney has pioneered the environmentally-friendly and fair trade fashion industry.

PACT. 100% organic-cotton underwear. Remember, the stuff underneath your clothes matters, too!

Sites we love. Fashioning Change is a great resource for finding responsible fashion at the same price points as mainstream brands, and they’re here featured here on EcoSalon weekdays, with new and interesting labels introduced all the time.

For more great sites, check out EcoSalon’s top eco-boutiques to shop.

What does sustainable fashion mean to you? Leave a note in the comments below, and check back next week when we post about spending, our shopping habits, and true cost!

The post {r}evolution Reel: What Does Sustainable Fashion Mean to You? appeared first on EcoSalon.

Where wicking and Objectivism collide.

What’s not to love about a company that manages to combine subliminal messaging with a strong social message? Here, in no particular order, are a series of statements you’re unlikely to overhear at everyone’s favorite purveyor of hundred-dollar hoodies.

“Yes, but do I need a separate sweat-wicking infinity scarf for jogging and Zumba?”

“What a coincidence! Atlas Shrugged inspired me to take up yoga, too. Did you know that “namaste” is the Sanskrit word for Objectivism?”

“Well, at least no one’s been brutally murdered in this particular store.”

“I can’t decide who’s more charming, Dov Charney or Chip Wilson. I like them both so much.”

“Of course I love Bikram yoga, but I’ve been looking for something a little more structured and competitive. And litigious. Are there any cults you can recommend? Maybe one with a worldview that links $70 tank tops to personal growth?”

“This sweater doesn’t have enough zippers on it.”

“Sure, I’ve been to other sporting apparel outlets, but I just don’t feel comfortable buying leggings unless I can see the personal fitness goals of the clerk selling them to me scribbled in chalk on a blackboard by the door.”

“Thank God someone‘s brave enough to speak out on behalf of child labor. I am so sick of Big Youth pushing athletic wear manufacturers around.”

“I’ve been looking for something that combines meditation with balls-out capitalism and a murky connection to Scientology, and I think I’ve found it.”

“Do you have this in a size 14?”

ALSO CHECK OUT:

Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged Tied to Lululemon’s Branding Strategy

10 Self-Help Titles You Don’t Want to Miss

The Types of People Who Go to Yoga (and That One Who Breathes Loudly)

The post 10 Things You’ll Never Hear at a Lululemon appeared first on EcoSalon.

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!

The post EcoSalon Exclusive: Buttons Goes to Work appeared first on EcoSalon.

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

The post 7 Great Color Combinations To Bring Out Your Mood appeared first on EcoSalon.

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.

The post Squeeze Em’ Into Any Teeny Tiny Space Laundry Racks appeared first on EcoSalon.