Retail psychology is a very real, and very tricky form of psychological warfare that’s utilized in order to get you, the consumer, to spend more money than originally intended. Don’t fall victim to these tactics during the holidays, or anytime, with our tips for identifying and overcoming overspending.

Besides avoiding stores altogether, and opting for alternative gifts and holiday items by way of some awesome DIY projects, it’s best to face the opposition head on with your own know-how designed to shut down the black magic sorcery that I like to call advertising. (Queue daunting music and ominous thunder.)

Yes, shopping can be scary (fast fashion, for starters), but the damage done while shopping can be downright terrifying. Not only does it instill fear in a budget-conscious partner, like only a deranged axe murderer could replicate, but it also wreaks havoc on your bank account, giving your panicked partner permission to say, “Told ya so!” And even if you don’t have anyone around splitting the bill, it’s important to hold ourselves accountable and live within our means.

So, in order to save your sanity, wallet, and possibly your relationship this holiday season, let’s discuss some of retail’s trickiest advertising strategies and how to avoid them!

The Psychology of Retail

Retail psychology is essentially the in-depth study of consumers, like you and me, and all of the things that make us tick. They want to know how you think, what you like, how you feel, and sometimes what you had for breakfast. Marketers then use this data to design their advertising campaigns, store layouts, and merchandise placement in ways that make it difficult for us to say no. As you’ll soon learn, this leads to overspending, feelings of missing out, impulse buys, empty pockets, and cluttered closets.

The Store Layout

As a former visual merchandiser, I can attest to the expense and thought that goes into what is essentially “decorating” a retail store. Corporate wants it stylish, fresh, appealing, and to depict whatever company executives believe is a reflection of what the customer wants.

Before you even walk through the entryway of most department stores, you can preview the merchandise through a freshly washed window. Upon entering, some locations ensure that you’re immediately greeted by a grouping of well-dressed mannequins that are changed every few days. They’ll sometimes be flanked by a couple of colorful, eye-catching tables that are packed to the hilt with merchandise, like boxed jewelry, or some other bauble that draws you in. Above the mannequins’ heads, you’ll likely see a larger-than-life sign alerting shoppers to the latest sale.

And this is just the entrance of the store!

In addition to that, floor plans are constantly being changed–the ends of aisles updated with the newest merchandise to keep things current, and displays are strategically planned to draw you in with pretty colors and shiny objects. 

According to Entrepreneur, these grand displays, colors, and merchandising strategies are apparently meant to help the customer stay longer, shop more, and indulge in those pesky impulse buys. I don’t know about you, but when I’m sandwiched in that claustrophobic grocery line, the candy section is coincidentally right within reach. Eek!

The POS Impulse Buy

The POS (point of sale, not piece of you-know-what) impulse buy is usually the last minute purchase you make after loading all of your items onto the conveyor belt, or handing that armful of goodies to the sales associate behind the counter. Sometimes you have a little time to wait and absorb all the colorful products and glossy magazines, other times there’s just a single box of chocolate bars calling out your name. “Jaaaamie, Jaaaamie!” Crazy, right?!

Either way, according to Specialty Retail, these POS areas are specifically designed to trigger two “primal human motivations” which are said to be a consumer attempting to avoid pain, or one trying to experience pleasure. Those are some serious emotions at play! But the important thing to remember is that unless you are truly suffering (like you need a BandAid or an actual pain reliever), then those items at the checkout are actually there to sabotage and manipulate your spending. Besides, do you really need to add anything else to that junk drawer?

The Mega Sale

Labor Day, Independence Day, day after Thanksgiving, Columbus Day, and pretty much any hint of a holiday or major occasion, is an opportunity for retailers to hold that mega blowout, prices-so-low-it’s-ridiculous kind of sale. And according to Psychology Today, there’s a lot of, well, psychology, behind those campaigns – six specific tactics to be exact. Let’s take a look.

• Fear: By putting a time limit on sales, like a “50 percent off this weekend only” sort of ploy, retailers instill a fear in shoppers that they will miss out on getting those great deals.

• Emotional Investment: When you trudge through the jam-packed sales racks and bargain bins, you are investing precious time and energy into your shopping excursion, making it more likely that when you finally do unearth your size, the hunt and the investment will make the product seem like it’s worth so much more.  

• Competition: If you’ve ever compared prices or exchanged shopping stories, then you know that there can be a bit of competition among shoppers. Retailers love to capitalize on this by, as one woman shared, marking down a product that rarely goes on sale, offering a very limited window of time to buy it (two short hours in her case), and then arriving to find it completely sold out. Now, she claims to be always looking for the next email announcing another flash sale in order to buy this product at half-off.

• Assumed Value: If a product’s sale price was actually it’s full price, then shoppers may invest more time into considering their purchases, rather than buying it simply because a formerly $200 product is now $100.

• Easy Shopping: Apparently, sale racks offer fewer choices, which is exactly what overwhelmed shoppers are looking for. Rather than being inundated by so many choices (of which men are said to sometimes bail on entirely), sale and clearance racks naturally narrow down the selection.

• Saving Not Spending: If you’ve ever been handed the receipt and then the cashier pointed out how much money you saved, rather than spent, then you have already been acquainted with this tactic. Retailers like to emphasize how much you’ve saved, as opposed to the hundreds of dollars you may have shelled out.  

The Purposeful Shopper

If retail psychology doesn’t scare you into wanting to become a purposeful shopper, well, then I don’t know what will, but I can help you incorporate some better habits to avoid, or at least, minimize, overspending.

• Make a list of what you need before you go – and stick to it!

• Have a firm budget allotted in advance, and don’t waiver.

• Really think about what you’re about to buy. Don’t stress yourself out, but consider the impact it will make in your life, both long and short-term.

• Know the tricks retailers use to increase your spending and don’t fall for them. Understand that this truly is a tactic to earn them more money by taking yours.

• Spending is not saving, regardless of what your receipt says.

• For gifting purposes, try your hand at homemade presents, and for some food items, try growing your own.

I know the strength it takes to resist what you might consider to be a “great deal.” But the more you exercise that restraint muscle, the bigger and stronger it will get. Don’t let retail psychology get the best of you during the holidays, or anytime. Your bank account will thank you!

Do you recognize sneaky retail tricks? Share your thoughts with us on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

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The post How to Avoid Overspending this Holiday Season (and Beyond!) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Tired of getting all excited to shop for green beauty products only to be struck down by the emotional rollercoaster it sends you on? Here’s some support for eco beauty buying upheaval.

You know green beauty products are better for your skin and health. You are familiar with the list of nasty cosmetic ingredients. You’ve even accrued a nice little stockpile of clean cosmetics.

Now you need a product that tackles acne. Or keratosis pilaris. Or rosacea. Or maybe just want to try something new.

You think you are prepared and … there it is again. The familiar bewilderment of shopping nontoxic products. Is this product really natural? Does this skincare truly do what it says it will? What the #%*@ is Capric Triglyceride?

Hey, it happens to all of us at some point in our beauty-searching travails. Here are the most common emotional phases of shopping for green beauty products and support for weaker moments.

Emotional Phases of Shopping Green Beauty Products and Tips to Get You Through Them

1. “There are tons of natural beauty products on the market these days. This is gonna be a cinch!”

The past decade has seen the number of natural beauty brands skyrocket. This means more good stuff to choose from. It also means more greenwashers to wade through. Remember: Do not take the safety of a product at face value.

2. “But it says natural/safe/organic right on the label.”

Beauty brands can put almost anything they want on the front label. Even a product labeled “Organic” can include some synthetic ingredients. There is only one way to be sure of what is in a product. Turn it around and read the ingredient listing. No clear ingredient listing? Pop that baby back on the shelf and move on.

3. “Glyceryl Stear-huh? If I can’t pronounce it, it has to be toxic.”

Not so fast, partner. It is often said that you shouldn’t eat or wear any ingredients you can’t pronounce. Not so true. There are safe ingredients that only sound toxic. Here are six safe ingredients with toxic sounding names commonly found in clean beauty products.

4. “Welp, no parabens. We’re good to go.”

Yes, parabens are on the list of cosmetic ingredients to be avoided. These synthetic preservatives are well known and have garnered a lot of media attention. But they are not the only widely used toxic ingredients, or even the most toxic, in beauty products. A truly clean beauty product has more to offer than simply being paraben free.

5. “That big name beauty brand just went natural? Cool!”

Most likely, they did no such thing. It takes a big chunk of money, time, and effort to reformulate toxic products. If a mainstream brand did this it would definitely want recognition for the hard work. If it’s only offering a commercial or labeling with the term “natural” on it? Not so much.

6. “But my favorite green celebrity uses it.”

Again, marketing. What are this celeb’s standards when it comes to nontoxic beauty products? Do they steer clear of the most serious offenders or are they okay with sliding a synthetic in here and there? Do your own leg work.

7. “Green beauty products? Way too expensive.”

As with conventional beauty products, some are pricey. But there are several affordable natural beauty products out there, too. Or purchase samples to try before you buy.

8. And finally… “Oh no, I ran out! I’m just gonna pick something up at Target for now.”

Online is still the best place to shop for organic beauty products, as far as selection goes. But guess what? Good ol’ Target has been adding to its list of safe products, making it easier to get your green beauty shop on.

Any problem has a solution. Now you are armed with support in dealing with those inevitable shopping pitfalls.

Related on EcoSalon

7 Beauty Ingredients to Avoid Like the Plague

The Quickest, Easiest ‘No Makeup’ Makeup Look

Is Mineral Makeup Really Healthy?

Image of woman in shopping frenzy via Shutterstock

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The 1980s are long gone, and the decade’s most iconic hangouts are disappearing now too: shopping malls.

Turn on practically any teen-infused movie from the 1980s and at least one scene is likely to take place at a bustling shopping mall. The shopping mall was the Facebook of its day: after school or on the weekends, suburban teens flocked to malls to connect with each other. They would play arcade games, eat greasy mall food and browse sale racks, too. Adults flocked to malls too, for shopping, movies and to sit in those vibrating Brookstone chairs they would never buy.

But now, shopping malls are disappearing at such a rapid rate that there’s a Web site that lists “dead” shopping malls around the country. According to Amy Merrick for the New Yorker, some of the abandoned shopping malls have been converted into “community colleges, corporate headquarters, or churches.”

Some malls are being shut down because they’re health hazards, with water damage, mold, even asbestos. One thing though is increasingly clear: Shopping malls aren’t what they used to be. “In January, Rick Caruso, the C.E.O. of Caruso Affiliated, one of the largest privately held American real-estate companies, stood on a stage at the Javits Center, in New York, and forecast the demise of the traditional mall,” reports Merrick. Caruso said: “Within ten to fifteen years, the typical U.S. mall, unless it is completely reinvented, will be a historical anachronism—a sixty-year aberration that no longer meets the public’s needs, the retailers’ needs, or the community’s needs.”

Internet sales have taken a chunk out of mall sales, but not as much as you might think. Online sales hit six percent of total retail spending in the 4^th quarter of 2013—a number that’s nearly doubled since 2006, explains Merrick. “Some retailers, understandably, are responding by focusing more on the online end of the retail business. Gap, which became synonymous with the American mall, is no longer counting on malls for growth.” Glenn Murphy, Gap’s C.E.O., told Merrick that its business is moving towards digital sales. “Mall traffic, for a number of years, has been slowing down. Whether it continues to decline somewhat over time, I think that’s realistic to assume.”

Even the iconic food court brands are struggling, reports Merrick. “Sbarro, which represents one of the four food groups of mall cuisine, along with Jamba Juice, Panda Express, and Cinnabon, filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in three years. Court papers cited an “unprecedented decline in mall traffic,” meaning fewer hungry shoppers settling for foldable pizza slices.”

The suburban town square—shopping malls were the heart of many American communities. And all malls aren’t disappearing. The outdoor mall concept is thriving in some cities—making shoppers feel more like they’re doing something by being outdoors, rather than contained inside a stuffy building. But they only represent a small fraction of malls, the rest of which, it seems, have seen their prime—all while Amazon Prime gains momentum.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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Image: Nicholas Eckhart

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Alternatives to clothes shopping are popping up to smartly satisfy what women want.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis averages each American will spend roughly $1,700 on clothes shopping each year. And, American women will spend double the national average–putting $3,400 annually towards new clothing purchases.

There is no argument against the modern closet overflowing, overstuffed and over-cluttered with too much clothing. In fact, I’ve never heard a friend say she wants more clothing. Certainly we’ve all moaned about having “nothing to wear,” but when most women only put on 20 – 30 percent of their wardrobe, it’s hard to imagine more is what we need. The general trend is advancing towards hosting a minimal, well-curated wardrobe, and some companies are tactically giving us exactly what we want.

Check out some successful alternatives to clothes shopping new below.

Bib + Tuck

Bib + Tuck is an online swapping site where you can virtually swap clothing from a well-curated community. Inside the closets of celebrities, artists, stylists, editors, bloggers, journalist, and everything in between, you can bib (meaning to give) and tuck (meaning to take). The name comes from the old English phrase, “To wear your best Bib and Tucker.”  The site’s model is based on the user being both a bibber and a tucker, but you can also buy “bucks,” the communities currency.

“I think there is a big divide between buying new and buying at a secondhand marketplace. Bib + Tuck exists to bridge that divide.” says co-founder Sari Azout.

Bag Borrow or Steal 

Ever wanted a meticulously crafted designer bag, just for a little while? The option is out there. Bag Borrow or Steal allows you to rent, or ‘borrow,’ designer handbags at a monthly rate. You can accessorize on a month to month basis, and send it back when you are done. “This is a great way to experience high fashion at a fraction of the cost,” says Bag Borrow or Steal user Deb. The site also offers a smaller, but equally curated selection of jewelry and sunglasses.

Rent The Runway

Rent a high fashion dress for that extraordinary occasion through Rent The Runway. They offer an enormous selection of evening, party, and designer dresses which you can rent on a four- or eight-day basis. Rent The Runway also encourages users to upload a photo of themselves wearing the dress. So each gown is packed with special stories from their nights-out.

featured image from Bag Borrow or Steal, images from the companies

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The post 3 Examples of What Clothes Shopping Will Look Like In The Future appeared first on EcoSalon.

Black Friday started early this year as stores opened their doors (or rather—never closed them) around 5PM on the Thursday of Thanksgiving. But, a new study shows Black Friday’s decline over time. What’s behind the loss of popularity of this formerly trendy shopping day? 

This year Black Friday came early, on Thanksgiving to be exact.

The jump start wasn’t because of early waves of holiday cheer sweeping through the nation, but because retailers are compensating for the economic hit they will most likely suffer this holiday shopping season. For 2013, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is six days shorter than usual. It is estimated retailers make half of their entire yearly income during this time, so every day counts. Due to the truncated time period, retailers are afraid those six days will cause large financial losses. Their strategy? They started Black Friday on Thanksgiving evening—and some stores even controversially stayed open on Thanksgiving, forcing workers to labor on the holiday.

Perhaps all the panic from retailers is warranted when on paper they’ve lost six days of shopping, but was Black Friday in decline already?

A new study, by CFI Group, shows the hype around the bargain-hunting tradition of Black Friday might be on its way out. The study found fewer than 25 percent of people will spend more than half their total holiday shopping during Black Friday.

They also found only 21 percent of Millenials say they will go shopping at all during this time, and nearly half of shoppers nationwide will skip the Black Friday lines completely by having begun their shopping way before Thanksgiving.

“Consumers began their holiday shopping earlier in the season,” said Sheri Petras, CEO of CFI Group. “And as behavior is shifting beyond traditional Black Friday spending, those who focus solely on Black Friday-centric campaigns will miss significant sales opportunities.”

With this season’s retail race making up for lost time, we have to ask ourselves, is the rush really worth it? Consumers trends aren’t leaning towards the cheapest choices anymore. Only one third of shoppers are motivated by sales and coupons and more people are buying experiences as gifts, forgoing more “stuff.”

And, according to the New Yorker, those discounts aren’t as great as we think they are (or used to be): “Black Friday doesn’t even necessarily offer the best discounts, contrary to what retailers want their customers to believe. Rather than selling most merchandise at full price and marking down what doesn’t sell, stores now engineer their prices, so that the “discounted” prices are actually at the level they had wanted all along,” writes Amy Merrick. 

So what was the rush to move Black Friday into Thanksgiving? Maybe it wasn’t worth leaving the dinner tables early this year to partake in a tradition that might be on its way out.

See Also: 

Beyond Black Friday: Neuromarketing, Your Brain and Your Wallet

Vintage Shopping Tips from an Industry Pro

Zady: An Artisan-Powered Platform for Socially Conscious Shopping

image: Michael Holden

The post Study Proves Black Friday’s Decline: Are Consumers Sick of the Hype? appeared first on EcoSalon.

Alongside Everlane and Durated the most recent, brilliant service to come to life for consumers who care about what they purchase is Zady, an online shopping platform that artfully tells the stories behind the beautiful and skillfully crafted products it sells. Transparency is the key concept behind the clothing, jewelry and gifts featured on Zady, as style savvy and expertly curated brands are selected only if they can provide clear information on their production processes and the quality of the materials they choose. This is all relayed to the customer in a creative and accessible way with maps, key labels and a story on the evolution of the brand. This is socially conscious shopping 2.0. 

Learn more about this awesome new resource for the conscious consumer in the exclusive EcoSalon interview below with founders Maxine Bedat and Soraya Darabi.

Paneled Crewneck Sweatshirt by Cotton Citizen

LO: Where did the idea for Zady come from?
SD: We met in high school, but began sewing the seeds fro Zady after reconnecting with each other many years later. Having read articles about one another, and each interested in what the other was doing professionally, we decided to meet up. Maxine was working on the non-profit she founded, The Bootstrap Project, which helps revive craft traditions in the developing world and finishing law school.

MB: During this time, Soraya was advising startups based in New York City. I had come across the Fast Company magazine issue with Soraya on the cover in the airport, upon a 2010 trip for The Bootstrap Project.  Soraya read an article on Bootstrap’s beautiful artisanal crafts in a House & Home magazine. After the first coffee, I asked Soraya if she might help with the digital strategy for TBP and I was happy to have the help. Over the next few months, we realized a few things:

1) We liked one another still!

2) We had complementary skills

3) We had a shared and growing interest in understanding how supply chain works and how beautiful things are made.

As we passed articles back and forth about the negative impact of fast fashion and sent each other recommendations for newly discovered products with origins they could actually trace, the idea of Zady was born – a company that searches the globe for and with the consumer to curate a selection of products that are both beautiful and ethically produced. The connection with The Bootstrap Project as a source of craft revival and economic development was important, so we decided to give 5% of proceeds from Zady to Bootstrap to help artisans in the developing world continue to create beautiful craft and preserve their important cultural traditions.

Messenger Bag by Claire Vivier

LO: What sets Zady apart from other online shopping platforms?
MB&SD: Since our launch in late August, Zady has become a destination for consumers to purchase high-quality, luxuriously made goods that are timeless in style, from designers and brands that offer complete manufacturing transparency.

Clicking on a product icon on our map shows you the history of an item through lines. A Gloverall Duffle Coat, for instance, will have a line that appears showing that the wool for the coat comes from Italy; another line will shoot out to England, showing that the brand is headquartered there, and that manufacturing also takes place in the UK. We try to make the supply chain of great products as transparent as possible.

We are also a team of digital natives and want to bring our readers and shoppers as close to ZADY as they can possible get.  We’d also like to connect them closely to the brands we sell – and they love.  So social media is a strong component of our website, and a strong component of our own messaging.

Le Kraft Leather Notebook by Le Compagnie du Kraft

LO: How do you choose which brands to feature and sell?
MB&SD:  Style is the first and foremost important thing Zady looks for when deciding which designers and products to carry. We look for items that are well-made and timeless in style. Something you can return to over and over and then again ten years later.

Next, Zady only works with designers who are able to verify the following: where the company is headquartered, where the products are manufactured, and where the raw materials come from (this is demonstrated by Zady’s “Origins” map view, which allows consumers to essentially shop the globe).

And then lastly, Zady looks for products that meet any of the following criteria (identified by badges on the site): high-quality raw materials; raw materials were locally sourced; made in the USA; made in an environmentally conscious manner; handmade; or from a Bootstrap Project artisan.

The Astrid Cuff by Dream Collective

LO: Do you think Zady is satisfying a demand for locally and responsibly made items?

MB&SD: Just as Whole Foods sparked a movement based on the belief that we should question where our food comes from, Zady is at the forefront of a movement, known as conscious consumerism, which demands transparency for sourced products. Conscious consumerism is a new vision for shopping. It means an understanding of the quality and origins of an item, and the support for purchasing timeless pieces over throwaway consumption. Currently more than 2.5 billion pounds of our clothing ends up in landfills each year. The planet is running out of space for our fast fashion habits.

There are consequences, of course, to the low prices and incredibly fast manufacturing time of this type of clothing. Poor quality, excessive waste, and outsourced manufacturing to facilities with unsafe, unregulated and illegal working conditions are just some of the effects of this type of production.

Zady serves as an alternative for those seeking timeless style with a conscious stamp of approval.

If we take a moment to look through the clothing in our grandparents’ closets, we would find decades-old items that have survived and resurfaced through several style trends over the years. These items were made by true artists who utilized high-quality fabrics with the intention of creating clothing that would withstand time, seasons, and trends. After all, our grandparents built their wardrobes over time. Future generations are in jeopardy of missing out as today’s mainstream fashion is predominantly focused on the idea of purchasing low-cost, trendy items, intentionally made to be thrown away at the end of a season, rather than those that are made to be timeless and classic.

Nesika Dress by Pendleton The Portland Collection

Images: Zady

Related on EcoSalon:

Complete Factory Transparency: Everlane Delivers 

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Haven’t gotten into online shopping yet? You may want to make the shift if you care about the environment.

Ooooh, the thrill of opening up the front door to find a mysterious brown box, carefully taped shut and stamped with the Amazon logo or the address of a far-away eBay seller. Very few delights in life compete with the simple pleasure of getting a package, even when you already know what’s inside. Fortunately for delivery-lovers such as me, ordering products online for home shipping is, in fact, among the most environmentally-friendly ways to shop. And while it’s still important to consume less to preserve the planet, it makes sense to procure those items you really need with a few clicks of the mouse instead of trekking down to the brick-and-mortar store.

The folks at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon Green Design Institute studied the environmental impact of shopping online at Buy.com versus traditional in-person shopping; they found that hitting the Internet for supplies and gifts creates 35 percent less greenhouse gas and energy waste than traditional shopping. During the online shopping portion of the experiment, the majority of environmental damage occurred during packing and “last-mile” delivery. For retail stores, most of the emissions came from customers driving to the store and back.

For a product to reach a retail destination, it must first be shipped to a distributing center, then to a warehouse and finally to the store itself. In the online shopping world, there’s often no need for a warehouse—after clicking “confirm order,” a distribution center gets the message and ships your book, bath towels or knee-high boots directly to you. Combined with the fact that you don’t need to leave home to pick up your goodies, this translates to a significant environmental savings.

Of course, this study only reflects the Buy.com shipping model, and some online retailers may use less eco-friendly shipping practices. Plus, there are still some situations when it’s greener to stay local. For example, if you’re after a hemp T-shirt and that boutique down the street happens to sew its own, it’s probably far greener to drive a mile and buy the locally-manufactured item than to order online—after all, that shirt has never seen a factory, distribution center or warehouse. Bike there to score even more green points.

On a positive note, more people are buying online than ever, helping to reduce the environmental impact of shopping. According to Bloomberg, experts predict a 45 percent increase in e-commerce between 2012 and 2016. And with online sales in 2012 totaling $327 billion worldwide, that promises to be an impressive leap indeed.

Not to bust the party, but there is one important point to hammer home: There’s really no such thing as “green” shopping. Every item you purchase takes resources from the earth, and is probably manufactured in an energy-guzzling factory and treated with toxic chemicals. Then it’s packaged in wrapping that uses even more resources before it’s shipped—sometimes halfway across the world—to distributors. And that’s before you even see the product. Green consumption is minimal consumption, so don’t forget about the environmental price tag that comes with every bar of soap or cute pair of skinny jeans you spot on Amazon.

Image: lemonhalf

The post Delivery, Please! Why Online Shopping May be Better for the Environment appeared first on EcoSalon.

EcoSalon goes vintage shopping in New York City.

A while back we discussed the “fashion hauling” phenomenon and the impact it is having on today’s teen shopper. While I do think it’s a disturbing trend, I also realize that there is very little we can do to affect the basic desire that shoppers have to share their finds with others. If you can’t beat them, join them. Of course, we here at EcoSalon do it in a conscious consumer kind of way, featuring some of awesome vintage finds that I recently scored while scouring two of my favorite NYC thrift shops.

At Beacon’s Closet in Williamsburg I found two things that fit well into current trends.

This African print tunic, which has a really lovely pattern and one of my favorite colors: green. I think it’s originally for kids, because the arm holes are a bit tight, but that’s an easy fix with the sewing machine.

These pale pink shorts are really nicely distressed, and both the color and length are right on trend for summer. And at $12, they were a great deal.

Moving on to my other favorite Brooklyn thrift shop, Guvnor’s Vintage Thrift, I found a bunch of great dresses.

First, I saw this vaguely animal-pattern dress in a nice, flattering 50s-style cut. Usually it’s hard to find this kind of dress without a really narrow waist, but this one fits perfectly and I’ll probably pair it with a delicate belt. I love the colors and the pearlized buttons too.

Like I mentioned, I’m very into bright greens right now, and this 70s dress with a pleated skirt and metallic bodice instantly caught my eye.

I have a problem with black—so much so that I had banned myself from buying anything black this summer. This long-sleeve maxi dress fit me really well, though, and when I saw that the label was called Mr. Sergio, like one of my best friends, I just had to break down and get it. It’s got these really nice ruffle details on the front that keep it from being just another black dress. Or maybe that’s just my excuse.

Finally, this rose-patterned linen thing caught my eye. Initially I wasn’t sure why, but I think I can relate to the fact that it’s an insane mix of styles – the collar is vaguely Asian, the pattern very conservative and sort of British, and the leather lace up detail with shells is very hippie chic. It was also less than $20, so done deal.

Actually, none of these set me back more than $40. The brown animal-print dress and green 70s party dress were the most expensive things, but the good thing about vintage clothing is that you can just sell it again once you don’t want it anymore. It’s like a virtuous circle of consumption, where all this good stuff is passed along for someone else to discover and fall in love with one day.

What are some of your recent vintage finds?

The post Vintage Fashion Haul: Thrifty Finds from NYC appeared first on EcoSalon.

What are “fashion haul” videos saying about today’s teenager’s attitude toward consumerism, and what’s on the other side of the spectrum.

In case you haven’t heard the term, “fashion hauling” refers to an internet phenomenon that has young (mostly) girls showing off their latest shopping finds to thousands of viewers in “haul videos” on YouTube. To be able to afford a constant stream of new stuff, haulers usually shop at fast fashion chains like Forever 21, H&M, Charlotte Russe and Target, or discount retailers like Marshalls, JC Penney or TJ Maxx.

Though this may seem like an innocent way for young girls to express themselves and share shopping finds with online peers, it’s becoming a serious issue because it promotes rampant, mindless consumerism. Haulers love fast fashion retailers because everything is cheap and they can afford a lot. They buy buy buy without putting any thought in how their clothing was made and where it comes from. If you consider the entire supply chain – from the raw materials and the labor required to the shipping and marketing – it is simply not possible to make a T-shirt that costs $7.

This video, a fashion haul by bodyrock.tv has over 3,6 million views on Youtube.

Fast fashion retailers, of course, do not want you to think about this stuff, they just want you to buy it. So naturally most of them have embraced the fashion hauling phenomenon with open arms, some of them even sponsoring popular haulers by offering gift cards, video contests and other incentives. Haulers seemingly live in a world where happiness can be bought, for a single-digit price tag at Forever 21, and everything is just “OMG, so cute!” To those of us far removed from it, these girls seem to be motivated by a desperate search for meaning.

The girls in this video, which has over 2 million views, just went on a serious shopping spree at Forever 21.

While it’s troubling to watch this trend develop and grow, there is also another side to the story. At the other end of the spectrum, many of today’s youth are distancing themselves entirely from the idea of ownership, looking for simplicity and alternative solutions to things they see not working in society. Instead of buying cars, they get Zipcar memberships, instead of buying CDs and DVDs they use Spotify, Hulu and other cloud-based streaming services, and instead of seeing the purchase of a home as the ultimate achievement they appreciate the freedom of renting. The less stuff you have, the more you stick it to the man.

This one has over 900,000 views and close to 12,000 comments.

Perhaps both of these extremes are reactions to coming of age in a time of economic uncertainty and political upheaval, but what does this polarization say about our society? And, more importantly, what effect will it have on the future of consumption? Does slow, considered fashion stand a chance against this escalating fashion hauling trend? Only time will tell, but perhaps it’s time to popularize “vintage hauling” or “stuff-I-already-have-in-my-closet hauling”?

Lead image, still from this video

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10 ways to ensure the fish you are eating is sustainably caught and healthy.

One of the most confusing oceans to navigate is that of seafood. First there’s the question of mercury and other contaminants. How do you avoid those? Then comes the issue of a reliable source. Where breeds the healthiest fish, and sustainably so at that? Lastly, and equally as important, how’s the fish supposed to look, feel and smell? All these considerations are quite overwhelming and often end with a frustrating shrug and sigh.

With so much to consider, it can be tricky to get your buck’s worth in terms of your health and the environment. Luckily, we’ve done the research and have put together ten ways you can ensure you are eating the most sustainable fish the world has to offer.

Do Your Homework

Before going to the grocery store, check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch for a comprehensive guide to ocean-friendly seafood. According to the organization’s Communications Director Ken Peterson, “Seafood Watch is far and away the source used by consumers and major seafood buyers in North America to shape their seafood buying decisions in ways that promote healthy fisheries and healthy oceans.” The site outlines each fish’s market name, where it is caught and  how it is caught, indicating which variation of a particular fish is the “Best Choice,” a “Good Alternative,” or one to “Avoid.”

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

Choose seafood that is not only good for you, but also good for the environment. Monterey Bay Aquarium has created a “Super Green” list including seafood with the highest levels of omega-3s and the lowest levels of contaminants as well as a summary of the “Best Choice” ranked fish on the organization’s Seafood Watch. These recommendations apply to women of childbearing age, men and children, so they can be trusted to take everyone into account.

Know How Fish is Caught

Select fish that is caught using methods with lower environmental impact such as hand-lining or potting. The Marine Conservation Society explains the various fish-catching methods and why some are better than others.

Carry a Pocket Guide

Most of us don’t have the time to research when making an impromptu stop at the fish market, so being equipped with a fish list is a way to ensure you always make the most well-informed decision come check-out time. The Environmental Defense Fund has put together the easy-to navigate Pocket Seafood Selector and Pocket Sushi Selector to give you a helping hand.

Choose a Reliable Market

Keep tabs on your local grocery stores and inquire how often each receives its seafood shipments and what the regular turnover is. The higher the rate of seafood turnaround, the more likely the fish you buy is as fresh as can be.

Don’t Buy Fishy Fish

Given that we associate the “fishy” smell with something that has gone putrid, under no circumstances should you purchase fish that smells nasty, acidic, or pungent. Fresh fish has the scent of clean water with a slightly briny or cucumber overtone.

Look Skin Deep and Beyond

On the outside, look at the fish and confirm that it is clean and metallic as opposed to dull or discolored. The eyes should be bright and clear and the gills should bear a vibrant red tone – fish that has gone old bears gills with a faded brick color. On the inside, make sure that if there is liquid on the meat, that it is clear instead of milky. Rotting fish will have milky flesh. Don’t forget to press against the flesh of the fish – if an indentation appears and stays, the fish has gone bad.

Ask Questions

When perusing the seafood section of your grocery store or market, take your assumptions with a grain of salt. Engage in conversation with a salesperson, asking questions that aren’t answered by packaging or labeling, and get the scoop on some of the details that aren’t so readily available. It’s rare to be offered information about how fish is caught, so ask for it! Developing a relationship with seafood personnel is also a great way to get the most comprehensive information time and time again.

Rotate Your Fish

Try to venture outside your repertoire of, say, three types of fish and try your hand at making dishes with other fish deemed the healthiest and most environmentally friendly by the “Super Green” list. Eat sustainably across the board, not just with one type.

Spread the Word

Tell your friends and family about seafood sustainability and encourage them to apply these tips to their culinary seafood escapades. The best way to share, you ask? Why, only whilst devouring seared salmon over lentils.

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

Image: tarotastic

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