‘Tis the season for a spring fashion overhaul. Obviously, the most eco-friendly thing to do would be to disregard the hype and dust off last year’s duds, but let’s be honest: Even green-minded folk get the urge to shop now and again. The question is, what’s the most sustainable way to update your closet?
Vintage is at the top of the eco-fashion list, but it takes time—and effort—to find what you want. Designers like Deborah Lindquist, who works in recycled cashmere, and PreLoved, which estimates they “rescued” about 6,000 trench coats to rework into their Spring collection, make reducing and reusing a lot easier, but aren’t the first place you might look for everyday basics.
Regardless of whether it’s new or recycled, green fashion is so not about tie-dyed hemp and Birkenstocks anymore. With designers like Stella McCartney and Linda Loudermilk at the helm, today’s eco-friendly fashion is oh-so-haute.
COTTON-FREE ZONE
To put what these designers are doing with eco-fabrics in perspective, keep in mind that most clothing is made of cotton, which is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world, accounting for 25 percent of all pesticides used in the U.S. according to the Sustainable Cotton Project. It takes an astounding one-third of a pound of pesticide to make one t-shirt and two-thirds to make a pair of jeans.
Dump a pound of flour into a bowl and keep that visual in mind the next time you go shopping—it’s easy to avoid conventional cotton when you’re searching for updates. Loyale Clothing makes amazing tops and dresses in organic cotton, plus the most perfect little black dress in environmentally friendly silk which will get you through a season’s worth of dinner parties. In the jeans department, Del Forte offers au courant styles in organic denim, manufactured under fair trade standards. Doucette Duvall’s little “green” dresses are made from rescued remnant fabrics and Viridis Luxe creates to-die-for hemp/ cashmere sweaters, perfect to layer up this Spring.
THE TRUTH ABOUT BAMBOO
Another cotton alternative is bamboo, which is a fantastic source for material because it's totally sustainable--meaning it can be grown without chemicals and with a minimal impact on the earth. However, there are some downsides to bamboo productions. First, it’s currently grown primarily in China, and increasingly as a forest-clearing mono crop, which decreases biodiversity and can lead to an increase in pests—plus, the transit to production and sale in the U.S. is fossil fueled.
Bamboo can be mechanically processed without the use of chemicals into a soft, linen-like material. But chemical processing is less labor-intensive—and cheaper—which means most manufacturers working with the stuff use this method. Unfortunately, there has also been some question about the safety of the sodium hydroxide (or, lye) that’s predominantly used to "pulp" the bamboo from a fiber to a fluff that can be woven into textile.
Currently there is really no way to know exactly how bamboo fabric has been manufactured—unless it’s part of the designer’s marketing plan. However, the actual cultivation of the stuff is a clear environmental winner when compared to cotton. Conventional cotton is clear-cut at time of harvest, meaning the bare earth during that time is releasing more carbon into the atmosphere. In contrast, bamboo grows just like grass, sending up shoots continually, and is harvested in the same way--just like you mow your lawn. Plus, bamboo absorbs five times as much green house gases and produces 35% more oxygen than the equivalent amount of trees. No wonder the pandas are happy!
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SHOES
Greening your closet doesn’t stop at your ankles—the next time you reach for a pair of leather boots, think about the impact of the estimated 225 toxic chemicals used its tanning process. Yet vintage can be a little more challenging in the footwear department. Because most shoes mold to their wearer’s feet, it can be difficult to find pre-worn that fit right.
With so many faux leathers and suedes out there, it’s easy to eliminate leather completely from your footwear repertoire. Look for shoes made from dioxin-free polyurethane (a slightly more environmentally-friendly option that PVC) or natural elements like hemp. Kailia and Charmone both manufacture completely vegan shoe lines in artisan factories in Italy, and the drool-worthy hemp Nadia Ankle Boot from Sui Generis by Beyond Skin made sweatshop-free in Spain (pictured above).
If you do plan to buy new and still want to wear leather, look for shoes made from so-called “eco-leather,” which is basically leather tanned without heavy metals like chrome, from reputable companies such as El Naturalista, Coclico and PURE by Rickard Shah, which also utilize eco-elements like recycled elements and packaging.
Oh and about those Birkenstocks, the symbol of social consciousness since 1966: They’re eco-leather, and the company uses every ounce of its scraps, and recycles the cork from the soles. Plus, with the right outfit, today’s Birkies can look downright chic!
