Let’s face it, most people wear a fraction of the total amount of clothes in their wardrobe. Simplifying your wardrobe feels good and frees up latent energy that can fuel major change in your life.

The brilliant Marie Kondo, (author of “The Magical Art of Tidying Up” and “Spark Joy”) gives the invitation to release anything that doesn’t ‘Spark Joy’. When you release things you don’t really want, you send a powerful message to the Universe that you are inviting in more of what you do want in your life, and with the actual release of these items you clear the space for new and wonderful things.

Here are 3 easy steps to green and simplify your wardrobe:

1. Release anything that does not ‘Spark Joy’.

2. Release as many things made of polyester, acrylic, and nylon as possible. Polyester is a plastic derived from crude oil that includes many toxic chemicals. It is ubiquitous in the textile industry and has been associated with many health issues. Here is a fantastic, very thorough, blog on the dangers of having polyester (and also acrylic and nylon) constantly touching your skin and in your environment.

Using this guideline can really help to clear out the bulk of clothing!

3. For new purchases, go with organic cotton, hemp, and other sustainable/safe materials when possible. Pact is a great company to go with as they not only offer more affordably priced organic clothing, but they also give attention to fair labor practices. They also offer a program to ship clothing you are releasing to charities in need for free. You can receive 20% off your first order here 🙂

If you are on a budget, go with organic sleepwear and intimates first since these are the items most worn. Switching to organic pajamas and home/lounge wear will automatically bring you to wearing organic clothes half of the time! I love this recommendation for kids, too 🙂

For more support on this journey, check out my blog “Eco-Fashion ~ Your Green-Saavy Guide to Fabrics”.

Happy Greening & Simplifying!

Although in our hearts we all want to be able to go completely Green overnight, the more realistic truth is that it is a process.  As our awareness increases, more and more aspects of our lives fall under the scrutiny of our increases in consciousness.

Every day brings countless choices, countless opportunities to make improvements in or worsen our health and the health of our precious planet.  Even the more health-supporting and earth-friendly options carry with them some negative implications, however the consequences are still much improved over most mainstream choices. Therefore it is imperative for all of us who are aware of the power of our more positive choices to be steadfast in making them, thereby creating a world where the new mainstream is a green-stream.

One such area of focus is textiles.  While all areas of greening are important to focus on, fabric production has an especially important place in the green revolution.  This is because cotton, which is the most popular fabric in the world, is also the most pesticide-dependent one:  Cotton crops account for around 25% of all pesticide use.  For every conventionally-made T-shirt of cotton, ¼ pound of harmful chemicals is used.  According to the USDA, just in one year in the U.S. over 50 million pounds of pesticides were used on cotton fields. Conventional cotton farming depletes the soil and creates pollution for all water above and below ground, which negatively effects entire ecosystems and humans.  The finished product of cotton production, i.e. clothes, sheets, etc. carry with them toxins from their cultivation which come in continuous contact with our skin.  While our skin is our largest elimination organ, it also absorbs in much of what it comes into contact with, transporting the substances into our bloodstreams for distribution throughout the body.

The good news is that there are many more eco-friendly and health-friendly options for fabric.  Remember that no one greener fabric choice alone is going to save the world and ourselves but each one plays an important part of the collective solution.

Organic cotton is a much better environmental and health choice than conventionally-grown cotton because it spares our ecosystems from tremendous amounts of toxic materials. It is important to know that the crop, grown either way, uses tremendous amounts of water.  Even so, if we remember the goal is to make positive movements in the green process, choosing organic cotton over it’s conventional alternative will definitely leave a lighter eco-footprint, and be more health-sparing. Items made from recycled cotton have a huge eco-benefit in that the industry keeps billions of pounds of materials out of landfill and decreases demand for new items, which further protects the earth.

Another wonderful option for a lighter imprint is materials made of bamboo.  For building materials, bamboo is a wonder-material, completely sustainable, strong, and durable.  The process of getting bamboo into fabric does carry with it some use of chemicals, however bamboo producers at least have the option to recycle the chemical elements of the of the processing. Bamboo requires very little water and is a sustainable and renewable resource. Bamboo plants reduce soil erosion and release a significant amount of oxygen into the air, even more than most trees. It can be planted in areas that are in danger of erosion to help protect the land and in areas that have experienced significant soil degradation. Bamboo has an advantage over many of the other eco-friendly choices in that it is better known as a good eco-option and as such it is widely available making it a choice that is readily accessible. It is durable, soft, easy to care for, naturally antibacterial and hypo-allergenic, and usually affordable.  It also has a luxurious feel, like silk, but is less expensive.

Hemp is another one of best eco-choices for fabric. Not only does it require very little if any herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides, but it is also a weed suppressor.  Hemp is not only sparing to the Earth, it is actually helpful to it in that it improves soil structure (by replenishing the soil with nitrogen and other nutrients and preventing topsoil erosion), cleans up ground pollution (it was used to clean up radioactive elements at the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site), and it produces a lot of oxygen (more than some other plants due to its leaf/root ratio).  Hemp material blocks sun from the skin better than most materials.  Hemp is strong and lasts longer than most fabrics without stretching or wearing thin. The challenges it faces are ignorance of most people to its benefits and that it is illegal in the U.S. to grow it. 

An alternative material choice that is lesser known is stinging nettle.  It is finally starting to get the attention it deserves as an option that has many of the benefits of more commonly known eco-materials, and some additional advantages as an eco-friendly crop. Stinging nettle is finer than hemp and stronger than cotton. The plant grows like a weed and doesn’t need pesticides or much water. The material has natural fire retardant properties which offers a non-toxic eco-friendly option for items such as office chair cushions and baby clothes.  Camira Fabrics has developed a design that is 25% stinging nettle and 75% wool, made with metal-free dyes, and is 100% renewable and compostable.  The product, STINGplus, has been certified as being biodegradable in 28 days, and is manufactured using green electricity sources.  Another interesting fact about stinging nettle crops is that they actually benefit from waste from human settlement, making them easy to grow in populated areas.

Tencel, the registered name for a material called Lyocell, is a biodegradable fabric made from wood pulp cellulose.  While this option is more eco-friendly than most mainstream fabrics, it is difficult to dye it without using chemicals that are not environmentally-friendly and could possibly irritate sensitive skin, although many who have sensitive skin have worn it without problems. While the material is relatively inexpensive to make, it is expensive to buy. It is a good choice for travel, as it is light, dries quickly, retains its shape well, and is easy to care for. 

Other great options are items made from recycled yarn, recycled polyester, and recycled soda bottles (which can be transformed into fleece).  Other natural materials to consider are linen, wool, and cashmere.

For more information on eco-friendly and socially conscious fabrics and eco-fashion see:

www.CraftingAGreenWorld.com, www.TheGreenLoop.com,www.EcoFashionWorld.com, www.Patagonia.com, www.Levi.com,www.OliveiraTextiles.com, 
www.BambooHugs.com,www.TheWorldWomen.com

Yes, you can have happy holiday celebrations while sparing the lives of trees and leaving a lighter imprint as you enjoy the season!

I really enjoy the December Holiday Season! I also REALLY love trees (and preserving our environment on all levels) and recognize their value on so many levels.

So I am writing this to share things I do at holiday time and other great ideas to enjoy the holiday season while supporting the growth of our green friends who help sustain our lives and planet 🙂

Eco-Friendly “Christmas” or “Solstice” Tree:

Something I have done in the past (which was really fun!) was to use a tree outside (one growing in the ground) as the tree to decorate then buying a little tabletop plant or small potting tree to put on a small table to put gifts around.  The joy of being outside decorating, all wrapped up in winter wear, adds gusto to the festivities, and if their are kids involved in your celebrations, even better!  They usually LOVE any excuse to play outside 🙂 and the smells, temperature, etc. bring more of the senses alive with the season.

If you love the smell of typical holiday tree and want it inside your house, you can still accomplish this by using trimmings of trees to make inside decorations 🙂

You can also use a diffuser with Pine or Spruce essential oil to reach the same objective 🙂

One of my favorite things is to buy a rosemary plant fashioned into the shape of a typical “Christmas” tree.  The scent makes me smile and we can use it in holiday cooking and many things well beyond the season.  This plant can stay in the pot or go outside to be planted after the holiday 🙂

Sometimes I buy a small potted tree (like a Norfolk Pine) that I plant outside afterward.  If you don’t have the space for a tree that will grow large like this, you can always give it to someone who loves plants and will love a new green friend for their yard.

Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Paper:

If you are not attached to the ripping-of-gift-paper experience, you can use beautiful natural fabrics to wrap presents.

If you really want the typical present-opening experience, there are MANY cool eco-friendly alternatives for this now.  Here is one site, wrappily.com, that has wonderful, colorful options for recycled gift paper that is also recyclable.  Most gift paper is not recyclable because it is laminated, dyed, or contains other additives that are not paper.  

If you buy things off of Amazon or for any other reason have boxes/packaging, you can use the boxes and the brown paper in the packaging for your gifts.  This is what I do.  This gives you access to boxes of different sizes that only need tape to close the top. (Speaking of tape, here is a great packaging tape that is completely plant-derived, renewable, and biodegradable, EcoEnclose – https://www.ecoenclose.com/category_s/40.htm )

I use the brown paper that comes in mail packages as wrapping paper and decorate the outside with art or natural materials.  My kids love to have free reign in decorating the outside of surfaces, I am thinking my crew is not unique in this way 🙂

Eco-Friendly House/Office Decorations for the Holiday Season:

There are massive amounts of DIY natural decoration making ideas online!  Or you can access your own creativity.  It is great fun to see what your environment holds as  ingredients for perfect decorations. Here are some that I have done:

I have a large Pine tree in my yard so we have access to limitless pinecones.  These are very festive for the holiday season 🙂  We make decorations for the tree and house with the pinecones.  Something my kids adore is to paint the pinecones.  Here is a great site with a list of  sites with green crafting materials: http://craftingagreenworld.com/2011/05/06/10-places-to-find-eco-friendly-art-supplies/

Acorns are crazy fun to gather.  We use them for all kinds of projects and just to scatter about for the season and beyond.

Making Winter Fairy Houses of local and natural materials is another awesome fun idea 🙂

I hope this blog inspires you to get creative with how you celebrate the season 🙂

Eco-Friendly Holiday Gifts:

Buying local, handmade things, especially from artisans who are focuses on sustainable living is a really great idea!  Local Farmer’s Markets and other Faires and Art Shows are a great place to do this.  You could also make things yourself 🙂  There are more ways to buy eco-friendly things popping up online every day.  Here is one great site: http://eartheasy.com/gifts Something else to consider is giving the gift of your time and focus, special event, or other ‘experiential’ gifts that take the focus off of materialism and onto the connection with others that is at the source of the season 🙂

 Enjoy!

~ Annie 

I used to be quite a major shopper, going for quantity, and often “well-made” things that were expensive but that had zero consciousness for the materials used, their environmental imprint, the toxin load they carried, and the circumstances under which they were made, including the fairness of labor for and treatment of the people making them.

While I admittedly have found it challenging to be meticulous with the pursuit of bringing more consciousness to all clothing purchases, much headway has been made in companies creating brands based on offering this, making it easier for me to find better options.  I love to share information like this on how we can use our financial choices to empower others and send messages to manufacturers that consumers are starting to pay more attention to details about their clothing like these mentioned.

To help celebrate this glorious winter season and support companies and individuals who are bringing more consciousness to clothing, I have compiled some great sites to check out for higher consciousness winter wear.

The Good Buy

The Good Buy is an awesome sight that offers clothing made by both local and global artisans, these dyed and woven masterpieces sustain livelihoods and tell stories of women’s empowerment and human rights with each fiber.

You can check out their new Winter Wear here.

Indigenous

Indigenous focuses on organic and fair trade fashion.  You can check out their options for awesome Winter Wear here.

Fair Indigo

Fair Indigo focuses on style with a conscience.  You can see their Winter picks here.

Prana

Prana offers Certified products under Fair Trade USA’s apparel program ensuring fair wages, high working standards and investment into community development.

Check out their selections here.

Make it Yourself

Then of course there is also the old-fashioned way of adding consciousness to clothing by making things yourself 🙂

Here is a great book by Louisa Harding, “Hats Gloves Scarves: Easy Designer Knits for Family and Friends”

You can find great options for yarn made of wonderful natural materials here at Darn Good Yarn 🙂

If you want to learn more about the movement away from mainstream fashion check out this awesome blog on The Good Trade called, “35 Fair Trade & Ethical Clothing Brands Betting Against Fast Fashion”.

Happy Conscious Winter Warming 🙂