By Chloe Jo on January 26, 2012
Obviously recycling or buying vintage is the most green way to shop. But if you jones for new clothes faster than Samantha Jones goes through condoms, eco-fabrics got you covered.
Bamboo
You’ve heard us wax rhapsodic about bamboo clothes before. No, they don’t come with a cute Panda bear – but they do have antimicrobial properties. Bamboo fabric is a natural textile made from the pulp of the bamboo grass. It feels like silk jersey – and is comfy beyond belief. Bamboo fabric has something in it called “Bamboo Kun” which means it’s naturally an antibiotic – even after 50 washes! Believe it or not, regular cotton is treated with pesticides and they do seep into your skin. Another cool fact about bamboo is it’s got mild UV blocking protection, so you don’t have to go too nutty with the SPF when you rock the ‘boo. So, I’m kinda in love with my Panda Snack tee shirts which are comfier than my 25-year-old nightie from Disneyworld.
Seaweed
Seaweed is something I wrap my salads in everyday. I’m obsessed with hunking sheets of Nori. And any other kind of seaweed. So much so that on a recent trip to Mexico, I pulled a big hunk of floating seaweed out of the Ocean and (much to my Fiance’s chagrin) stuffed it down my throat. Needless to say, my gag reflexes aren’t what they used to be. Blech. The newest eco lovechild is a fabric called SeaCell, a mixture of seaweed and wood pulp. The word on the street is that when you wear Seacell, your hotbod actually absorbs some of the delicious goodness found in seaweed; like calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E. Don’t believe our Girlie-typin’ fingers? Check out the 101 straight from the Professors themselves: www.smartfiber.de. All I know is when I eat Seaweed, I genuinely feel amazing.
Corn
What is more yum in the tum tum as BBQ’ed corn in the summer? Nothing. How about a corn dress nosh? Corn fabric, being sold as “Sorona” is touted as the new nylon. It’s a fabric that uses much less energy to create than traditional fabrics and is a renewable resource. I haven’t been able to find much made from Sorona just yet, but I know you guys like to be the first to know — so look out for it at your favorite Eco-Boutique.
Coconut
Nothing on this earth is more delicious than a fresh coconut water. It brings up the heady childhood smell of chocolate milk for me, for some odd reason. I always get bummed out throwing away the shells, wondering what I could have made out of it or how I could have reused it. Now I know someone is doing something tremendous with coconut leftovers; making wearable (though not yet gorgeous) clothes.
Soy
You will rarely hear us at GirlieGirl Army go bananas for byproducts, but in this case we are overjoyed! Soy fabric is created from leftovers in soybean and tofu production, and has all the great benefits of moisture wicking (which means it’ll help you out with your sweaty pits).
Silver
What’s up with all these natural fabrics that make us not smell? You’d think the earth was trying to tell us something! Could be! Go simple, get benefits? Silver fabric (yep, made from real silver) helps with that not-so-fresh feeling (that post-jog, pre-dog walk aroma) cuz it’s chock full of antimicrobial properties which expels any fungus or odors that come near it.
Thanks for the tips, Chloe Jo!
GirlieGirl Army
Originally published on March 19, 2009
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By Chloe Jo on October 7, 2009
We hear it all the time, “Oh, I want to do more to help the animals, but I simply don’t have the time” or “I give a few hundred bucks a year to my favorite charity, but can’t commit to more.” What if I told you activism doesn’t have to be exclusively about offering clean water to children in Africa? What if we told you there are tangible and easy peasy ways to save the world? Though this list of ideas (below) is primarily animal focused, you could really use the sentiment to inspire any of your activism or promoting anything you care about; from children’s charities or cancer research fund raising to supporting your local church group.
Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace are gold for the animals. I’ve placed countless animals in loving homes by posting them on Facebook. Remember, sitting in shelters animals get virtually no exposure to the outside world. You may think you know that nobody in your network is looking to adopt, but one person re-posts, then the next re-posts, and next thing you know – a dog on the kill list just got seen by 10,000 people and rescued! Use your network for good, what else is the point? Mafia Wars? Seriously? Have your “top friends” be your favorite animal protection organization, become a “fan” of groups you love, add videos that have moved you, quotes, and links. Don’t be afraid to use your voice, if you don’t speak up for the fuzzy and incarcerated, who will? “Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” – Elie Wiesel
Use your skill set to help. Are you a graphic designer? Design a flyer for an organization you love from the comfort of your laptop. Assess and then volunteer your skills. Do you do hair? Offer to free hair cuts once a month for shelter workers. Anything you can do can be directly put to use for the animals. My friend Alex owns a tattoo shop and he donates gift certificates to raffles for benefits. I donate listings on girliegirlarmy.com to bring attention to the plight of farm animals in factory farms. Every little bit helps!
Attend Parties. Yep, parties! Benefits are a great way to meet people you can take home to Mom. Not only will you meet the finest quality folk with huge hearts, your ticket price will go towards helping those in need. It’s a win-win!
Contact companies that conduct cruel experiments on animals. www.caringconsumer.com will give you that list. And (obviously) only buy natural, vegan, and animal-testing free products. You’ll not only be avoiding supporting companies that pump toxins into our environment and hurt animals, you’ll be avoiding nasty chemicals on your own epidermis.
Foster a cat or dog, or volunteer at your local shelter. A bit more work than sitting at the computer or partying, but by taking a dog from the local shelter for a run, you are getting them seen by hundreds of eyes on the street or in the park. I’ve seen it happen a million times; Random on the street: “Oh, your dog is SO cute.” My response: “Why thank you, but she isn’t my dog, she’s from the CACC and she’s desperate to be adopted.” Random: “Really? Let me call my Husband!” These pets are ten times more likely to get adopted if you simply get their shayna punims seen!
Do not buy an animal. Do adopt and foster. This may seem like a serious DUH to you.. but not everyone knows that over 800 cats and dogs get put down PER STATE in our country per day. Trust us, you can find any breed you like on www.petfinder.com (though our mutts are quite gorgeous) without directly supporting hideous breeding practices. You can also join our list to receive our adoption network updates, which is nationwide. Crazy Sexy Life’s newsletter also features animal adoptions every week.
Hold a screening. Tribe of Heart makes eye opening films on animal issues. And of course, Earthlings and Raw for 30 are both films that are must-sees for everyone. Invite friends over for cocktails n’ (vegan) cupcakes and watch a film together. Allow for open dialoguing after. I’ve seen many a heart be opened after seeing footage of what’s really going on in Factory Farms. If you are interested in hosting a larger film screening at your church, synagogue, work place, house, bar, or local knitting group – email beautiful, wonderful, articulate Marisa Miller from Kind Green Planet – she has a projector and will travel!
Put stickers on your bills. You can buy just about any kind here. Be a voice for the animals. Letters pass many hands before ending up on a desk. Let your platform be known, even via the mailman.
Buy and Eat Cruelty-Free. You already know this if you read Crazy Sexy Life, but it never hurts to remind you to buy and eat organic, local, and cruelty-free. “It’s too expensive” isn’t an excuse, we know plenty of folks on the poverty line who eat raw and vegan. Where there is a will, there is a way. Search recipe sites, support raw and vegan restaurants, and hit up your local health food store. It’s as easy as making the conscious choice to not support suffering. You’ve had your aha eating moment, help a friend have his or hers. Make animal-free food for friends and show them just how delish and gourmet vegan eating can be. And don’t think your fashion sense isn’t going to change too, Sister. From what you put in your tummy to what you wear on your body, you are making a statement on being intolerant to cruelty. Going entirely cruelty-free means eschewing wool, silk, leather, and fur. Thinks it’s hard to find eco fabulous stilettos that are made without the use of toxically treated, tortured animal skins? Girlll… you haven’t discovered my site yet. www.GirlieGirlArmy.com is a site devoted to keeping you looking glam without so much as hurting a fly. Remember; “All the arguments to prove human superiority cannot shatter this hard fact: in suffering, animals are our equals.”- Peter Singer
Become a member or volunteer at the non-profit that protects animals that speaks to you most. We love www.hsus.org, www.farmsanctuary.org, www.cok.net, www.woodstockfas.org, www.savethechimps.org, www.seashepherd.org, www.bestfriends.org, www.humaneusa.org, www.peta.org, www.aldf.org, www.humanemyth.com and www.pcrm.org. Join them all.
Whatever your cause, keep remembering why it is you care, and it will translate to direct action and results! Your voice MATTERS, it is strong, and it is fabulous.
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By Guest Blogger on March 12, 2009
Hi gang,
I’m Jenny Hwa and I’m a newbie blogger! Now that I have that confession out of the way, I can’t wait to get down to business. After following the Crazy Sexy Life blog for months and reading so many incredible tidbits about meditation, diet tweaking, affirmations and exercise, I realized something critical was missing. Something each of us deals with every day. Its something that can cause even the coolest to throw a tantrum or can transform a wallflower into a star …this sometimes controversial topic is fashion…the clothes you put on your back.
Now, one might wonder how much depth can be extracted from fashion, which can be seen as materialistic, artificial and unnatural. But I see a whole different side of fashion and I am on a mission to bring a sense of meaning to an art form we encounter everyday when faced with the question of: what to wear? My specialty is eco-fashion. And when I say eco-fashion I am not referring to itchy burlap sacks assembled into unflattering silhouettes, but gorgeous and scrumptious styles that make you happy to wake up in the morning.
How can fashion be sustainable you ask? Well, first let’s talk about the numerous toxic elements that go into creating clothes. One of our favorite fabrics, cotton (“the fabric of our lives”!) is reeking havoc on the planet, society and our health. There are many steps to creating a conventional cotton garment, including: growing, milling and dyeing.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty:
Everything about this crop (that was once naturally harvested) is contaminated. Chemical companies (ahem, Dow and Monsanto?!) have genetically modified cotton seeds to purportedly reduce dependency on pesticides. However this plan has back fired and more pests are attacking the plants requiring further insecticides to keep the plants alive (notice the vicious cycle?).
Growing conventional cotton uses 25% of the world’s insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides. It takes about 1 pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to produce the cotton for one pair of conventional jeans and t-shirt. That is 2 cups of synthetic chemicals for just one outfit!
Milling and dyeing cotton are also chemically intensive processes that include toxic bleach, formaldehyde and heavy metals.
Because the chemicals used to grow, mill and dye conventional cotton remain in the plant and fibers, we end up wearing fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and known carcinogenic chemicals.
Now that the atrocities of conventional cotton have been covered, let’s review the beauty of farming, milling and dyeing organic cotton.
Organic cotton farming incorporates the following principles:
-Never uses GMO seeds
-Builds strong soil through crop rotation
-Retains water more efficiently due to healthier soil + is often rain-fed + drought-resistant
-Weeds are controlled thru cultivation, hand hoeing + physical weed removal
-Pest control includes: using natural predators, beneficial insects, trap crops and organic matter such as manure, worm compost, herbal pesticides and/or cattle urine
-Harvesting relies on the seasonal freeze or water management, not defoliating with chemicals
Milling and dyeing organic cotton also follows a strict code of conduct:
-Fibers and fabrics are naturally scoured and cleaned without uses toxic chemicals
-Low-impact or natural dyes are used that have a higher absorption rate, contain no heavy metals or other known toxic substances or use plant extracts and natural mineral salts
With all these points covered, you can probably see now that the lovely cotton dress you are pining to purchase at H&M for a measly $29 has many more implications than you thought. That cost is not taking into account the damage that is being done to your health and the environment (or the sweatshop worker who sewed it, but that is another blog all together!)
My vision is that all of us will celebrate nature articulated through style! It is my wish that a whole new level of consciousness can be brought to shopping and your wardrobe. Just as you shudder at the thought of buying non-organic romaine lettuce at the supermarket, I hope you will be horrified at the thought of buying and wearing clothing doused in lethal chemicals.
With this said, I am not here to take the fun out of your morning ritual of getting dressed. Understandably, there is concern over the environment and your health, but that shouldn’t impede your sense of style and fashion savvy! But you don’t have to sacrifice style to dress sustainably.
As the founder and creative director of loyale, my priority is merging style and sustainability. We exclusively use organic cotton and other sustainable materials for the collection, the clothing is produced fair trade in New York City and we donate a percentage of annual sales to the environmental non-profit, Green Corps. The edict of loyale is that you do not have to relinquish your sense of style in order to be a conscious shopper.
In addition to loyale, there are a growing number of eco-clothing companies out there designing beautiful organic cotton clothing that you would be delighted to wear: Delforte denim, John Patrick organic, Stewart+Brown and Loomstate. To get you started on your eco-fashion mission, use coupon code crazysexy09 and get 20% off loyale’s luscious Spring collection with free shipping (valid until April 15)! Loyale’s Online Store
It has been great sharing this information with you and I hope I have added a whole new element to living a healthy and happy life!
Eco-chic peace!
Xoxo, Jenny
Loyale’s Blog
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