Green Your Closet 2008: Taking the First Step

Photo: Darwin Bell

For years now I’ve found myself, a diehard environmentalist, fascinated by fashion. At first I shoved this frivolous fascination to the archives of my mind, thinking of it as a superfluous pursuit that would distract me from all the “important” work that needs to be done in this ailing world. Now and again, I’d sheepishly ponder my profound interest in online eco-fashion hubs like Eco-Chick and Greenloop (who I now blog for-yay), and finally realized why fashion really matters. Fashion is our second skin. It is our most intimate possession. Let’s face it, not even our closest romantic partner has (most likely) spent twelve hours straight attached to our pelvis the way a pair of undies does. A favorite warm sweater can be our greatest comfort on a grey, frigid day. And, unlike the bodies we’re born into, clothing gives us the opportunity to choose our hue, texture, and even our shape to some extent; all these choices directly affect how our fellow humans interact with us on a daily basis.

So how can a self-proclaimed diehard environmentalist like myself still have a closet with so few sustainably-made pieces in it? Is it not enough money or not trying hard enough? I’m on the Greenloop team, I work with Aysia Wright- The Eco Fashionista herself-and my closet is barely chartreuse. I loved Aysia's post on Closet Closet guru Barbra Horowitz and I’ve decided 2008 is the year to Green My Closet. Not only that, but I’ve decided to take the Gaia community with me- for the good of the planet! (...And our wardrobes too, let's be real.) I will be publishing a series of tips on how we can all integrate more eco-conscious behavior into our shopping lives. More clothes, less guilt. Are you with me clothes hounds? Good. Let’s get started with the fun things first…

Step #1 Beg, Barter or Bargain

Do you ever covet your most fashionable friends’ wardrobes? Make those fantastic threads your very own without spending a single dollar: host a clothing swap at your house! Gather your stylish compadres with similar body types together to trade clothes in good condition that you’ve all grown tired of…make it a cocktail party and you may find bartering for the premium picks a real breeze. It’s for the environment, right? No harm, no foul I always say.

Do your friends have completely different shapes or tastes from you? Join in a community clothing swap like Swap-o-rama-rama where you turn in a bag of clothes at the door and you get to grab as many clothes inside as you desire. As if that isn’t the greatest thing since sliced bread already, Swap-o-rama-rama has sewing and screenprinting stations to reinvent your latest acquisitions and turn your secondhand pieces into one-of-a-kind couture…and it’s all free!!! No Swap-o-rama-rama coming soon to a town near you? No problem- start a Swap-O-Rama-Rama or watch this feature of Clothing Swap Inc. on the Today Show and head to ClothingSwap.com to attend their uberfun events in 2008.

Tune back in to Greenloop's blog for our next installment of Green Your Closet 2008...