So it's finally Summer here in SF and it's officially fall everywhere else! This means all the summer dresses are flying out of our closets to catch the few weeks of an Indian summer we are granted. Many of us feel the urge to go out and buy a new summer frock, but try and resist the consumerist urge. I am sure you all have something that will be perfect for these beautiful 80 degree days. But if you absolutely have nothing to wear please buy responsibly!
A few great spots to check out are:
On-Line check out my new favorite You Deserve. This site is dedicated to eco-wear that is affordable. Check it out and you’ll love it too.
I always recommend buying organic, or responsibly (meaning no sweatshop labor, natural fibers like bamboo, cotton, linen, wool) but if you just can’t do it, make it a sustainable piece for your wardrobe. Classic pieces never go out of style, meaning you can wear them season after season, year after year. Honestly if you feel good, you look good, so invest in something that makes you twinkle and you won’t need another throw away dress from forever 21 next summer.
Forever 21 is not getting a lot of good press these days. I recently reported on how they are going to build a pollutant machine distribution warehouse where a major Los Angeles farm used to be. But, now they're being compared to one of the root of all evils of society -- fast food.
Chains like Forever 21 and H&M which create cheap knock off apparel produced by sweat shop laborers in foreign countries have spawned a trend called "fast fashion."
Fast fashion equates to clothing that are made from such poor quality materials it's practically disposable. A girl who buys a $5 dollar shirt from one these clothing stores isn't going to think twice about throwing it away when it falls apart after one wash.
I think that Liz Jones from the Daily Mail says it best, "Ever-cheaper fashion... is like cheap food: it means people's lives and the environment are being violated."
Unfortunately folks, we're in a recession (whether Bush will admit to it or not). The poor economy means that a lot of people aren't going to be willing to shell out $80 bucks for organic jeans not made in sweatshops if they can pay $15 somewhere else, regardless of the human and/or environmental cost.
There are alternatives -- let the "slow fashion" movement begin! Thrift stores are a great place to start out -- although you'll most likely find some Forever 21 cast offs at least they're not in a landfill somewhere. Buy locally made products whenever possible. Shop less -- you don't need to follow every single trend out there. Educate yourself about the stores where you shop to find out how their products are made. Look for good deals online from green sale outlets like Youdeserve. Plan ahead -- just like people on a diet sometimes end up in trouble when they're on the road and they haven't planned ahead because the only place open is McDonald's, you can save yourself the same trouble by starting Back to School shopping early. That way you can get used clothes online or wait for the sales at eco-boutiques, rather than running into a fast fashion chain at the last minute.
It's easy to walk into a fast fashion store and focus on how much you can get for so few dollars. But don't ignore the fact that somewhere across the sea, someone else's children are sewing the clothes that your children might be wearing.
I can't get over this website! High quality eco-friendly fashions are often out of many people's price ranges. You Deserve is an online shopping experience that offers on-sale great clothes that didn't make a big impact on the environment during their production.
Forget paying $50 dollars for a t-shirt just because it's made from organic cotton. You Deserve has the exact same product, for less than half the price -- crew necks for $17.50 made from organic cotton/bamboo blends manufactured in factories that utilize sustainable practices. Eco-shopping doesn't get much better than that!
In some instances the savings from the original store are up to 70% off the price. And everything on the website is adorable! Somebody, please hide my credit card, before I do some serious damage!
Don't worry guys, there's something for you too. The website offers men's, women's and children's clothing.
Would you pay $80 for a designer organic cotton t-shirt? What if it helped to save the planet? Even better, what if it were on sale?
While I have splurged on hip eco-friendly tees in the past (can you say adorable Zooey?), I have also bought many on sale. Who doesn’t love a good bargain.
Now thanks to the web site You Deserve, the sale ends today and starts tomorrow. Eco-fashionistas are rejoicing because every day is an eco-fashion sale day on www.youdeserve.com. Consider it overstock for planet-conscious brands like Del Forte, Grace & Cello, and Oxygen Required (bamboo and surplus fabrics). There are even Under the Canopy bathrobes at a discount. I see several items that I paid full price for!
A fabulous Ecoist portfolio tote is on an unbelievable sale, marked down from $138 to $48. I have always wanted one of these colorful pieces made Fair Trade from 100% recycled candy wrappers. If you don’t buy it, I just might have to. 5, 4, 3, 2...
As for a minor wish list, I would love to see the brand name as part of each product listing initially, but you can click through to see the maker. Some of the fabrics just say “cotton” without the word organic in front of it, which is a little confusing, but most of the fabrics are eco-friendly. I hope that even more eco-fashion brands will join the party online.
Not everyone has the luxury of having a wonderful eco-fashion boutique around the corner (Eco Citizen) or can spend $80 on a bamboo t-shirt, but thanks to You Deserve, more people will get a break on eco-fashion today and that is an glorious thing for our wallets and the planet.www.youdeserve.com
Check this out! The TalkingShopping gals are always on the hunt for eco-friendly stuff when we're doing our buying, but as we all know, going green can really cost you and ladies, that's no fun! Luckily, we've discovered (via EcoStilleto) that there's a new gem in the Earth conscious biz and its called YouDeserve. No, this isn't just some new zen-like green philosophy we're trying to get you into, YouDeserve.com sells overstock eco-friendly products at 30% to 70% off! Yes, it's kind of like Overstock.com, just with a sustainable spin!
YouDeserve doesn't just have eco-friendly clothing in their arsenal, you can snag accessories, health and beauty products, home accents and oh-so-much more at their e-store and it won't force you to sell your mother's pearls or steal from an old lady (for shame!) to buy! The selection is sort of slim, but there are definitely a few great finds among the offerings! Plus, once the word gets around about the eco-overstock stuff they're selling, we're sure they'll see more traffic and add more items. C'mon, you deserve this!
august is already here, and all i can think about is my xmas shopping in september. that's right. i shop in september.
this weekend i will be attending my 20 year high school reunion, and have decided to craft all day on sunday. what has happened to us that we now need to schedule stuff in? if i could schedule all stupid people to take the year off, sign me up!! it's crazy how some can get dressed in the morning.
anyhoo, my blackbelt in resale shopping goes on. i will blog tomorrow about more finds.
for those of you who are interested in purchasing organic clothing without the high price tag, i definitely recommend. check it out, and shop away. also, my new favorite eco website is the oh so fashionable. lots of great info for the eco fabulous in us all.
thought for the day: S. is a great friend, and has been "eco" all her life (even though she doesn't like to call it that). she remembers the days when her vivacious british mother would go outside to hang dry all their clothes. she would wear the apron, filled with the clothes pins, and hang 'em high. and the wonderful fresh smell,,,,,, just can't beat it. anyhoo, S. just erected her own clothes line and is lovin' it. i will try to post pictures. c'mon people, give the dryer a break, hang 'em high and breathe in the air!!!!
Times are tough, both on our pocketbooks and the environment, so if we're going to shop (and you know we are), we want to shop for items that are easy on both. And to do so, we need to look no further than You Deserve.
You Deserve offers clothing, accessories, health and beauty products as well as home decor items made of natural and eco-friendly materials like bamboo, organic cotton, denim, and more, all at 30% to 70% off the original price! Granted, that means that some items, instead of being $190, are now $130, but there are loads of fabulous clothes available for well under $100 -- in some cases, under $50.
Clothes for both men and women are available, all from eco-friendly designers you can feel good about supporting. If you're not sure about a designer, have no fear -- you'll have a chance to read about their practices when you click on one of their products!
Of course, we all want to make our fashion purchases from eco-friendly companies that use sustainable fabrics and sweatshop-free manufacturing. But there are two obstacles to that oh-so-admirable course. The first is where to find all the good stuff in one place. And the second is the price.
Let’s face it: Buying eco off-the-rack can be prohibitively expensive. And although we know that ever dollar is going toward the excellent cause of supporting sustainable business, when those dollars are in short supply the idea of a $30 tank may draw the line at your good deed.
So it was with great trepidation that we approached YouDeserve.com. Could it really be true that this is the first and only company that sells eco-friendly overstock at 30 to 70% off retail? Can they really live up to their promise of finding deals from the hottest sustainably-minded designers in town(s)? Can that Oxygen Required bamboo tank top we’ve been coveting really be selling for $14.95?
Oh yes. It can. With heavy-hitters like Grace & Cello, SameUnderneath, Ecoist and Under the Canopy selling at a fraction of their retail cost, plus details on how these companies approach sustainability, YouDeserve.com is a one-stop shop for an eco-friendly closet update. There’s even a men’s section! Our one (organic, grass-fed) beef with the site is that they don’t list the designer’s names until you click to the actual item—but this may be intentional, forcing us to look at the style of pieces we like, rather than gravitate toward the names we already know. And sizes sell out fast. But Del Forte’s coveted Marina pants for $90? C’mon, people. It doesn’t get better than that.
Through August 31st, get 15% off organic denim at YouDeserve by entering “stiletto” at check out, plus free shipping on orders over $150. Because you deserve it!
Finally, an overstock.com type site dedicated to all things eco-fashionable! Get your favorite enviro-designer duds at discounts from 30%-70% off retail at YouDeserve.com… You can even find information about each designer’s sustainability practices and environmental approach. Just don’t spend it all in one place… or do! At least you know your hard earned cash is supporting the planet, not just the withering economy. =)
July 7, 2008 09:00 PM Check out the latest green posts from our new blog, The Budget Ecoist!
-- We've already talked about the uber-trendy cut-out one piece bathing suit, but how about suits made out of recycled materials? Unfortunately, you won't be seeing these on the runways yet, but going green is a move that the Earth (and your budget will appreciate). The Budget Ecoist introduced us to suits made out of repurposed plastic bottles, recycled fabrics, and more.
-- Think dryer sheets are a waste? We do too, and that's why we love The Budget Ecoist's post on Nellie's Dryerballs. They cut down on drying time of your clothes, and are much more cost effective! You don't have to buy fabric softener or dryer sheets. Read about Paige's tests and see for yourself.
-- Green fashion. The term combines two great loves: being eco-friendly and looking great. Check out this compilation of pieces that YouDeserve, an online store full of eco-friendly, affordable fashion, offers up on their site. Dress head to toe in fabrics like organic cotton and bamboo. Yes, bamboo. YouDeserve is even having a sale right now.
We like stuff on sale, so when we came across youdeserve we felt like we hit a jackpot of gold or something. The online retailer not only sells all eco-friendly clothing, but they also offer everything at a discounted price! Brands such as Del Forte, Same Underneath , Grace & Cello are offered at 30-70% off! Its like the Nordstroms Rack of the eco-friendly clothing market!
*Ecoist's portfolio bag made from 100% repurposed candy wrappers. $48 (compared to $138) youdeserve
Forever 21 is not getting a lot of good press these days. I recently reported on how they are going to build a 
I can't get over this website! High quality eco-friendly fashions are often out of many people's price ranges. 
