Posts tagged green
Green is the New Black
Apr 22nd
It’s easy to get lost in the little things in our daily lives—we’re often too preoccupied with work, school, family and friends to think about much else. However, Earth Day is approaching on Monday, April 22, and it is a day when we should put those petty issues aside and express our gratitude for the thing we take most for granted, the Earth.
There are numerous ways to give back to the Earth, from the smallest act of recycling and drinking from reusable water bottles to volunteering time to plant trees or installing energy-efficient appliances in your home. However, it doesn’t stop there. Your wardrobe can be just as eco-friendly as your lifestyle. Here’s how:
Buy Used/Consign
I’m not mentioning this just because this is the Second Time Around blog; buying used clothing is one of the biggest ways to be environmentally friendly with your fashion. Think about it: the amount of fuel and resources it takes to manufacture clothes and accessories is enormous. By purchasing clothing from a consignment store, you’re saving the energy and supplies that would ordinarily be used in the production of new clothing. Buying from consignment stores is not only good for the Earth—it’s good for your wallet, too! Consignment stores offer great deals on gently worn clothes and are a moneymaking eco-friendly alternative to tossing your last-season pieces in the trash.
Check Out Eco-Friendly Designers
There are numerous designers (both indie and more prominent) who take pride in their environmentally friendly designs. Loomstate is a mainstream clothing company that produces organic cotton clothing using “socially and environmentally responsible methods of production.” Another eco-friendly designer is Marcia Patmos, of M. Patmos. After spending a decade at luxury label Lutz + Patmos, she created her own brand, creating socially conscious and environmentally friendly pieces. Stella McCartney is probably the most prominent eco-fashion designers. Her designs are famously vegan, along with an emphasis on using organic and sustainable fabrics.
Share With Friends
In my sophomore year of college, I lived with seven other girls. Sounds crazy, right? It actually was one of the best experiences of my life. Not to mention, I probably spent less time and money shopping than I ever had before. Why? Because we raided each others’ closets all the time. There was rarely a day each week when a roommate wouldn’t ask to borrow an item of clothing or just browse through each others clothes. Borrowing clothes is a great way to practice environmentally friendly fashion, because like consignment shopping, you’re not adding to the pollution and resources it takes to produce new clothing. Not to mention, that sundress hanging in your best friend’s closet probably looks better on you anyway. 
For more eco-friendly style inspiration, be sure to check out our Going Green: Your Closet and Going Green: At Home Pinterest boards!
~Alyssa, fashioniSTA
(image credits: flickr.com, vogue.com, dailymail.co.uk
It’s Easy Being Green…with the Right Designers
Apr 19th
It’s easy to go a little green in your closet, whether it’s an organic t-shirt here or a vegan leather bag there. But if you’re someone who craves high-end designers, you’re also in luck. A number of designers are jumping on the eco bandwagon to offer green pieces or full lines of earth-friendly items. Here are a few of our favorites that are sure to make you and the earth look good.
Stella McCartney: This is the mothership of high-end, non-leather/non-fur fashion. While this label does use wool and silk in some of her designs, some of her shoes and handbags are completely vegan, while all of them are leather and fur-free. This label is living proof that you don’t need leather to be considered high-end, which is a pretty incredible realization out of an industry that glorifies leather-loving labels like Louis Vuitton and Hermes.
Edun: High-end, but slightly more contemporary, this label has emerged as a fashion week power player. Using only certified organic cotton grown and stitched in sub-Saharan Africa, Edun’s line is all about promoting sustainability through making change in Africa. They have a real positive relationship with the continent, and encourages us all to change through fair trade.
Organic by John Patrick: Devoted to sustainable fashion, John Patrick pioneered a line that uses natural fibers such as organic wool, flax, cotton and recycled fibers. Discovering that one could grow cotton in different colors, he has produced lines sold by Barneys and has been recognized by the CFDA/Vogue Fashion.
H&M Conscious Collection: While it doesn’t scream upscale, I think it’s worth mentioning since it’s such an omnipresent brand, with everyone from teenagers to celebrities flocking to the store. This new Conscious Collection is made from organic cotton and And with its recent announcement of its high-end line “& other stories,” maybe it will be another label to take green upscale.
A FashioniSTA’s Reference Guide to Green
Apr 17th
We all know that we should try to be a little more eco-friendly, but sometimes we don’t know where to start, especially when it comes to our closets. Checking out eco-fashion buzzwords, it’s not always clear what they mean. Finding yourself stumped? Well here’s a handy little guide to make eco-shopping a little easier.
Organic: This means that no pesticides, chemicals or genetically modified seeds were used in growing the materials used to make the clothing. However, some dyes used to color the clothing are chemical, so make sure you do some research on the company if this is a deal-breaker for you.
Vegan: No animal products were used to create the item. This includes wool, silk, down, leather, suede and fur. Going vegan can reduce your carbon footprint because the processes to make non-vegan materials can involve harmful chemicals and depletion of natural resources.
Sustainable: Refers to items that are eco-friendly, generally meaning organic. Any fashion that reduces your carbon footprint can be labeled sustainable.
Bamboo: A type of grass that grows quickly and in a variety of climates. The reason it’s lauded as being green is because it can be grown without the use of pesticides and regrows quickly after it is cut. However, sometimes chemicals are used to convert bamboo into clothing.
Consignment/Swapping: This is the equivalent to recycling your clothing. You’re reducing your carbon footprint by not increasing the demand for new clothes (where the process uses chemicals as well as natural resources). However, not all clothing that is consigned or swapped is organic or vegan.
Do you have a buzzword that you’re confused about? Let us know on Facebook!
It’s Eco-Chic Week at STA!
Apr 16th
We’re counting down the days to Earth Day with our first-ever Eco-Chic Week! Of course consignment shopping ranks at the top of our eco-friendly list, but we’re expanding our repertoire and bringing you more. All week we’ll be bringing you style tips, home advice and fun facts to help you go green in style. Check back everyday to find posts on how to be eco-friendly all year round, and check out our Pinterest and Twitter pages to get quick green tips all this week!
Eco-Chic Week will culminate in our crew picking a winner for our Earth Day Giveaway on April 22nd. There’s still time to enter and put a little green (literally) into your closet! Click here to go to our Facebook page and enter to win a Tory Burch Nico Tote!
St. Patrick’s Day How-To: A Dose of Green Done Right
Mar 16th
Green is in the air this weekend, and it’s only natural to want to get in on the festivities. Resist the urge to wear an oversized green bow-tie and a t-shirt that says “Kiss Me, I’m Irish.” Instead, try a few fashionable approaches to the holiday to ensure that you don’t wake up with a bad style hangover.
Minty Fresh
With Spring just around the color, saturated pastels are popping up everywhere. One of the biggest colors this spring is mint (not to be confused with Thin Mints), which also happens to be a killer choice to celebrate in this weekend. Instead of going with traditional kelly green, try a fresh spin with mint, either in a pair of colored denim (like from Current/Elliott), a sleeveless top (like this one from Rag & Bone), or a full mint dress (like from Diane von Furstenberg). Touches of mint were all over the Spring 2012 runway, from Carolina Herrera to DVF, and have been making they’re way into all aspects of street style. If you’re not comfortable trying it out in an ensemble, go with a mint manicure, pair of flats, scarf, sunglasses, or a bunch of stackable prasiolite or peridot-accented bangles or rings. Or you could even find items of clothing that have small mint touches, like this colorblock dress by Tibi (two trends, one stone!).
It’s All in the Details
Unless you moonlight as a leprechaun, head-to-toe green might be a no-go. However, using a few individual touches of green can help you have a put-together - but still festive - look. Now is the perfect time to break out that bright green handbag or pair of flats that you haven’t been wearing. Green is a tough color to go to, but luckily this spring is all about brights, and this is the perfect opportunity to break out of your muted shell! Red jeans have been lighting up the streets, but to get ahead of the trend a bit, go for a pair of green denim. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day and beyond!
If pants aren’t your thing, you can start by working green in with jewelry and accessories, and then when you’re feeling brave, you can move to bigger parts of your ensemble. Snap up a green dress, tank or skirt, and keep the rest of the outfit neutral for a classic look or go for colorblocking to bring on the bold. If you feel more comfortable with neutrals (black, white, camel, navy), you can work with different textures to achieve different looks. Go with simple knits for a minimalist vibe, or channel your inner urbanite with touches of leather - a huge trend for both spring and fall 2012. If you choose the colorblocking route, green goes great with all shades of blue - try a bright cobalt with a dark green for a great springtime look - as well as certain shades of yellow. Since neons are coming out in full-force, pairing a kelly green with a bright yellow is a surefire hit. But remember, for this holiday, pairing two shades of green together could come across as overkill.
Prints Charming
This is also a great time to work in some of the green-printed pieces you have sitting in your wardrobe. Whether it’s a green and white-printed wrap dress or a green polka-dotted blouse (like this Kate Spade option), St. Patrick’s Day is a safe occasion to try out a piece for the first time. Once you wear it out, you may be more comfortable working it into your current wardrobe rotation. (This holiday is also a great excuse to get another wear out of a piece.) Another great thing about wearing green prints is that it doesn’t look like you overdosed on the St. Patrick’s Day Kool-Aid. You’ll look classic and put-together, with just the right amount of holiday spirit.
Of course if you’re one of those girls who goes big or goes home, I won’t judge you for wearing a full sequined, green dress, as long as you channel Alice + Olivia’s Fall 2012 line rather than Poison Ivy from Batman.
~Ashley, FashioniSTA
More Style for Less Green this St. Patrick’s Day at STA!
Mar 15th
We want to help you save your green this weekend with our first Spring Sale of the season!
Who needs a pot of gold when you’ve got 20% - 50% off the entire store from Friday, March 16th through Sunday, March 18th!
Shop our St. Patrick’s Day-themed racks or search out your style lucky charm this weekend!
ALL LOCATIONS!
Second Time Around
www.secondtimearound.net