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Heir Brains: Victoria Everman's Conscious-Chic

Ok, I don’t want to take the fun out of shopping. There is no denying that eco-fashion is sleek, sexy, and just as functional (if not more) than what you find in those big chain stores. It took me nearly a year to control my mall shopping after I found out more about slave labor and the immense amount of chemicals and water needed to grown just enough cotton for one t-shirt. Every penny that you spend is going to someone, affecting the lives of everyone associated with the growth and production of the item you just bought. Are you helping to fund organic cotton farmers in Turkey or child labor in India? Reality check! Happy days are ahead; green options (whether emerald-colored or not) have flooded the market, giving us consumers every choice we could want or need -- by Victoria Everman

All of those pesticides and such that are sprayed on "conventional" cotton are weaved right into the item that it is made from. This means you are inhaling these chemicals into your lungs as well as absorbing them into your skin, and that raises a little red flag in my mind. Choosing to buy fashionable goods made from sustainable fabrics is one of the biggest impacts you can have on the style market; this includes organic cotton, soy, bamboo, hemp, organic wool, alpaca, coconut...the list goes on. At this very moment, I’m wearing an organic cotton t-shirt from Twice Shy; in the past two days, I’ve gotten more positive and intriguing comments on it than anything else in my wardrobe. Though most of us have a bad relationship with industrial hemp (too itchy!), those days are long gone. Many brands have begun to blend hemp with organic cotton or bamboo to give it a softer feel. In turn, the garment also had the added benefit of the durability and strength of hemp. Speaking of that tasty grass, bamboo is a deliciously luxurious fabric that has taken hold in the fashion world in recent years. Most items made from this fiber are roughly the same price as those made of organic cotton, but it is even softer. The only downside is that it isn’t very warm on its own, so these items are perfect for layering.

Twice Shy T-shirt
A simple thing, like a t-shirt can make a huge difference.
Though we all want our clothes to look good and fit our body well, worker conditions are just as important as your outfit’s fabrics. Most fashion lines that use sustainable fabrics also have progressive policies for field and factor workers; these conditions are often monitored by third-party groups. Many larger companies, such as Nike, have come under fire in the past decade for their overseas factories. If you do not know what a company’s policies are in terms of workers conditions (not the people in their stores, the ones who make the goods), ask; check their website, email company heads, do something to find out. Your questions can help change some of the horrifying situations people have to work in just to scrap by: no sunlight, no ventilation, no breaks, no healthcare, working 14-hour days every day...and it only gets worse from there.

These two factors in particular are those that affect all of my (and hopefully your) fashionable purchases. Unfortunately, you will find brands out there that only take into consideration one of the previous topics instead of both. Do you buy from them anyway? Heck yeah! The fact that someone is trying to make any sort of difference is better than buying from a company that has shown they don’t give two cents about their customers’ and workers’ wellbeing. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t ask store managers and company execs if they will be making any more eco-advancements; customer demand is one of the leading factors for change in the fashion industry.

Another item I have been stalling on mentioning is cost. Most of you have probably already shopped around and found that the average price of a pair of organic cotton jeans is $180; for me, that’s more than enough for a week of groceries. So, you have three options in this case: save up, wait for a sale, or buy second-hand. Anything that you buy is best viewed as an investment in both the planet and your own health. Saving up to purchase items from brands like Del Forte, Loomstate, Edun, Linda Loudermilk, and others in the "eco-luxury" category is worthwhile, to say the least. If you still lust after those jeans but want to save money, try waiting for the end of the season. Stores and websites will discount items from the past collection anywhere from 20-75%, helping you save some bills. I bought a pair of Loomstate jeans online this past week for $60, instead of the usual sticker price of almost $200. Having one of those "I need to shop!" moments? Well, first off, consumerism has control of you; snap out of it! I know, that didn’t work, did it? Oh well; try going to a thrift or vintage store. You’ll find some funny things there that you wouldn’t imagine anyone buying, but you can also score some serious deals on basic and unique items. Bigger cities like NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, Portland, and others have quite a reputation in this area, offering more than just the Salvation Army for folks to peruse.

Ready for the nitty gritty? Here are some actual outfits that I’ve spliced together to help give you an idea of the variety available out there. Note: I’ve only listed basic clothing; things such as bags, socks, shoes, and other accessories can be green too!

Office/Business Casual
Ladies: Grace & Cello Bamboo Bishop Blouse ($94; thegreenloop.com); Deity Aton Tuxedo Pants ($150; thegreenloop.com)
Twice Shy Longsleeve Fellas: Boll Dress Shirt ($60; bollorganic.com); Hempest Chino ($68; hempest.com)

Casual
Ladies: Twice Shy T-Shirt (on sale) ($35; twice-shy.com); Blue Canoe Yoga Pants ($56; bluecanoe.com)
Fellas: No Enemy Ebb and Flow T-Shirt ($22; btcelements.com); Certified Jeans ($74; certifiedjean.com)

Evening Out
Ladies: Nature vs. Future Asymmetrical Dress ($99 (on sale); shopenvi.com)
Fellas: Twice Shy "Thorns" Long-sleeve Button Shirt (pictured, $76; twice-shy.com); Twice Shy Chinos ($88; twice-shy.com)

Victoria Everman (known by some as Victoria E) is a writer, model & entrepreneur living in San Francisco. For an even bigger variety of retailers, check out the Eco Links section of her website.
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