UGH. I just want to scream!!! actually, I did say OMG out loud when I first read this, but refrained from screaming 
I loved this the second I saw it. It’s not a knockoff or a replica or anything like that. It is what it is. Since everyone is so tote bag and environmentally friendly these days, this is the perfect solution for those of us who can’t afford a $3,000 bag.
Every time I look at Forever 21′s Printed Purse Tote I get the giggles. I think it’s really chic, affordable and hilarious! When was the last time something like this made you laugh? And don’t fret — no one will know it’s not real!
PRODUCT DETAILS
Forever 21 Printed Purse Tote, $5.80
Totally fun and eco-friendly, this canvas tote features a stylish printed quilted purse detail on the front and back with printed chains on the straps. Closure-less style.
She’s referring of course, to this Forever21 tote bag:
Besides the fact that her logic just doesn’t follow (the perfect environmentally friendly solution for those of us who can’t afford a $3,000 bag? does that make sense?) Can someone PLEASE tell me how this is eco-friendly? It’s not only the writer who “claims” this, it’s Forever21 itself. It is NOT made from hemp or organic cotton or reclaimed materials, it is NOT produced fairly OR ethically, it is NOT made locally…
I suppose the rationale is that it can be used in place of plastic grocery bags, but that in itself does not make a product eco-friendly. I mean, by that logic, the shopping bag you get from J Crew is environmentally friendly if you re-use it. But that’s incorrect; re-using a bag does not make the bag itself environmentally friendly – the most environmentlaly friendly thing to do is not to take a shopping bag from the store in the first place…which I supposed you could do if you had this tote bag with you, but seriously, how many people have you seen use a tote bag in place of a shopping bag at the mall? (I do it, and get strange looks carrying around a stuffed full BAGGU bag instead of branded shopping bags)
Add to this that Forever21 is the last place in the world you should be buying stuff if you’re trying to be more environmentally friendly. In my opinion, being eco-friendly is about shopping consciously, thinking about where what you buy comes from, who makes it, and all the production steps along the way. Forever21 embodies exactly the opposite of this; they knockoff designers (big and small) constantly, and they make inferior product to sell for the cheapest price possible not considering the impact this has. Please. It’s not all about the almighty dollar. You don’t want the companies you buy from to consider profit their end all and be all – so why should buying the cheapest products possible be your goal as a consumer?
(read this article at 39th and Broadway – it’s another great discussion of why you should THINK before you buy)
**and also read this: Factory vs FROCK – where would you rather buy your clothes?
What do you think? What makes a product eco-friendly in your opinion? am I way off-base here?
I love clogs. If you follow my other site, Grechen’s Closet, at all, you know this already. And I’m ecstatic that they’re back “in” style now because of all the options out there. Unfortunately, you cannot imagine how hard it was to find vegan clogs online that I’d actually wear. Or maybe you can. Sure, there are lots of vegan clog options out there, including the dreaded CROC, but I wouldn’t be caught dead or alive wearing any of them. I almost had to give up, but I did manage to find a few pairs of vegan “clogs” that are somewhat stylish (if only Swedish Hasbeens made a non-leather version of any of their clogs).
And just to clarify, my definition of a clog is a shoe with a wood sole & heel (NOT A WEDGE) and preferably with some sort of nails or staples fastening the upper to the sole. What exactly IS a clog is a definitely point of contention around the blogosphere lately, now that clogs are “in” – but I’m sticking to my guns on this one…
So…here goes! Let me know if you find any more stylish vegan clogs out there…
Ethical Wares
These vegan t-strap clog sandals are available at UK site Ethical Wares for approximately $92. They also have a couple of other pairs of decent-looking vegan clog sandals, although I do wish the heels were a bit higher on all of them. It would balance out the heavier styles in my opinion.
Lulu’s
These could also be called a platform sandal, but according to my definition, they’re a clog. $31 at Lulu’s:
Alternative Outfitters
I’m sorry, but I actually think the heel on these is very ugly – but aside from that, the shoe isn’t bad…$29 at Alternative Outfitters:
Etsy
Etsy turned out to be a good option for vegan clogs – all “vintage” or used at least…I found two pairs, one was sold out already, but this pair isn’t bad:
Sanita
I do still love a “classic” clog, either with a back or without, and Sanita makes a nice vegan option – but while I think this shoe is pretty to look at (the pattern, anyway), it’s hard to wear. Sanita does make a floral patterned high-heel sandal, but it’s lined with leather, so not appropriate here.
Stella McCartney
And I had to save the best, most stylish vegan clog/sandal for last – Stella McCartney:
What do you think? would you wear any of these? Have you found any other vegan clog options? do tell!!!
Just let that sink in for a second and consider all that it means. Heavy, isn’t it? But is it true? I’ve been batting this around in my head for quite some time actually, and have admitted already here that I find what I and other eco-fashion bloggers do hypocritical, to say the least. But I also don’t believe that producing and consuming are inherently evil or bad for the environment; there’s a fine line, however, between balance & excess in the world of fashion. I do believe that waste should be avoided at ALL costs (starting with the producers and ending with consumers) – I’d even argue that that’s more important that the actual materials used in producing a garment. It’s about resources, and using them intelligently and as ethically as possible.
Given the recent scandals with H&M throwing out clothing that had been SLASHED so as not to be wearable, and their disclosure that their organic cotton may not have been as organic as they said it was, thoughts and discussion about organic cotton and eco-fashion have set the blogosphere on fire. And I don’t want to be all “I told you so…” but I have always advocated shopping smaller boutiques & designers as opposed to fast fashion or large chain stores EVEN if you’re buying organic cotton clothing. In my mind, buying eco-friendly means buying more than just the item of clothing – you’re also buying into the company and its suppliers. I’m never really that surprised when a gigantic corporation discloses information like this – I almost expect it, which is why I prefer to focus on smaller designers and boutiques who start out and are guided by ethics and concern for resources. The idea that you can purchase organic cotton clothing at H&M or WalMart and that makes you “eco-friendly” is so misguided it’s not even funny…
I don’t mean to rant, but there was way too much shock & awe over recent revelations for my taste
But back to the original statement and title of this blog post: “I don’t think any eco-brand exists.” That’s a quote from SANS designer Lika Volkova from a video about her new “printable patterns” initiative & the idea of eco-friendly clothing in general. It provides absolutely brilliant insight into what it means to be an eco-friendly designer and the use of resources in the fashion industry. (Thanks so much to makool loves you for introducing this on her blog today.)
Her argument is essentially that as a designer, because you’re producing things, using up resources, you can’t possibly be eco-friendly. I don’t agree with that 100%, but there is a significant amount of truth to what she says. It would simply not be possible for all the producers to stop producing, not even for a small amount of time; economies would collapse, and nothing would be accomplished. It’s much more about using resources ethically and intelligently so as not to produce WASTE along with a product that’s important. And that is where the challenge lies: it’s relatively easy for a designer to just say, okay, I’m going to work only with organic cotton. But that does not an eco-friendly designer make. The hard part is deciding to work with hemp, to find uses for scraps, to makes smaller batches, to pay fair wages, and so on.
Please take a few minutes to watch the video if you haven’t yet – it’s really valuable. I love that Lika puts her money where her mouth is with her printable patterns and very unique designs. I don’t think anyone could argue against the fact that if you were to print out one of her patterns and create it yourself with a conventional cotton fabric it would be much more friendly towards the environment than buying organic cotton or even hemp clothing from a larger outlet. (I also just love to hear her talk) And she makes some very interesting points about “making things” for yourself and that being enough. This really hit home for me, as I’m wanting very much to get back into needlework and sewing and “making things” myself…
Do you think there’s such a thing as an “eco-brand?” What does it take for a designer to be eco-friendly in your opinion?
I’m so excited to present this guest post today by Brad from Commerce with a Conscience. I don’t do much shopping for men’s fashion items – my fiance isn’t interested in fashion, or shopping outside of Macy’s – so I asked Brad if he would do a simple post on Men’s ethical fashion to get some ideas on what’s out there. I love the look he put together – so perfect for Fall….
Aimed towards a new generation of socially conscious, yet aesthetically minded, men, Commerce with a Conscience (CwaC) is focused on stylish, affordable, sustainably and ethically produced men’s clothing and accessories. Striving to dispel the widely held dreadslocks / Birkenstocks / trust fund and smug sense of self satisfaction image of the modern environmentalist, CwaC highlights brands and products that make it possible to stay on-trend without any moral sacrifice, or overdrawn bank accounts. Guys can get their news from Treehugger, but take their style cues from The Sartorialist. CwaC explains how.
Clockwise from left:
-
Steven Alan Reverse Seam Organic Shirt
100% organic cotton
Made in USA
Best Price: $129.00 (PRE-SHIPPING) at Steven Alan
- ICU Eyewear Classic Recycled Reader
100% recycled lenses, frames, hinges and details
Responsibly made in Taiwan
Best Price: $22.95 (PRE-SHIPPING) at ICU Eyewear
- Kuyichi Caddy Cardi
100% organic cotton
Fair Trade made in Hong Kong
MADE BY trackable
Best Price: ~ $132.00* (SHIPPED) at Adili
*Price is listed in Pounds, so the exact cost will be dependent on the day’s exchange rates.
- Tanner Goods Waxed Canvas Tote
Eco-friendly waxed cotton
Vegetable tanned leather
Handcrafted in USA
Best price: $195.00 (SHIPPED) at Tanner Goods
- Terra Plana Wittgenstein Boot
Vegetable tanned leather uppers
Vegetable Tanned leather sole
Made in Portugal
Best price: $250.00 (SHIPPED) at Terra Plana
- Nudie Jeans Grim Tim Dry Dirt Organic
100% organic cotton
Low-impact dyes
Made in Italy
Best Price: ~ $127.00* (SHIPPED) at Dogfish
*Price is listed in Pounds, so the exact cost will be dependent on the day’s exchange rates.
To wrap-up eco-beauty week, here’s a wonderful post by Stancie Wilson of Fig+Sage on her personal favorite beauty products (I’m totally trying all of them…)
Stancie Wilson is an avid researcher who’s passionate about organics and the personal care industry and is eagle-eyed when it comes to ingredients. She’s not a hippie or treehugger (though nothing wrong with that), she’s a working woman with a full-time career in the communications industry who loves spreading the word about truly pure and stylish products, helping educate others about the dangers of toxic ingredients and hopes to help others dicifer products that are greenwashed and those that are truly green.
She’s Co-Founder and Editor of the popular blog, Fig+Sage™ [www.figandsage.com] which won the 2009 Top Blog Award named one of the “Best Blogs By Women” by Blogtrepreneur, is featured in Alltop and was recently awarded Blog Pick Of The Day by RedOrbit. Gaining rapid popularity since its inception in March ‘08 is no surprise given its honest and refreshing voice in a sea of “crunchy” green blogs. It is the go-to online resource for discovering hip organic and fresh eco finds with a heavy emphasis on organic beauty.
Stancie is also Beauty and Fashion Editor for Feelgood Style [www.feelgoodstyle.com] and was the first to be awarded the ‘Eco-Friendly Expert Maven’ title by ThisNext.com last year where her recommendations are followed by millions of shoppers.
If you’re like most consumers its likely you’re overwhelmed at the sheer number of brands claiming this and that when it comes to natural and organic beauty. At times you may even feel like a deer in headlights with so many options and claims being hurled your direction by savvy marketers. Its important to remember there are brands who have a genuine passion for creating products with both performance and purity in mind and as one who has tried, tested, slathered, smoothed and used countless natural and organic beauty products, I’m going to share with you some of my favorites, those shining stars that are now amongst my absolute must-haves, most of which are in my makeup bag right now.
Intelligent Nutrients Anti-Aging Serum:
Its not often that I’m absolutely blown away by an entire skin care range, but this one does just that and its my #1 favorite (of the hundreds I’ve tried) at the moment. Its no surprise really, considering Horst Rechelbacher is the brain behind this brilliant brand. He founded Aveda back in 1978, sold it to Estee Lauder in 2005 and is now the founder/formulator/visionary behind these USDA and Soil Association certified products, that prove “organic luxury” is not an oxymoron. I use just 1-2 drops for my entire face (including under eyes and eyelids), neck and décolleté. If you have really dry skin, you’ll benefit from applying this before your moisturizer, but I just use the I.N. Serum at night and the I.N. Moisture in the morning. Looking in a mirror in the morning can be scary, but I actually really look forward to it after I’ve used this serum. Pores appears smaller, redness is gone and if there were any blemishes they have either vanished completed or on their way to recovery. And I love the smell of this – fresh and herbal. First glance at the price tag may raise eyebrows but considering how long this will last (approx. 6-8 months) and how your skin will adore it, its a total bargain. In last months issue, Lucky Mag’s Beauty Editor raved about this serum, writing “there’s nothing better”. In case you want to try it out before dropping a good amount of cash, the only places I know that offer samples sizes of Intelligent Nutrients are Spirit Beauty Lounge and The Nature Of Beauty.
[click to continue…]
