Earth Day meets everyday....

One day of the year, we celebrate our life sustaining PLANET. You know the place that we live, the place that provides us food, the essential mix of the appropriate gases in the atmosphere that keep us breathing, not to mention the source of (through a degree or two of separation) silk, cotton, wool, CASHMERE (ahhhhhh) and linen. Yes, folks, I'm talking natural fabrics. Even synthetics, like polyester, are made from petroleum which yes, Mother Earth has provided us. It's unfortunate that the miraculous and unappreciated Mother Earth gets one day of celebration, in the same vein as April Fool's Day and Valentine's Day, but who am I to judge?

Let's face it, we all take her for granted. She is lambasted any time she causes us inconvenience, but we are unwilling to give up our Range Rovers until gas prices go through the roof, and we must decide, mortgage payment or fancy SUV?

Fashion is no kinder to Mother Earth. We use and abuse our clothes and throw them away, not considering how much of that shirt was made with materials that came directly from the ground. Fashion is by it's very definition wasteful.

In light of Earth Day, I am throwing out into the universe some tips for taking it a little easier on the old girl while still looking fabulous.

Tip #1: Shop consignment or thrift. It is actually fun ladies! And while the idea of wearing some stranger's clothes has always given me a little shiver, that is why washing machines were invented. Well, sort of. Take an afternoon, scope out a few consignment shops, and while you're there, take some of your own gently used but completely played out duds for a fellow fashionista to find. It's a cliche, I know, but one woman's trash really is another woman's favorite new pair of jeans.

Tip #2: Shop green! It isn't just for cars and food anymore. The green revolution is taking over fashion, and actually has been for quite a while. A few designers/manufacturers that are attempting to make "green" apparel (and I don't mean the color):
*Mocuin
*Osbourne Design
*Beau Soleil
*Loomstate
*G-Shock
*Organic by John Patrick
*Popomomo
*Cocolico
*Dagmar
*Bllack Noir
*Provo
*People Tree
*Praire Underground
list partial c/o--www.refinery29.com

Tip #3: Invest in classic and basic clothes that will last! Constantly buying new trendy clothes that you are only going to throw out in a season is fun, but utterly wasteful. Spend good money on the clothes that never really go out of style (suits, denim, basic t's and sweaters, slacks) and DONATE the trendy stuff to Goodwill. You may not want to wear something because it is out of style, but not everyone is a fashion innovator, or can afford to be choosy.

Tip #4: Make your own apparel. I can't believe that I am even typing this because sewing class made me cry on more than one occasion, but if you have the patience and the desire to do sew, do it! You can channel your inner designer, make clothes perfectly suited to your figure, and make all the little adjustments to the clothes that you would LOVE if only.... Plus, a lot of fabric stores, especially online (I <3 Fabric.com) sell organic fabrics. Wow, maybe I should reconsider pulling out the old sewing machine? Nahhhhh...