ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PART 2

Last time I wrote about how you can help the environment by purchasing high quality classic pieces, and reducing your clothing purchases. Often you will want to accent these classics by adding character pieces to your wardrobe. Here are some tips to help you choose character pieces that are also environmentally-conscious.

1) Buy high quality character pieces that genuinely suit your personality. When an item is a true expression of your personality you will love to wear it all the time, therefore reducing the number of character pieces you need in your wardrobe.

2) Reuse well-made pieces from past eras by shopping in vintage stores. Vintage shopping is an art form. If you're new to it, choose one item, like dresses or hats, to focus on in each store - it will make your shopping more manageable and time-effective.

3) Many Canadian designers use recycled materials to make creative new pieces. For example, Precocious uses recycled vintage sweaters to make cute shrugs, cardigans, and wraps; and The Brit Boutique designs clutches and belts from recycled leather products. Both of these designers can be purchased at Shop Girls one of my favourite boutiques on the Made in Canada Shopping Tour.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PART 1

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The environment is on everyone's mind these days, including those in the fashion business. There are many clothing lines that now boast the use of organic, biodegradable, and renewable materials, and are therefore considered "green". Choosing "green" clothing is a step in the right direction; however, the only way to truly help the environment is to reduce your consumption of products. The way to reduce your clothing consumption is to buy quality garments that will last for years! Step away from the disposable clothing and invest in versatile classic pieces that fit you well.

Classic pieces are those with clean, simple lines and cuts that will be as much in style five years from now as they are today. Looking for examples? Think in the middle of the extremes: a knee-length skirt, boot-cut jeans, two-inch pumps, and a white silk blouse. That classic white silk blouse that you wear to work with a pencil skirt can be paired with dark jeans and killer shoes for a night on the town, or worn underneath a sweater for a more casual outing - that's three very versatile looks. As for a proper fit, these items should follow the lines of your body and compliment your curves. Compromise is a four-letter word in my opinion, and compromising on fit leads to wasteful purchases. I'm sure you have plenty of ill-fitting clothing sitting in the back of your closet you've never worn, which were not only a waste of money but a waste of resources. Be fastidious with fit!

The best part... these high-quality classic well-fitting items fulfill your environmental conscience while making you feel happy, confident, and more powerful.