Review: The Green: Wear

Can we imagine a world that is both green and stylish? It might be difficult, but with the help of Robert Redford’s The Green, it can be done. Targeted primarily at the fashion conscious individual, this episode shows how you can be hip and still help the environment. With the help of experts such as EDUN Apparel’s Ali Hewson, Queer Eye’s Carson Kressley and The Green’s own Simran Sethi, the eco-clothing industry is explained so that even those of us that don’t know a thing about fashion can understand it.

The fashion industry consumes large amounts of energy, creates significant waste and uses harmful pesticides and toxins. Fashion designer Linda Loudermilk is working to change that. Creating everything from clothing to home décor, Linda uses sustainable sources such as organic cotton, organic cashmere, bamboo and even seaweed. In fact, most of the sustainable materials are better not only for the environment but for the individual in many ways. As noted, the seaweed fabric has ant microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Just think how that would feel against the skin!

Patagonia sports wear is also very eco conscious. Currently working primarily with natural fabrics as well as synthetic, their ultimate goal is to have their entire line either recyclable or made from completely recycled products by 2010. One way they’re working towards this goal is a fabric called Capilene. Made from polyester, Patagonia will take any worn out capilene product and recycle it to make new clothing. This can be done over and over without having to use petroleum to create more polyester. Patagonia also uses Ecospun fabric, made from post-consumer plastics. By using this recycled fabric, less space is used for landfills and less toxins are released back into the environment.

For those of us on a tighter budget, there are still options available. You don’t have to wear your clothes until they’re falling apart any longer. More places are hosting swap meets, notably Swap-O-Rama-Rama. For a small fee, you can sort through whatever clothing is there. If you bring clothing to swap, the fee is less. Either way, you can spend the day digging through, swapping or even redesigning whatever you find and leave with as much as you want. This is perfect for those with limited budgets to not only clean out their closets but to be able to express themselves by creating their own style.

Gone are the days of coarse, bland eco-friendly fabrics. For the eco-conscious as well as fashion conscious there are plenty of options. For the funding-challenged even, there’s more than just the local thrift store. Of course there will be difficulties in getting more people to recognize the need to recycle clothing. It’s not something most people ever think about. Not only do we need to figure out how to reduce what we dispose of, but we need to be more aware of what we’re buying in the first place.

So, can we imagine a world that is both green and stylish? Absolutely. It’ll take some effort, but it’s definitely an attainable goal.