May 5, 2009 12:37 pm US/Eastern
CBS 2 Goes Green: Eco-Friendly Clothing
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Less than ten years ago, dressing in an "eco-friendly" way meant wearing clothes that often looked like potato sacks and felt equally uncomfortable. Designer Jenny Hwa of Loyale Clothing knew she'd have to overcome perceptions like that if she wanted her creations to sell.
"Because of this image that eco-clothing has had in the past, people would not be receptive to it if it wasn't fashionable as well as eco," Hwa told CBS 2.
Made primarily from organic cotton, Hwa's Loyale Clothing line is a collection she describes as young, fun and chic.
"As eco becomes more mainstream, there are so many different fabric vendors offering beautiful fabrics and different prints," she tells CBS 2. "So we're able to do plaids and polka dots and things like that that have really made the line more fashionable."
It's not only more attractive, it's more affordable.
Heather Stephenson is the co-founder of "Ideal Bite,"an online newsletter that gives daily tips on how to go green. She says buying new clothes made from eco-friendly materials is one way to be sustainably stylish, but she also suggests buying re-worked and vintage items.
"People who really cared about their own fashion sense are the people who bought them to start with," she says. "So you get the most amazing finds in vintage."
Kate Goldwater's Soho boutique offers vintage pieces and re-worked clothing she sews herself. Old t-shirts, sweaters and jerseys are now dresses, shirts and skirts.
"Some people shop here because they like the eco-friendly thing but I think it's mainly the one of a kind, handmade, personalized and the price is right here," she says.
People hire consultant Liza Dunn to help them green their lives. She says when it comes to wardrobe, making an investment in quality items that you'll wear for years is also a step in a greener direction.
"Buying conventional, regular old clothes that are well made and will last a lifetime I think is also a really good choice," she says.
And it's a choice that over time could help you save money and the environment.
For more information about Loyale Clothing's Spring 2009 line head to
www.loyaleclothing.com.
To find out how to get Kate Goldwater's vintage and reworked clothing items at her AuH20 boutique click on www.auh2odesigns.com
If you need a guru to help you green your life Liz Dunn can be contacted at www.LizaDunn.com If you would like daily tips on how to incorporate green things into your life one small step at a time … subscribe to www.idealbite.com
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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