Eco-Friendly Products: Fashion and Home Decor

Recently, a friend of my told me about Vegan clothing. I had never thought about what went into my clothing, as I am not a vegetarian nor a vegan, however I admire and understand the philosophy behind it. According to a post on Treehugger, the premise behind wearing vegan clothing is that “vegans believe that they do not have the right to use any animal for any purpose.” Whether it be using the animal to create the clothing, in the case of silkworms, or even using pieces of the animal– in the case of wool– without actually hurting or killing the animal. I understand this premise and believe it is better to allow these animals to exist as they naturally do in the environment, however, I still like fashion and feel a need to look chic. That’s where all these new companies come in– there are plenty of companies that produce eco-friendly products, including organic cotton and vegan shoes. According to Vegan-Shoes, they are made out of a synthetic Micofiber material that is used on yachts. This is a wonderful alternative to the processes involved in making leather shoes, which can be violent at times.

There are many online sites which allow you to shop for green clothes, shoes and accessories. All of these products are sustainable and generally cost about the same prices as their non-organic counterparts.

For shoes:

Check out Vegan Chic, they have shoes for men and women in a variety of styles and sizes. They have flats, evening shoes, and even mary-janes. They also have a newsletter filled with new stock as well as animal friendly updates. Their handbag selection is also quite well stocked.

For clothes:

Greenloop is a Web site which features organic cotton clothing by a variety of designers. This site will also help you learn who the eco-conscious designers are and perhaps even shop them in stores rather than online. Their blog, In the Loop, reviews new organic fashion trends, updates you on what designers have joined the movement and also gives eco-friendly updates on subjects other than fashion.

For home decor:

Gaiam, the company that creates the Yoga, Pilates and other exercise videos often found in Barnes and Noble, also sells products which create a “sustainable living space.” Their sustainable home decor include some really chic products, which include:

• Turkish Pattern Reversible All Weather Rug- This rug is perfect for a dorm or apartment. It costs $39 for the 4×6 foot rug and $89 for the 6×9 foot rug.
• All purpose cleaner- CitraSolv, an all purpose cleaner, works in the kitchen or the bath. It costs $20 for the 32 oz bottle. This cleaner is perfect for your apartment if you are looking for an eco-friendly version of your favorite cleanser.
• The Smart Power Strip- This power strip, for $39, allows you to shut off power to peripheral devices when you cut the power to a main device. For example if you plug your computer into the main power supply, and then plug your printer, scanner, etc into the secondary supplies, the power strip will shut off the power to the secondary supplies when you shut off your computer. This reduces your energy consumption and ultimately your energy bill.

If you are interested in some more eco-friendly brands, check out this post by TreeHugger, these 5 brands are a surprising edition to the world of green fashion. Additionally, Gaiam has a top rated section which has a variety of supplies for turning your apartment into an eco-friendly oasis.