Be Saavy - It's What's on the Outside That Counts

Fashion is impossible to ignore when you're in the city. A sidewalk perspective offers the opportunity to experience trendsetting at it's best. Constantly surrounded by such an array of personal styles, you can't help but be inspired to make a fashion statment of your own. I've always put thought into the outfits I wear and enjoy finding ways to be creative, interpretative and expressive with clothing. More recently I've become very Interested in labels, but different from most, caring a lot less about who I'm wearing, and more about what it is that I'm wearing.

Going to your closet to pick out an outfit deserves more thought than just which shoes look best with which pants. Clothing production is just that; a production. And it can be a very polluting one. If you are anything like me, you are probably hyperventilating just thinking about something else you have to consider when you already regularly declare how you just have nothing to wear! Not to worry. With some label-decifering know-how and a better list of fashion Do's and Don'ts you'll probably find that you will have even more options than before and you might actually dress for comfort and style in the process. Here's my guidelines to never endup a fashion victim.

Do look at labels: If you don't look at labels except when shopping for your size, now is the time to start. There is actually a labeling law that requires certain information to be disclosed. Fabric content is one of them. 

Don't buy synthetics: If the majority of the garment is a synthetic, you can bet it wasn't produced in a very earth friendly way and probably has chemical finishes that are especially irritating to sensitive skin.

Do stick to natural: fibers such as cotton, linen, silk, wools, and even bamboo don't have to be produced in a lab and easily eliminate one harmful step of the manufacturing process. I know you're probably skeptical about how natural translates into fashionable, but we've come a long way from the hemp, grass, and burlap sacks that may come to mind. Nowadays, high-end designers are exclusively dedicated to using these "new natural" fabrics and the popularity of their designs is catching on with mainstream retailers as well.

Do Know where the garment is made: Unfortunately, there are not as many clothing manufacturers in the US, but the farther away the Made In _____ is, the more fossil fuels were used to get it on the hanger in front of you and you can't always be confident in the labor practices either. 

Do wash your own clothes: Turn the label over and you will usually find the care instructions. It is no coincidence that natural clothing is less maintenance, saving you tons of money on dry cleaning and eliminating the need for a harmful laundering method. 

Do look for organic: Even better than natural is a natural fiber that is produced organically. Pesticides are for pests, not for the things you want closest to your body. Dyes and bleaches are arguably the most polluting element of clothing production so, by buying organic you're ensuring that only plant derived dying agents are used, such as henna and indigo. Save the bleach for cleaning your bathtub. Well....there's something better for that too, but I'll have to get to that later.

So, after all this talk about natural, this may seem a little contradictory, but everything considered, I do believe there is still a need for other synthetic, performance fabrics. I run, do yoga and lots of different outdoor activities enough to know that not everything should be done in cotton. However, there's still room to choose your active gear wisely. Fleece jackets can be made from recycled plastic bottles and my new favorite running shorts from Lululemon are made from 86% recycled polyester. They stay cool and dry and are thoughtfully and stylishly designed. Its the best of everything combined! Don't forget that even if your clothes weren't the perfect prototypes of eco-conscience clothing when you bought them, you can make them green and recycle them yourself. Give clothes still in reasonable condition a second life by handing them down, donating, consigning, or swapping with friends. Before you trash old t-shirts and other things not worth giving away, cut them into a variety of sizes to use as rags to wash your car and clean around the house.

Start incorporating these ideas into your new style perspective and you'll have a much more interesting answer when the fashion police asks, "who are you wearing." More than any other red carpet, each day offers an opportunity to say something meaningful with what you choose to put on. When you make responsible clothing choices, what's on the outside really is what's counts and that's one trend that won't be going out of style.