Greening your wardrobe does not necessarily mean heading to a fancy eco-boutique and splurging on organic cotton, hemp or bamboo. Here are 5 ways to give your closet a green makeover without breaking the bank.
- Swap It - Have you ever been to a clothing swap party? A friend of mine used to have them many years ago and they were a blast. Everyone brought appetizers and of course the wine was flowing freely. Then we all took turns showing off our castaways and putting them out for others to grab. Everyone went home with something! Organize one for your friends or better yet, make it a community event. Check out swap-o-rama-rama for details.
Refashion It - Play fashion designer and recreate new clothes out of old stuff. I decorated these plain kids jeans with a pocket and ruffle from a thrifted dress. Now I just need to find the right little girl to give them to.
- Buy Used - The best part about buying used is you get so much more for your money. And most consignment shops cull through all the crap and only sell the good stuff. I find shopping thrift more fun than the mall any day!
- Patch It - Instead of tossing pants with holes in the knees or a shirt with a stain on the front, make your own funky, fabric patch. My two boys won't tolerate anything fancy so my patches are pretty plain but I've seen some really fun patch jobs out there.
- Find Eco-Deals - Don'cha love to score a good eco-fashion deal? I hit the sale racks and snatch up organic cotton T's whenever I can find them. I've also noticed you can find some pretty good deals through Amazon.com. Just search for organic cotton or your favorite eco-fabric under Clothing and Accessories and see what comes up....like this basic women's organic cotton t-shirt for under $8.
What ways have you found to green your wardrobe?
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I love thrifting too! I would totally rather spend my money on my daughter than on new clothes for me - but sometimes they are necessary. You've also got me inspired to throw a swapping party....now I need to think of friends that wear the same size as me! Thanks!
Posted by: Heather @ Green Baby Green Mama | October 08, 2009 at 05:08 AM
Great ideas! Some other things that I do--
-Avoid buying clothes that are "dry clean only"--though I understand there are eco-friendly dry cleaning processes these days, I'd just rather not deal with the hassle. It helps that I have a job with a casual dress code.
-Cut down on the laundry loads by wearing clothes (or using towels) more than once before washing (but as you can understand, with a very active boy at home, this is not always possible!)
I would love to know which thrift stores are your favorites by the way.
Posted by: Hannah | October 08, 2009 at 09:19 AM
Great tip about not washing clothes after every single use! I sometimes spot wash my boys' jeans to try to stop the wear and tear from constant laundering.
For thrift stores - I love Better Than Ever on Grand Ave. for myself and I tend to find good boys clothes at Once Upon A Child.
Posted by: Micaela | October 10, 2009 at 02:58 PM
I've created fun patches for holes as well as ruffles to lenghten my daughters jeans in the past.
These are some of my frugal sewing posts:
http://halleshobbies.blogspot.com/search/label/sewing?updated-max=2008-09-18T08%3A18%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=20
Posted by: Halle G | October 13, 2009 at 04:58 PM
Brilliant idea... I want to find a clothes swapping party!
Posted by: Envirofemme | October 15, 2009 at 08:34 AM
wow interesting tips, I think I'll have to try some of them. Very good!
Posted by: James From myhealthhq.com | October 21, 2009 at 11:48 AM