"No matter how sincere fashion designers may be in their efforts to embrace the green movement this season, consumers may find themselves perplexed by how to gauge the environmental impact of the many products that claim to be eco-friendly. . .
“'When you only look at the raw materials to ask if something is really green, you are like the blind person holding the tail of the elephant,' said Chris Van Dyke, chief executive of Nau, a three-year-old outdoor clothing line founded on the principle of sustainable practices throughout its production cycle, including the ecological costs of shipping and caring for garments. 'There’s a whole lot of other factors you need to assess.' . .
"Some designs marketed as environment-friendly might include only a fraction of organic cotton, or a tag made of recycled paper. And some so-called green fashion may be downright silly, like the Goyard canvas shopping tote shown in the Barneys “Have a Green Holiday” catalog: the bag is $1,065, plus $310 for painted monogramming of a triangular recycle symbol in gold. The canvas, the catalog says, is “100% recyclable.” . .
"Sorry, does canvas go with paper, plastic or glass? . . .
"And there are still other factors for the concerned consumer to consider. . .
"Some argue that the greenest clothes — the ones least likely to adversely affect the earth and its climate — are the ones you already own. No new resources will be depleted to make them, and if they need infrequent washing and can be drip-dried, all the better. . ."
Check out this slide show of "Green" clothing along with the Pros and Cons. My personal favorite:
Let's see . . . the paper care instruction tag is impregnated with seeds that will sprout when wet . . . Anyone see a problem here?"ORGANIC COTTON JEANS:
"PRO Loomstate jeans, $295, are made domestically (Kentucky) from unwashed, untreated organic-cotton denim; the paper label is impregnated with seeds so you can plant it and grow flowers.
"CON Subject to unpredictable shrinkage; the care tag suggests washing with shampoo while wearing them in the shower and drying in the sun."
I am a "conveniently green" person. As long as it is convenient and someone isn't in my face about it, I will do my best to do the so-called eco-responsible thing.
But tell me I have to schlep my trash from the office to my home to recycle it. Uh, no.
Tell me my deodorant is killing the universe and we were all meant to smell the way we smell. Step away from me.
Stand over my desk and "tsk tsk" as I throw my soda bottle away and you can bet I will be taking the long way home spewing whatever evil my suv spews the whole way.
You want people to be more green? Then make it more convenient - put recycle cans next to trash cans on the streets. And figure out a way to recycle more than one thing in the same container because I shant be separating the white paper from the colored paper in some sort of eco-cultural-throwback to segregation.
In short, make a better / more convenient product at a cheaper price. Heck, with all the guilt people are carrying around concerning the environment, it doesn't even have to be better or cheaper - people are actually willing to pay a little more for enviro-friendly products that are of slightly inferior quality. The key words here are "a little more" for "slightly inferior".
But tell me I have to wear my $295 jeans in the shower and wash them with shampoo while wild flowers sprout where wild flowers most certainly do not belong? Be serious.
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