The idea of Eco Chic is to get the best results in the most ethical manner.
Arrange clothes swapping parties with your friends. This is also a great social opportunity, everyone brings with them 1-5 outfits that they no longer wear, and everyone has fun trying on outfits perhaps over a glass of fair-trade wine or fruit juice? It’s always handy to have a sewing machine to hand (and a friend who knows how to use it!) so items can be altered and customized. The left over clothes are normally donated to charity.
Variations: This can be done as a fund raiser by charging for tickets (£5 for a new outfit sounds very reasonable). Swapping children’s clothes is a great idea and could be suggested to your child’s school’s PTA as a fundraising idea which will also benefit parents financially.
Freecycle. Get yourself onto the freecycle network, a grassroots movement of people giving and getting stuff for free from their local area. Particularly great if you’re in the process of moving house or want to change your interior design with little or no cost! Go to http://www.freecycle.org for more info.
Vintage. Choosing vintage or second hand isn’t just quirky and elegant (depending on time era) it’s also a great way of reusing which is still supporting the economy often via independent shops and charity shops. Please see my website for a directory of recommended local vintage shops.
Cook enough food for the next day to save gas/electric or packaging of prepackaged lunches! You could get yourself a stylish re usable bag to carry this around in (I prefer cotton bags as they can be washed). Go to morsbags.com to find out about sociable guerilla bagging.
Natural cosmetics make such a difference! For a start they can be much more nurturing to your skin and feel more luxurious. If we consider natural products in more depth, it becomes apparent that the benefits extend beyond ourselves, what goes down the plughole and into our water system doesn’t contain the potentially harmful/ toxic chemicals belonging to synthetic products and organic products in particular tend to be produced in a way that is far more respectful to the environment. These products are often more friendly to our personal environments, children in particular can be very sensitive to synthetic chemical smells which are thought to be damaging to the immune system, many offices in the US have banned synthetic perfumes.
Natural products often use aromatherapy by containing essential oils so there are often huge benefits to be had.
Grow your own herbs & veg to reduce food miles, I grow mine in an old pair of Wellingtons which is a cute addition to my garden. Visit the green back yard in Peterborough for tips, workshops and a community growing space. http://www.thegreenbackyard.com
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