Your organic style

[fashionista-ta]

How is "green" part of your personal style?

For example ...

• I have an old house (80 years old)
• Furnished with antiques and vintage accessories
• I use mostly Aveda and MAC (for their back to MAC recycling program)

More later

 

[papa_levante]

I re-use my folders every semester.
They're still good and unlike notebooks, I can use them over and over again for holding papers.

That's about it!

 

[fashionista-ta]

A few more ...

• I try to "consume consciously," repairing rather than replacing where it makes sense, donating rather than throwing out when something I'm discarding still has value, and limiting what I buy overall (as you know from the 4-5 piece French wardrobe thread )
• I'm about to replace my dishwasher, which I think is 20+ years old. The new appliance will have the EnergyStar label
• When my PJs, sweatshirts, T-shirts, linen skirts, towels, etc. wear out, they have a second life as cleaning rags. I also used to send an old T-shirt I'd worn with my foster dogs when they went to a new home.
• My gorgeous dogs are all rescues! (And the only fur I own )

 

[shoegal2183]

I like this thread I'll think about it some more, but the one that comes to mind is using LUSH products. I appreciate the limited packaging they use and actually re-use the containers that the lotions come in. Currently, I have some LUSH shampoo being stored in an old Dream Cream container.

 

[Alber Elbaz]

I'm not great at saving energy - but I try! =)

- I have an older apartment on the Upper East Side and when I bought it I renovated to have windows that went (almost) floor to ceiling in just about every room, so instead of using the A/C I try to just leave them (semi-open), even though it can get hotter than all hell.

- I have my toaster, tv, hair dryer, straightener, coffee maker on those little thingies that you can plug multiple electronics in, so I turn it off every time I leave and every night so it won't use electricity while I'm not using them.

- I buy recycled notebooks, supplies, etc.

I like your idea about using old t-shirts as rags! I'm always trying to find things to polish silver that aren't too harsh against it. =)

 

[fashionista-ta]

I like this thread I'll think about it some more, but the one that comes to mind is using LUSH products. I appreciate the limited packaging they use and actually re-use the containers that the lotions come in. Currently, I have some LUSH shampoo being stored in an old Dream Cream container.

I haven't heard of LUSH ... where do you get it? Can you show us some pix?

 

[fashionista-ta]

replacements.com

^ Alber Why haven't you designed anything for Barney's Go Green yet?!

Silver is the perfect thing to buy vintage. All of mine is a 1932 pattern cheesily called Bridal Bouquet:



And I do polish it using the former PJs Cotton with a slight bit of texture.

I love Replacements for buying vintage stuff (dinnerware, glassware, silver). They tend to be more trustworthy on condition than eBay sellers, they have a really broad selection, and some of their prices aren't bad either.

I do that too with an electrical strip ... I have my cell phone charger & mail shredder (one of the ones from Staples that shreds everything, love it!) plugged into one in my living room, and I turn it off when I'm not using them. I also unplug the mixer in the kitchen when I'm not using it ...

 

[misstarshine]

Tata i also use my old tees etc as cleaning cloths, they work so well and you get to see old favorites long after they're dead.

I buy a fair amount of clothing second hand and anything that i no longer want i donate.

I use green electricity and the green petrol. I try to buy fruit and vege locally. Most of my light globes are the energy saving ones.

I have a house that gets water from its own rainwater tank so i'm very conscious about not using too much water. I also use only biodegradable detergents and cleaning products.

 

[Diamond Star]

I haven't heard of LUSH ... where do you get it? Can you show us some pix?

http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/f45/lush-products-favs-ravs-please-33292.html
www.lush.co.uk


I buy a lot of second hand clothes. There are so many good vintage shops/charity shops out there with clothes in good condition (I've found stuff that's brand new with tags on), it makes sense to me.

 

[ChloeFrancoise]

I want to buy more second hand stuff, well besides what I already have bought. My cousin goes to this place in Boston that I've been wanting to go to. I think I'm going to email her now to remind her that I want to go if she means to go soon. I wouldn't mind having some antiques since I like old things anyway. And I keep stuff turned off when I'm not using it. I'm getting into the habit of turning the kitchen light off more since sometimes it's kept on during the day when it doesn't need to be on. I want make a compost pile but since this area is animal friendly, I wasn't sure if I wanted to attract more animals, especially considering how the neighbors might not like it and we can't grow our own veggies here anyway for the same reason, the animals who eat it all anyway.

 

[Alber Elbaz]

^ Alber Why haven't you designed anything for Barney's Go Green yet?!

Haha, I only wish! =D
I mostly buy antique silver; so much of mine is family silver that's been passed down and all for the most part Grand Baroque, which can be rather hard to find. To be honest almost all of my furniture is antique - whether inherited or bought. My friends always call me an old lady because I love to antique so much! Haha. I love your silver pattern - very beautiful! =)

So Replacements Ltd. is trustworthy? (I assume that's what you're talking about??) I've always wanted to buy pieces that I've barely been able to find from there, but never wanted to shell out a huge chunk of money only to find that it's been stolen! lol.

 

[Lilliana]

- I don't have a car, just a bicycle - but I admit it's more about money and the fact that one really doesn't need a car in my city
- apart from that I use electricy saving lightbulbs, don't keep things in the standbymodus and only buy elecrticyuse A stuff
- my old clothes go either to freinds, charity or become cleaning rags as well
- For cleaning I use the organic cleaning stuff (we have here a label called Frosch and it works wonderfully without any highly chemical components) and now I am going to try 'washing nuts from india' instead of normal washing power - though I admit I am verrry sceptical (don't know if I really want to give up this wonderful smell of freshly washed clothes ) and I am really curious if the nuts can also clean stained clothing... has anyone here used them already?
- I try to be concious about my water usage, but that's also not my best ability
- I buy as much organic food as I can afford (it also tastes better anyway)
- I don't use plastic bags from shops but always take my own cloth bags ( their much cooler and prettier anyway)
- I recycle and seperate waste

I thought I am a fairly environmental friendly person until I took that environmental footstep test and apparently mine is huge I blame all the long distance flights I have to make

 

[gius]

i don't shop for things to wear..

 

[shoegal2183]

http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/f45/lush-products-favs-ravs-please-33292.html
www.lush.co.uk


I buy a lot of second hand clothes. There are so many good vintage shops/charity shops out there with clothes in good condition (I've found stuff that's brand new with tags on), it makes sense to me.

Thanks for posting those links I was a little slow getting back here! http://usa.lush.com/cgi-bin/lushdb/getitgreener/index.htmlthere is a link describing how they have "gone green"

 

[fashionista-ta]

Haha, I only wish! =D
I mostly buy antique silver; so much of mine is family silver that's been passed down and all for the most part Grand Baroque, which can be rather hard to find. To be honest almost all of my furniture is antique - whether inherited or bought. My friends always call me an old lady because I love to antique so much! Haha. I love your silver pattern - very beautiful! =)

So Replacements Ltd. is trustworthy? (I assume that's what you're talking about??) I've always wanted to buy pieces that I've barely been able to find from there, but never wanted to shell out a huge chunk of money only to find that it's been stolen! lol.

My family have their own hands wrapped quite tightly around their stuff, so pretty much nothing of mine has been passed down However, not a problem ... it's allowed me to totally develop my own taste, so my stuff is very different from theirs.

Well, I don't know much about their process on the other end, but they are a reputable business. I know of one place here locally that is known for taking goods of questionable origin. They operate more like a garage sale than a business and are located in a really dicey neighborhood. Replacements is huge and has been around for awhile, and I personally would love to work there--you can take your dog to work On their website they feature their employees with their dogs and their stories--many are rescues.

The only issue I have had with them is with their view of mint/factory flaws. They consider items with factory flaws but no wear to be in mint condition However, they take anything back as long as it still has its label.

They discount if they consider an item is less than perfect. I have bought very hard to find items that way, and have been pleased. I believe they also sometimes discount if things have been sitting around. You should give them a try, maybe with something less expensive to start ...

 

[fashionista-ta]

mrsmeyers.com

^ I don't come out that well on the footprint test either--I blame the fact that they don't let me count my dogs as housemates

I have not tried those nut things ... I too am unwilling to give up scented laundry! I use Mrs Meyers ... I don't know if you can get it in Europe? We don't have the brand you mention as far as I know ...

I've been using the new Basil scent laundry detergent lately I also like the lavender, geranium, and rhubarb spring cleaning products ...

 

[fashionista-ta]

replacements.com

This is one of the dinnerware patterns I collect ... it was made in 1933 only. It's a challenge to find ...

 

[ChloeFrancoise]

Oh, and what do people recommend for inexpensive natural/organic cleaning products? I ask because even if regular products weren't bad for the environment, I get a bad reaction from the chemicals.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ You can just use steam & avoid the products altogether ... but vinegar is great. I like Earth Friendly Products' Window Kleener, which is made with vinegar. I also like Mrs Meyers, as mentioned (although it may not fall in the inexpensive category, I think it's worth it). I also use a couple of Seventh Generation's cleaning products ... they also make a Free & Clear spray--I know allergy sufferers who've used it successfully. I use Ecover's soft scrub.

 

[shoegal2183]

Oh, and what do people recommend for inexpensive natural/organic cleaning products? I ask because even if regular products weren't bad for the environment, I get a bad reaction from the chemicals.

Method, Trader Joes has a nice all purpose cleaner called Next to Godliness, and I just started using Clorox "green cleaners" They seem to work well and do not smell too harsh or cause any reaction (for me at least!) I have yet to find a green dishwashing detergent that actually works. A couple other things I do: I have a ceramic coffee cup, plastic bowl, and regular spoon and fork in my cubicle at work that I wash after every use instead of using the (questionable) plasticware in the drawers in our lunch room!