Clean Closet, Clean Earth.

Happy Earth Day. Be sure to hug the planet today, but please don't buy anymore clothing. Just for a day, people. Just for a day.

I know, capitalism is what makes the traditional blogosphere go round and round and round, but after being pitched stories on a few lines of Green wear, made of repurposed hemp and dyed of natural causes or whatever, I've decided to take the stance of abstinence in honor of Mama Earth today.

Don't shop for a day. Instead, look at the plethora of stuff on store racks. See the huge glut of fabrics sewn into trendy shapes, in all the bright colors of "now", screaming for your dollar, and turn them down. Feel the claustrophobia of so much extra stuff clogging store shelves and eventually landfills. Just for a day resist the urge to participate in the game of getting more, and awaken your senses to the sheer amount of clothing, jewelry, shoes, bags, hats, hair things, undies, and all the rest that are being made, cheaply bought, worn and quickly tossed. It is all so disposable. Believe me, I'm all for the love of things, for beauty and the thrill of shaping your wardrobe and shopping to fit a personal style. I love fashion. But, like so many other societal norms we have come to take for granted, the easy game of trendy shopping needs to be reexamined.

My suggested solution? Buy things you absolutely love, things that make you tingle and light up. Buy items that you have carefully considered and that will last you through trends. Maybe spend a little more, but ultimately it doesn't matter how much they cost. More important is whether or not they will be with you for the long haul. Get to know your style. Clothing that pleases your senses will make you a happier, better person to the world. Don't laugh, it's true! When I feel good in what I'm wearing, I smile more. I talk to people. I have a better day. That kind of goodness is contagious. That kind of happiness is good for the planet on all levels.

Also, get rid of the unnecessary clothing clogging your own closet. Do an inventory. Maybe you don't need to buy another black button-down after all, maybe there is one hiding in between your old prom dress and your new spring floral. Know what you have and toss stuff you don't need or like, but wait! Don't toss it in the garbage. Instead donate it to the Goodwill. Or, bring it to be recycled. The Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC) has teamed up with the Union Square Farmer's Market to provide a drop-off location for your old clothing. They take anything clean, even torn or unusable clothing items. The program is fast expanding to help alleviate the environmental and financial stress of the whopping 193,000 lbs of clothing and textiles sent to landfills and incinerators each year (as reported by the NYC Department of Sanitation). Check CENYC's website for additional information, such as collection dates and added drop-off sites. Clean closet= clean Earth. Happy you= happy planet. It's all good. Happy Earth Day.

Click on any above images for source information.

Yes He Can.

Ok, so I'm still drooling over the Staerk collection in the post below, largely because of Shinji Nakaba's stunning brooches made of repurposed aluminum cans. I'm having a hard time focusing on anything else. I'm in a state of melting. I mean look at what he does with a Budweiser can:

It's like a metaphor for life. Like witnessing a beautiful blooming, a blossoming, a worm to a butterfly, dirt to diamonds, trash to treasure; it's like Ally Sheedy's Breakfast Club transformation from grungy, pathological liar to pretty-in-pink wrestler's girl....

Ok, I'll stop now. This is what happens when I'm really impressed. Do yourself a favor and check out more of Nakaba's work. It's restored my childlike enthusiasm for recycling.

Images are all from Shinji Nakaba's site.

Cheap Thrill: Paper Beads

I hate being called crafty; it makes me feel like I'm destined to be a crazy cat lady who crochets tea cosies instead of interacting with other humans. But, on occasion I have been known to make a thing or two by hand, and I think a little DIY chutzpah is an essential weapon in any fashionista's arsenal.

One of my prized handmade possessions is my paper bead necklace pictured above. I made it years ago for a college art course that asked me to construct a wearable book, and it was delightfully simple. You can make your beads of any old standard weight paper: magazine tear outs, photos, old texts, or your $.20 copy of Carter Brown's The Sad Eyed Seductress as I did.

There is a great photo stream on Flickr by sgjennin showing all of the supplies needed to make recycled paper beads:

You'll need your paper selection, a ruler, a sharpie, scissors, an old school bottle of Elmer's, and toothpicks. Start by dividing your paper into oblong triangles. The widest part of the triangle will be the width of your final beads, so use your ruler to measure out your desired dimensions and your sharpie to mark the triangles, then cut the triangles from your paper source.

Once you have your triangles, coat the "wrong side" with glue and begin rolling them around a toothpick, starting at the wide end first. When the bead is fully wrapped around the toothpick, let it sit for a few minutes just to let the glue set a bit. Then, slide the bead off of the toothpick and start rolling your next one.

Repeat the above steps until you have enough beads to string your necklace, and then set the beads aside to dry. Once they have fully dried, you can string them and either add a clasp or knot closure to secure. The final step is to wear your handmade necklace proud as a peacock and sleep well at night knowing that you not only saved a few bucks and recycled some paper, but you also made something with your two little hands.

The fun thing about recycled paper beads is that the paper you use can change their whole look. I love that you can sort of still read my beads, but the pictures below from Flickr user and Etsy star Jesssprkle show that you can choose color over content to gorgeous effect.

Make these and I'll call you resourceful, not crafty. Send me pics if you take on the project; I'd love to see what you come up with.