Eco Friendly Clothing for Baby Boomer Woman.

Finding eco friendly clothing is not as easy as I thought! I have had a look online and although there are some great companies such as Amour Vert they are based in the US and the clothing range is not suitable for my age group.

So what does the eco conscious, middle of the road, middle aged female wear?

What does it mean to be eco conscious in terms of clothing, anyway.

Here's a discussion with a fashion designer Lynda La Plante and another colleague. And they are American and in a whole other world from my not so fashion conscious world. But it's interesting and thought provoking.

• Points to ponder. 
• Think sustainable material. Organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, all make wonderful clothing and are renewable resources. 
• Do you really need new clothing?  Think renew, revamp, remodel, upcycle. If you can do it yourself, so much the better! I have the proverbial two left thumbs but you may be more fortunate in that regard. 
• Synthetic materials, are they eco friendly? 
• Ecofriendly should not mean drab and dull, or festival grunge/ boho. 
• Think charity shops, not necessarily in order to save money, but to make the most of clothing that's already created. The extra "win" of putting your money towards a good cause is great too!
• Similar Second Hand designer shops for a more upmarket take. 
• Be prepared to ask around, dig and delve online, and share your findings! 

So what happened in this regard? I'm not a great shopper for clothes. To be honest, a period of plain old poverty got me out of the shopping habit when it comes to clothes. It's amazing how few clothes are really needed, and how long most clothes actually last whne you aren't a dedicated follower of fashion. 

But having a little stash of cash and not shopped for clothes for at least a year ( underwear excluded) I thought it was time to treat myself to some new garments that would 

a)  Fit. I've put on a few pounds and fill my clothes just a bit too well now.

b)  Suit. I'm definitely not a young thing any more and would rather be elegant mutton than the "dressed as lamb" variety of sheep. 

c)  Resonate with green values. Easy peasy, so I thought. 

In all 3 regards this has proved more of a challenge than expected.  Point A is valid, increasingly so, how energy efficient my body has become! If only the rest of me was as efficient. 

Point B, well until I reolve point C, Point B is a grand unknown. What used to suit in terms of colour, possibly doesn't now. "I don't know what to wear" is no longer a throwaway remark in front of a well stocked wardrobe, more a cri de coeur as I contemplate this unfamiliar, ageing body in the mirror. Contemplate is something of an exaggeration. Snatched glimpse as run past...

Point C. I foresee further exploration to find the answers. It will no doubt turn out that ethical fashion and eco fashion are all around, even for the woman of a certain age, but it does not look like that at the moment. 

In the meantime, I'll enjoy my wonderful Wikaniko anti aging moisturizer, knowing that at least that bit of self care is done an eco friendly way and I love the results on my skin. 

So far I've found  Peopletree, just one online eco fashion store in the UK that sells some clothes someone like me could wear.

They helped organize the Fair Trade Fashion Show at Global Fair Trade Week in May this year so their ethical credentials are good enough for me. Just not sure there's much choice for my age group but this one looks ok:- will decide and update on progress.

http://www.peopletree.co.uk/womens/dresses/audrey-sweetpea-dress

And for a rundown on their fashion offerings at Rio:

Thinking About Food: The Farmers' Market

Ok well here it is. Another "musation" on going green. What it means, why, how...and where I am with it now. So today John and I went to the local Farmers' Market in Brockley. This was partly to get me out of the house, off line and into the real world. It's a 10 minute walk from home so no fuel required beyond a swift bowl of breakfast cereal because I can't leave the house without breakfast. Well maybe if there was a fire... (I am in a slightly manic mood today but it won't last.So I'll enjoy it while I can!)

 Anyway this was our second visit but since the first one was months ago, I was pleased to be putting my attention into it. The inspiration was, aside from general greening awareness, an article on badger culling which I hope I can find now. Ah yes.. Now I didn't know much about it, and am still not an expert. What it highlighted though is the plight of farmers and the fact that the cull is quite likely a political move, a sop to appease a beleagured industry rather than really sorting out the problems.

Many people won't agree and will raise the statistics to prove it but I'm pretty convinced by the article. Anyway, it registered with me that shopping at a Farmers' Market is a Very Good Thing and a bit of practical action in the real world. It has one or two other benefits. Cheese that tastes like real cheese. WE bought a small bit of smoked Gubbeen cheese which went down a treat with the fruit bread. The vegetables all looked really vital. It was a great trip! Venison Sausages..from the Mersham Shoot

 Nothing is totally straightforward and that is what is amazing about this exploration. I do look at the facts but I trust my intuition too, and it tells me that it is time to eat more organic vegetables, there is something really lacking in supermarket produce. I liked seeing the photos of the farmers at one stall, just that bit more of a personal link. Eating a chicken you've cared for and who has enjoyed a life outdoors with plenty of space...

 

 All week I noticed the wind in a new way. Caressing my face. The winds of change, said John. Indeed. Where better to start than with the food I eat?

Green lifestyle, natural lifestyle.

What is the "natural" bit of this whole exploration? I could not be happy just to call myself "green."  It is important but I don't want to be a green fundamentalist. I'm suspicious of any fundamentalism! This is tricky to think about. I like some glamour in life. I don't always want to watch serious TV. I don't wear much make up but I want people to have freedom of choice.

There was an amazing car parked outside our flat for a few days and it was as if a dream car had materialized, ooooh the bucket seats in cream leather. The gorgeous lines! It was a Jacquar... and I really enjoyed looking at it. If I had the money would I want such a car?

At the moment, I probably would!  I might not keep it long but just to enjoy a few outings to experience that comfort and sheer physical power- yes please! My partner and I discussed this and it would be the same for him. So we had a discussion about fuel. He said that producing green fuel is harsh on the environment.

It 's one of those dilemmas that can have me scuttling for the safety of just not thinking. I love the human ability to create something as wonderful as that car and I love that the possibility exists of owning it for some people. I don't love the idea of ruling out that possibility.  And I don't love the way our environment has been affected by the use of the car. It was a motorway journey through beautiful but "desouled" countryside that provoked quite a crisis in me.

Thankfully something I read in Greenspirit today was helpful.
Dr Stephan Harding writes in chapter 2
"..there are three dimensions of depth in Deep Ecology: Deep Experience, Deep Questioning and Deep Committment."

As Rilke says
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” 
― Rainer Maria Rilke
(http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/7906.Rainer_Maria_Rilke)

It is OK to be "mildly" green and questioning, "living along" into the answer. However committment and action won't happen if there is just questioning. The three processes need to be happening simultaneously, at different levels and in a way that is natural and organic.


This video has Dr Harding describe his experience as a research scientist "waking up" from a mechanical view of the natural world.


PS It's World Oceans Day today, and I got the T shirt...watched the videos too, just have to get the book!

Green crafting, green child care....more on being green.

Here's the thing: I spent 1.5 hours looking at various green websites this morning. Like being a kid in a sweetshop! All these wonderful things going on. What rock have I been living under for the last 10 years?
I don't have the time to write properly about it all but I came across a website about green weddings, crafting with an ecoflavour, and some pretty amazing websites I'll need to go back to.
So I followed them on Twitter.
Just opening up the themes really.
Children should play outside more.
We should walk, eat less meat, switch off and unplug from our devices.
Use old books as journals.
Be a saver, not a waster.
Is it greener to have goods delivered than to go to a shop?
I must admit my mind is in quite a whirl and I could be too overwhelmed to do anything at all.
The article that send me off on this particular treasure hunt was this:
http://craftingagreenworld.com/2013/06/06/how-to-create-an-altered-journal/

This site is about being green with a "crafty" twist. I am not a  Crafty person but I love it that other people are. And it would be great to try out something simple to do with my hands.

Another great article I came across, to do with raising children in a more natural way, was about making sure they get outside every day and aren't constantly plugged into computers. This I feel strongly about.

Let 'No Child Left Inside' Be Your Mantra shrd.by/zs9d5xChildren need contact with nature!
— Sandra Gilfillan (@2loveitall) June 7, 2013

Note to self: don't rush this! Rome wasn't built in a day. What tiny thing could I do today to be a little more green?  

Going Green: Why Bother?

Ok so here's the thing. I came across a range of eco friendly products as I am looking to change my whole lifestyle. If I like them, I'd make some income through promoting them. Maybe not the greenest of reasons for going green but the fact is that unless we (and starting with myself of course) do change some very practical things in our lifestyle, we will continue to put huge pressure on our environment.

And I am quite intrigued to be looking into issues in a deeper way. I could not be happy just banging on about products without having the context quite clear. I don't want just to sell the products or find other people to do that. I do want to to do that, but I also would like to raise people's awareness about the possibilities. And that starts with my own awareness so this blog is where I'll try to weave it all together, all the strands.

 It leads straight to all the big questions... why are we here, what is a human being for, what difference can one person make and what is true and untrue in the green scene. It feels like a huge missing piece of the jigsaw. If the planet is a connected whole then are we as human beings part of that system or are we just here to take what we can and get on with it? I know intuitively that living in a greener way will help me have a whole different relationship with Nature. And having that relationship with Nature will mean living more green. A virtuous circle. That's how I see it today.

 As part of this exploration, today I started reading a book called " Green Spirituality" (ed.Marian Van Eyk McCain) It's a homecoming in many ways. More than 20 years ago I was interested in Creation Centred Spirituality and even went to a conference organized by Matthew Fox. It was great to come across this
video where he talks about his ideas!


.

 That conference is still a highlight of my life, seeing a connection between creativity, compassion and nature which I have not found in most main stream theatre or music.

 Living more green is for me not just about the products I use or the way I understand meaning and purpose. It's also about a natural lifestyle. What's expected of people in the workplace today. In my own profession, there is a loss of heart and soul which makes it often a superficial and simplistic endeavour.  It's an attitude towards people which is unnatural.

This is a massive subject but it matters as we have a ludicrous situation where some people have work and an income but live impoverished lives with little time for family and friends, let alone the wider community. Others have all the time in the world but limited opportunity to participate in life through work and very little income.

 As I can't envisage working for many more years in my current profession as it is structured at the moment, I am looking at alternatives and that is part of the "green" lifestyle. How to have a real work /life balance so that there is time, and money, to enjoy my life. If I find that for myself then that will help others with similar
dreams.



"Through the eyes of Green Spirit, no one step invalidates a previous awareness..." (Grace Blindell)

Starting to be Green

This is about my journey on the Green Path. As a baby boomer, the whole green issue has been in the background of my life but until recently I did not connect with it clearly. Now I do want to live a "greener" life and it is something quite deep that seems to be happening. It isn't that straightforward though and I am going to write about the process of going more green for the first month. The ups and downs and where I get stuck. Some things are easy. I'm drinking Clipper organic tea from non bleached teabags. They may cost a few pence more but that does not matter, it is a simple choice to make. What I heard myself say yesterday was "But I don't want to turn of the tap as I brush my teeth." It feels somehow mean. There is this aspect of being green which I baulk against. Frugality isn't something I naturally embrace. I am into abundance and proserity. Watching the water I use suggests not trusting that there is enough. I suspect I'll need to work on this one. Does it really help, to reduce the water I use in brushing my teeth? There could be an upside though. If I decided to spend longer on actually brushing, so that it wasn't such a hurried procedure, then turning of the tap would not feel like an imposition and a nuisance. I might try that out and see if it feels a better choice.