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: