Blog Action Day: Ms. Green Jeans

This is my post for Blog Action Day.

I read a lot of different blogs on the subjects covered by TWM. I notice a lot of overlap between the frugal living community and the environmentally aware community. A lot of the things that save you money, like reusing and recycling, are also good for the environment.

There’s also been some overlap recently between the fashion and environmental communities. Designers are trying organic fabrics and dyes, cosmetic companies are experimenting with biodegradable packaging. For example, Loomstate and Levi’s Eco line are jeans made from 100% organic cotton.

However, I’d argue that the jeans I bought last week are equally “green.” Realizing that I only had one pair of jeans that fit, I went to the nearby Salvation Army and picked up two pairs for $4 apiece. That’s two additional pairs of jeans that didn’t have to be dyed, woven, cut, sewn, and shipped. That’s a little extra energy expenditure that got spread over more people (me and the jeans’ previous owners), reducing our environmental impacts just a bit.

So here’s something simple you can do to help the environment: take the clothes you no longer need to a thrift or consignment store, then shop there yourself.