The rise (and rise) of eco chic
May 15th 2010 05:06
Vintage style, recycled fashions, clothes swapping parties and handmade items. Knitting, sewing, crocheting and mending. Hunting for that awesome one-of-a-kind piece at your local charity shop. Nicking your Mum's old scarves, hats and jewellery. Refusing to wear fur, and keeping your leather purchases to a minimum. Buying retro designer garments on ebay at a fraction of their original cost. No, it's not the 'next big thing', and no, it's not just a trend that will go away in time. This is a revolution in the making, and it's one that transcends fashion altogether. This is eco chic, and it's the way of the future.
"Green is not a trend," says Steve Bennett, the founder of (yes, trendy) Australian label Country Road. "Over the next 10 years, the focus will be even more on sustainability and the planet."
Eco chic is not a new concept; in fact it already has a number of critics due to to the fact that it can be perceived as merely greenwash. And the critics do make a fair point - with designers around the globe all scrambling to jump on the eco chic bandwagon, declaring their label "eco-friendly" because they happened to use recycled materials for one of the items in their collection, it's fair enough for consumers to be a tad cynical about it. Add to that the rather ridiculous cost of said garment - for example, Diesel's 'Keever' jeans which are made of 35 per cent paper, use organic indigo dye, and retail for $669 - and it's no wonder that people think it's all a bit rich.
While I reckon it's great that designers are embracing environmentally sustainable fabrics and manufacturing methods, and promoting the importance of minimising one's fashion footprint, to me this is not what eco chic is truly about. To really cut down on our negative impact on the planet, we should move away from the idea that buying new is the only way to go. Put simply, we should be wearing clothes that already exist.
Buying pre-loved clothing is not as daunting a prospect as it once was. I remember back in the late 80s and early 90s when buying secondhand was the height of uncool; to be seen exiting an op shop would give you instant social pariah status. That was in the bad old days of rampant consumerism, when no-one gave a toss about the environment because labels, labels and more labels was all that anyone worth their weight in Reeboks cared about.
But that was then, and this is 2010. Nowadays, there are few moments more satisfying than finding the perfect piece amongst a rack of musty clothing and paying less than what you'd spend on a cup of coffee and slice of cake. You haven't lived if you've never had someone declaring themselves in love with your dress, while secretly knowing that you paid a measly five bucks for it.
My love affair with the pre-loved began nearly a decade ago, when I moved out of my (rather insular) suburb on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, and began my journalism degree in the country town of Bathurst. I found that while my love of clothing had not diminished one bit since high school, my budget had - considerably! Either I had to stop eating and figure out how to live rent-free, or find a different way to inject newness into my wardrobe. After careful consideration I went with the latter, scrounged up the courage to step into the local Vinnies, and have never looked back.
Now, this blog would not be Fashion Peach were it not for some celebrity inspiration, so here's our poster girl for eco chic - the beautiful Aussie actress Isabel Lucas. Her bohemian mix of high and low style is something to be coveted indeed, but just because you're not into neo-boho doesn't mean the op shops won't have something for you. Whether you're an 80s girl, love feminine silhouettes, favour minimalism or like to stand out, there's something perfect waiting for you in a secondhand store right now - all you have to do is find it!
There's a ton of resources available on the Internet on how to buy secondhand (this blog by Erica Lou is one of my favourites), and plenty of articles already written on the concept of eco chic (read this one for a different perspective). Nonetheless, I'll be writing a lot more on the topic in the very near future. The move to wear clothing that both looks good, and is good on a much larger scale is one that we will all embrace in time, because frankly, we've already waited far too long for such a change to come.
Eco chic combines social awareness and environmental sustainability with an undeniable sense of style.
"Green is not a trend," says Steve Bennett, the founder of (yes, trendy) Australian label Country Road. "Over the next 10 years, the focus will be even more on sustainability and the planet."
Eco chic is not a new concept; in fact it already has a number of critics due to to the fact that it can be perceived as merely greenwash. And the critics do make a fair point - with designers around the globe all scrambling to jump on the eco chic bandwagon, declaring their label "eco-friendly" because they happened to use recycled materials for one of the items in their collection, it's fair enough for consumers to be a tad cynical about it. Add to that the rather ridiculous cost of said garment - for example, Diesel's 'Keever' jeans which are made of 35 per cent paper, use organic indigo dye, and retail for $669 - and it's no wonder that people think it's all a bit rich.
While I reckon it's great that designers are embracing environmentally sustainable fabrics and manufacturing methods, and promoting the importance of minimising one's fashion footprint, to me this is not what eco chic is truly about. To really cut down on our negative impact on the planet, we should move away from the idea that buying new is the only way to go. Put simply, we should be wearing clothes that already exist.
Vintage fashion is a meeting of the waters: Past, present, and future.
Buying pre-loved clothing is not as daunting a prospect as it once was. I remember back in the late 80s and early 90s when buying secondhand was the height of uncool; to be seen exiting an op shop would give you instant social pariah status. That was in the bad old days of rampant consumerism, when no-one gave a toss about the environment because labels, labels and more labels was all that anyone worth their weight in Reeboks cared about.
But that was then, and this is 2010. Nowadays, there are few moments more satisfying than finding the perfect piece amongst a rack of musty clothing and paying less than what you'd spend on a cup of coffee and slice of cake. You haven't lived if you've never had someone declaring themselves in love with your dress, while secretly knowing that you paid a measly five bucks for it.
Vintage style = awesome. Why not seek out the real deal?
My love affair with the pre-loved began nearly a decade ago, when I moved out of my (rather insular) suburb on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, and began my journalism degree in the country town of Bathurst. I found that while my love of clothing had not diminished one bit since high school, my budget had - considerably! Either I had to stop eating and figure out how to live rent-free, or find a different way to inject newness into my wardrobe. After careful consideration I went with the latter, scrounged up the courage to step into the local Vinnies, and have never looked back.
Now, this blog would not be Fashion Peach were it not for some celebrity inspiration, so here's our poster girl for eco chic - the beautiful Aussie actress Isabel Lucas. Her bohemian mix of high and low style is something to be coveted indeed, but just because you're not into neo-boho doesn't mean the op shops won't have something for you. Whether you're an 80s girl, love feminine silhouettes, favour minimalism or like to stand out, there's something perfect waiting for you in a secondhand store right now - all you have to do is find it!
Isabel epitomises eco chic... and isn't afraid to wear the same pair of shoes more than once.
There's a ton of resources available on the Internet on how to buy secondhand (this blog by Erica Lou is one of my favourites), and plenty of articles already written on the concept of eco chic (read this one for a different perspective). Nonetheless, I'll be writing a lot more on the topic in the very near future. The move to wear clothing that both looks good, and is good on a much larger scale is one that we will all embrace in time, because frankly, we've already waited far too long for such a change to come.
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