I ran into a neighbor the other day and he was so excited. He rarely buys clothes, but had just bought a ton of new things. Women experience the "new clothes shopping high", but not usually men. I had just bought a few new things at the mall that were on sale. I have been trying to buy a couple items at a time myself, since the weather has turned cool. So, I thought about how new clothes make me feel. Not as fat, not as old, a little better about myself. I have also become more aware of issues concerning clothes. I am now using biodegradable and non-toxic laundry detergent, looking for certified 100% organic cotton, and going through my closet with a vengence. The eco-friendly detergents are just as effective as the regular ones, and have none of the chemicals in them. Think about those chemicals in the fabric that is next to your skin, your kids' skin. Not to mention the water supply. Dry cleaning your clothes is very bad. They actually submerge them in petroleum based liquid chemicals (PERC - a chlorinated hydrocarbon). The chemicals evaporate into the air. You should not breathe them or have them in your home. Look for clothes that can be washed.
The production of the materials that your clothes are made of may subject the environment and you to all kinds of nasty chemicals. Growing cotton conventionally uses the most pesticides on a farm product in the world. Those pesticides and the fertilizers used contain cancer-causing agents. Look for organic cotton or wool, silk, cashmere or alpaca. Hemp clothing is also available, but you have to really like it. I find it a little scratchy. Clothing made of bamboo is also available, but it is manufactured on the other side of the world and so much energy is needed to get it to us, I am not sure it is worth it. Look for natural materials, without dyes and not mixed with synthetics. Surprisingly, Wal-Mart and Target are reportedly offering organic cotton clothing. Levi's is now offering organic cotton jeans. The internet is just full of all kinds of choices - just Google organic cotton clothing. I'm looking for infant clothing and bedding now. (Second grandson will be here in January!)
Green Thing:
If you buy new clothes, clean out your closet. Get rid of the clothes in there that are gently used, but need to go. (No, you need to accept that you will never be that size again!) But, please, do NOT just throw them out! Donate your clothes to the Salvation Army, Jobs Plus, Dress for Success or the Cinderella Project ( in Syracuse). Donations can be made to disaster relief efforts, churches or women's shelters. Also Men's Warehouse, 3444 Erie Blvd. East in Dewitt accepts donations of suits, sport coats, slacks, ties and belts. For each suit donated, they will donate a new dress shirt. You will get 10% off your next purchase, too. Great deal.
If you are having a garage sale, try to sell clothes. Sometimes you can get a little cash for them. Better Deal!
Feng Shui Thought:
Organizing your closet is just good Feng Shui. Did you know that the state of your closet mirrors your financial situation? Old, unorganized and just a mess? In today's economy , you definitely need organized, clean and reflecting a great image. Look at each item with a very discriminating eye. Have you worn it in the past 6 months? Do you have other items that can be worn with it? Does it fit well? Is it still in fashion? Vintage is great, weird-looking is not. Look at the fabric content. Does it still look new, or is it faded, pilled, or in disrepair? Wash it up, fix it, or get rid of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment