Green is the New Black

Getting married? Do your wedding plans include organic food, vintage clothing or dried or silk flowers? If not, you are probably not having an eco-friendly wedding. The “green” trend in the fashion world has gotten a hold of the wedding industry, transforming it into a green euphoria.
One Web site, Great Green Weddings, gives visitors ideas on how to incorporate eco-friendly materials into all aspects of the wedding from the invitations to the honeymoon.
Locally grown flowers can reduce not only the cost, but the amount of driving and transportation needed to get the flowers to the wedding location. Silk or dried flowers are also an option, providing guests with centerpieces that won’t wilt.
Along with buying organic food, any leftover food that guests don’t eat can be donated to the local food bank. This not only reduces waste, but feeds needy people and does something good for the community.
When buying and choosing wedding rings, the thought of wooden or ecologically responsible jewelry. However, there are numerous businesses that offer consumers eco-friendly options for wedding bands. Sumiche Jewlery company offers an eco-friendly line of jewelry. This means that the metals used are all produced from conflict free metals and stones. They also work with the Green Gold Corporation to make sure the metals are made from sustainable resources.
The bride’s dress is almost always the star of the show. Everyone wants to know where the dress came from. Wouldn’t it be fun if the dress were from the 1900s? Buying a vintage dress not only comes with a great story, but saves money and the environment.
Everything from the invitations to the honeymoon can be eco-friendly. It is up to the bride and groom whether or not they want to take the step to help the environment on the happiest day of their lives.

The other day, my friends and I were discussing about how easily our clothes
wrinkle all the time. One of my friends bought an organic press from a Web
site, and she said she noticed that this dress has wrinkles whenever she wears
it. According to her, she irons this organic dress, but about an hour after
putting it on, it is wrinkled.
        I did some background research and found answers to my questions, like,
Why do regular clothes and organic clothing wrinkle?
How do I get rid of wrinkles from regular and organic clothing?
Why do regular clothes and organic clothing wrinkle?
        According to Anne Helmenstine, a freelance writer and scientific consultant,
heat and water are the two main causes clothing wrinkles. She said that heat
breaks down the bonds that hold the polymers within the fibers of fabrics.
When these bonds are broken, the fibers become less ?rigid and shift into new
positions.  Helmenstine said that water is the reason behind the ?wrinkling
of cellulose-based fabrics, such as cotton, linen, and rayon.?
How to get rid of wrinkles from regular and organic clothing?
        In her article titled “Tips to Keep Clothes Wrinkle Free,? Meieli Sawyer
Detoni, an international journalist who specializes in fashion, pop culture,
and lifestyle topics, said that preventing wrinkles from clothing is an
important step because if you play your cards right when you wash and dry
everything, you can pretty much avoid the ironing step all together.?  To
remove wrinkles from clothing, one should hang his or her clothes well in their
closets. According to Detoni, we should never leave our clothing in the dryer.
She advises to remove them from the dryer as soon as the cycle is completed in
the machine.  She also recommends to smooth your clothes using your hands as
you remove them from the dryer.

If you are living in a large city, the names of high-end fashion designers are anything but scarce in your vocabulary and, quite possibly, your closet.

However, those designers do not have entire lines devoted to eco-friendly fashion.

Linda Loudermilk, a fashion-forward eco-designer, was named the “Vivienne Westwood of eco” by Elle Magazine.

Loudermilk wants to change consumer thinking. She wants us to know that we are directly responsible for the health of our planet. This is why she launched eco™, a line for the luxurious lifestyle.

Another eco-friendly fashion line, Andira International not only makes clothes out of eco-friendly materials, but also sends a tree to a child in Costa Rica to plant to help save the rainforest there. Since the rainforest in Costa Rica has been devastated, the trees that are sent to the children are sent to be put back in the rainforest to help rebuild it.

What girl doesn’t like jeans? Designer Tierra Del Forte, owner of Del Forte Denim, makes jeans for eco-chic women. Her line of demim is made from 100 percent organic cotton.

Organic cotton is made right here in the United States and is pesticide free.

Del Forte’s line is partnered with the Sustainable Cotton Project, which teaches farmers how to produce organic cotton. A portion of the profits are donated to the SCP.

Eco-friendly clothing was even highlighted at LA’s Fashion Week in 2007. Since then, more and more designers have gotten on the “green” train and are developing even more eco-friendly products.

The University of Arizona located in Tucson,AZ has decided to “go green” in yet another way.  

The bookstore located on Park has recently upgraded to more that just books.  Now they sell Aveda products which are more safe for the environment.

To see more about their line visit a local Aveda store and do your part to Go Green!!

Green is the New Black is brought to you by Rachael Richardson, Alli Hornick and Diarieta Aw, student journalists at The University of Arizona.  Our blog will provide an environmental angle on the new trends of fashion, art and style in our world today.  Check it out!