Why buy a whole new outfit when you can vamp up an old one with a colorful vintage scarf? The latest issue of eco-fashion e-zine Ethical Style puts the spotlight on green accessories — with lots of ideas an tips for staying in style without splurging on a new wardrobe.
After all, good accessories can last a lifetime — and vintage jewelry and belts are all the rage right now. Read the issue, and you’ll get even more out of pre-loved pearls. In “Jewel Tones,” Kara Cook reveals all the DIY tricks for pearls — like scavenging for strands at garage sales and thrift shops and stringing together your own, more fashionable designs. She ends her article with this priceless tip:
Old strands of fake pearls are often actually glass, not plastic, and some of the ones I found at estate sales had the pearl-paint chipping off. Acetone nailpolish remover will actually remove the paint coating completely from the pearl, revealing a milky glass bead beneath — which is actually quite pretty in its own right. I like them so much I put them on my multi-strand multi-pearl necklace, and now I put a lot of effort into finding old glass pearls.
Non-vegan, anti-animal cruelty fashionistas will love the roundup of upcycled leather handbags, put together by Grechen Cohen of GreenGrechen.com. From duffel bags to totes to clutches, Gretchen’s got a bag for every style, with prices ranging from $35 – $195. With so many pre-loved leather purses out there, you’ll never again need to deal with the eco-ethical concerns that come with virgin leather.
Get more ideas for green accessories — whether it’s finding ethical scarves or figuring out how to put new-to-you accessories together with what’s already in your closet — by browsing through Ethical Style‘s whole issue!
Screenshot via Ethical Style
Not to be the vegan nay-sayer that you always hate, but it’s still gross to be carrying around a dead animal even if it is “upcycled”.
Comment by Kevin — October 22, 2009 @ 4:11 pm
Yeah, and that’s why as far as fur goes, why does PETA encourage people to donate fur garments (instead of taking them to a vintage shop or Goodwill)? “By getting fur out of people’s closets, we also help get it off the streets and provide a way for former fur-wearers who have had a change of heart to turn something negative into something positive. We use the furs that are donated to us to create interesting displays and demonstrations to spread the word that millions of fur-bearing animals are cruelly killed every year to produce fur garments.”
I was looking into this recently to get rid of some stoles/furs I inherited from my aunt and I found that there is a PETA office in Silverlake that will take them.
Comment by Lisa T — October 23, 2009 @ 7:53 am
I find upcycled leather much less disgusting than toxin-filled pleather many vegans are so fond of….
Lisa T — Another option’s Buffalo Exchange, which occasionally has used fur drives of sorts to collect old furs, which are then used to keep orphaned baby animals warm.
Comment by Siel — November 2, 2009 @ 6:54 pm