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90s Fashion Trends You Can Shop Consciously

published on October 19, 2020 by Angela Hamilton

We don’t know how long the 90s will stick around, but they’re back in a big way right now… even when it comes to conscious fashion. My 90s themed birthday party this year was {obviously} canceled due to COVID-19, so I’ve had a lot of shiny, velvet-y, pastel, floral, grunge-y inspiration and no where to put it. One of my favorite ways to get behind 90s fashion trends is to purchase vintage and secondhand, or at least upcycled. I guess I can’t get into the idea of buying a *new* design based off an *old* design I wore as a kid. Unless it’s one of a kind, anyway. So naturally I gravitate toward shopping Etsy, thrifting, and indie brands when it comes to 90s inspired style with conscious fashion values. And it’s super easy to do! Here are five 90s fashion trends you can easily shop consciously–that is, while being mindful of your consumption habits + discerning about the brands you buy from. No fast fashion here!

Scrunchies

When I first started wearing scrunchies again, it was purely because I 🧡 the 90s. But you know what? I can’t put another naked elastic band in my hair. Instant headache. Scrunchies are the best for being gentle on your hair + head! It’s just practical.

Eloise Panetta hand-dyed silk scrunchies, handmade in Australia

Indie Corduroy Scrunchie by Jane Dottie, made of remnant fabric.

Scrap Scrunchies by Morning Siren

Bucket Hats

I used to own a tie-dye bucket hat in the prettiest orange-y peach. But now that bucket hats are making a comeback, I like the idea of going all out with a funky design:

Crochet Bucket Hats by Moon Child Crochet, best take ever on the granny square.

Chunky Headbands

I love satin on a headband. Ruffles too! Fun fact, I used to make chunky headbands myself out of colorful ribbon. Too bad I could never wear them, due to the aforementioned sensitive head. If you’re one of the luckies who can painlessly flaunt such beauties, do take advantage of this adorable conscious fashion revival!

As If Satin Scrunchie Headband by Jane Dottie, made of remnant fabric.

Patches

Patches aren’t the easiest thing to shop consciously. Best you can do is make sure it’s from an independent designer you support, and that they get them printed as sustainably as possible. (If you know more, please advise!) Lots of big brands like Zara, Urban Outfitters, etc., have been known to make trendy patches (among other things) that directly rip off designs from individual artists, so be conscious of the source!

Chin Up Butter Cup Patch by Inner Peach

You can also find patches that are hand-embroidered by artists like this charming VOTE patch by Maple and Orange Studio.

Tie Dye

The tie dye trend is so so fun and conscious fashion brands are having a BLAST with it. There’s no better way to jazz up a t-shirt! Tie dye t-shirts are usually pretty easy to come by in thrift shops, but there are other ways to shop consciously especially if you aren’t thrifting in-person at the moment. You can search vintage on Etsy to find original tie dye shirts or upcycled tops in trendy tie dye colors. There are also tons of sustainable clothing shops offering limited tie-dye editions of certain designs in their lines this year.

Vintage 90s Tie Dye Rainbow Graphic T-shirt from Florence May Vintage

Orenda Tribe has lots of beautiful limited edition + one of a kind, vintage and upcycled hand-dyed pieces.

Vintage Tie Dye Puppy Shirt from Love Me Forever Vintage

I also love searching Etsy for velvet, florals, grunge, and so many other 90s fashion trends. Where do you go to get the look?

Where to Buy Sustainable Joggers

published on October 12, 2020 by Angela Hamilton

When I first drafted this post, it all seemed so simple. Joggers are everywhere right now. I’d seen a few of my favorite ethical clothing brands selling them, so I didn’t think I’d have a hard time rounding up a few more. Turns out, finding out where to buy sustainable joggers requires a bit of digging. So I’ve been adding to this list over the weeks whenever I come across a cozy new pair. Finally, I have a fairly solid list. Though I’m always on the lookout for more.

Where to Buy Sustainable Joggers

Not gonna lie, sustainable joggers ain’t cheap. But we knew that, right? Most of the mass-produced joggers out there are made with low-cost, low-quality, and environmentally harmful synthetic materials, or at best, conventional cotton. Buying joggers made from natural, eco-friendly materials, especially organic, does require more of an investment. Full disclosure I haven’t tried all of these myself (trust me, when I have a jogger budget of $1000+, you’ll be the first to know), but from my research investment truly is the correct term here. When you purchase clothing made with higher standards from higher quality materials, they’re going to last longer (provided you take care of it). Always think of that #costperwear, friends.

One of our fave brands (and members) backbeat.co recently launched the coziest sustainable joggers, made in California. There are a few different colors and styles available.

Sijo women’s bamboo joggers via Made Trade

Softwear women’s modal joggers, also from eco club member Made Trade.

MATE tops the list of sustainable joggers because they offer a few different kinds, which of course, are all so damn cozy (I own several). Plus they’re colorful. And they’ve got SETS! I’m personally all heart eyes over the organic thermal joggers, but you also have the option of thicker, fleece joggers.

Sunny, sunny colors!

Indigenous Jogger Pant

So far one of the more affordable sustainable joggers I’ve come across is the Bamone Jogger Pant from Ten Tree (photo by @kahliaanika), made of organic cotton and recycled polyester.

Pink Jogger Set from Plain Jane, which you can also buy for your littles!

Another new-to-me option for sustainable joggers is LA Relaxed, which are made from tencel, modal, and organic cotton.

Have you figured out where to buy sustainable joggers? Tell us what we should add to this list! We’re all WFH until further notice, after all.

Ethical Shopping: 16 Vibrant Sustainable Accessories From Independent Designers

published on September 25, 2020 by Angela Hamilton

You might’ve seen our post on the best sustainable fashion brands for adding color to your wardrobe (read here if not) but I think it’s about time we talked accessories. To be honest, I’m pretty simple when it comes to accessories, but I like to make a statement with whatever bag or embellishment I do carry. It’s my way of elevating an otherwise lazy outfit which I’m pretty guilty of sporting on the reg (I mean, it’s a pandemic, we all are at this point).

I also love that accessories are a great way to get started with ethical shopping. It’s a nice way to support one of your favorite designers, and some of them are easier on the wallet than gifting a larger clothing item from those brands. Alright, onto the 16 sustainable accessories we’ve had our eyes on as of late. Do let us know in the comments if you have any to add!

Campora T Round Bag by Chila Bags, a fair trade brand in support of the Wayuu women in Northern Colombia.

Currents Earrings, handwoven by ukaome with orange and pink glass beads.

Hiptipico embroidered face masks handmade by artisans in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Pajaritos Pouch by Mama Tierra, crafted in Venezuela by Wayuu women.

Oversized scrunchies by Charlie & Paisley, made from vintage deadstock fabric.

Organic Cotton Naturally Dyed Scarf by printmaker Elyse DeLisle.

Large handmade Chila Bag with tassels.

Hemp High on Nature Bandana from member backbeat.co

LESH Miraj necklace via member & ethical shopping marketplace, Made Trade.

Girlfriend Please Recycle Sock

Kira Hoops by Sundara Mar designed by Vanessa Martinez in Houston.

Joséfa David linen scrunchies sustainably made in Mississauga, Ontario.

Baggu Organic Cotton Masks from The Yo Store.

19th Amendment 100th Anniversary Scarf via To The Market.

LATELIER Paloma Bag made with recycled plastic. I own one of these and it’s so darn cute! Read more about LATELIER’s founder Andrea Jaramillo on Voyage LA.

Which sustainable accessory designer is your fave?

The West Coast Is On Fire. Here’s How To Help

published on September 16, 2020 by Angela Hamilton

Our beautiful west coast states of Washington, Oregon, and California are on fire. Climate change driven wildfire season hits us harder each year. I’ve long been anxious about these worsening summers. But I never imagined having to stay inside my Seattle apartment to avoid toxic air (and ours is not nearly as bad as our friends in other parts of the state, Oregon, and California, comparatively). I’m beyond words at this point, so I’ll leave the rest of the talking to the groups and organizations below who have taken the time to compile resources for wildfire relief, whether it be to help victims, animals, and firefighters directly or help combat climate change. Here’s how you can help:

Photo by João Barbosa

Good good good co

One of my favorite Instagram accounts, good news newspaper @goodgoodgoodco, compiled a helpful slideshow of ways to help in the midst of west coast wildfires. It’s a nice introductory resource for those who live afar as well–it’s so difficult to know what’s really going on in places you are not physically! Read it here.

Pnwonderland

Instagram community @pnwonderland has been incredibly active in supporting relief efforts these past few weeks. They recently held an auction to raise money for a local Relief fund (proceeds go to Red Cross) and have also compiled an amazing Google doc full of Oregon wildfire resources. Lastly, if you go through the comments on this post, you’ll see all the local resources community members shared. I could probably end this article here with all the resources they’ve already shared (including ways to track fires and air quality throughout the region) but I’ll share a couple other links I’ve come across!

Gofundme

Gofundme has set up their own Wildfire Relief Fund, which has raised almost $300,000 so far! The page also contains links to more specific fundraisers if you are looking to contribute to a particular community’s effort.

Future Earth

I really appreciate how Steph and Max of @futureearth broke down California’s record heatwaves and wildfires in this post and this post from a couple of weeks ago. Climate disasters are such a huge, complex concept that I understand why it is so difficult to grasp how we can actually *do* something about them. Understanding the cause & fallout is key. Give this account a follow to continue learning about climate change and what we can do (particularly in terms of legislature) about it.

Red Rover

Red Rover compiled a list of animal resources for west coast wildfires where you can explore resources by region. Read here.

PNW friends, you can follow @NWCCinfo on twitter for continuing updates on all things wildfires.

If you know more wildfire relief resources for individual communities throughout California, Oregon, and Washington, please tag us on Instagram @ecoclubofficial so we can share. We’d love to see how we can donate (money, time, or clothing/household goods) directly to victims.

Where To Buy Ethically Made Rugs Online

published on September 8, 2020 by Angela Hamilton

Welcome to my favorite topic as of late… ethically made rugs! This post will be full of exclamation points! I’m not sure when it happened exactly, but somewhere along the way I became obsessed with rugs. (I think Instagram is with me on this one.) My first rug came from a friend’s travels through New Mexico, others came from West Elm, who offers surprisingly good prices on Fair Trade Certified rugs, and others have been purchased via Etsy. I’m even putting a rug on my balcony (because vibes), I sure hope it arrives before summer ends!

Over the years as my obsession grew, I bookmarked every source for ethically made rugs online. I’m happy to report that it’s actually pretty extensive, and with a variety of price points too. Sadly I’m now kinda maxed out on rugs, so instead of leaving these glorious sources to collect dust in my bookmarks bar, I’ve put together a fun little guide to share here on eco club. Here are my favorite places to look for that perfect ethically made, fair trade rug online!

Archive offers handwoven artisan home goods as well as vintage finds. Our favorite rug is their hand-dyed Zapotec rug, crafted in Teotitlán del Valle.

I’m not sure how I came across Katel Home but their small collection of vintage rugs is impeccably curated. This is one to watch if you’re willing to wait for *the* rug to come along!

Loom + Field offers beautiful modern rugs in the most gorgeous feminine hues! I love bright rugs but lean pastel, which can be hard to come by. If that’s you, this is your spot!

Loomy is a source for unique, responsibly made rugs in such cool prints and palettes. Their outdoor rugs are beautiful too!

Ohh Happy Home is an Australian brand, and while they can’t ship all of their products to the US, they do have a selection of ethically made rugs available for international shipping. They have a great selection of cotton rugs, washable rugs, and rugs for kids’ spaces. They were kind enough to offer a discount code for eco club readers! Use code ECOCLUBFREE at check out for free shipping to the US!

Well Woven is probably the most extensive and affordable collection of ethically made rugs because they do everything from the design to manufacturing themselves. They share a bit about that process here. This could be a good source if you’d like to be a more conscious consumer, but don’t have a large budget with which to do so.

Based in Canada, Baba Souk is probably one of the dreamiest online shops I’ve ever scrolled through! Everything is SO bright and playful, just how I like it. They offer shipping to the US as well.

Another international brand that ships worldwide, Australia’s Pampa is home to traditional Argentinian rugs in really beautiful colorways. You can even design your own!

Minna has been offering ethically made rugs and home goods since 2013, in partnerships with artisans in Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru. This one comes from weavers in Guatemala.

eco club member Made Trade has an impressive rug collection coming from designers around the globe. Actually, they’ve become kind of a one-stop-shop for all sorts of sustainable home goods. Scroll through pages of rugs here.

BOLE Road Textiles a Brooklyn based design studio that specializes in vibrant home decor, and their pieces are handwoven in Ethopia. The Bana Rug is our fave!

It’s a little embarrassing how many hours I’ve spent pouring over vintage and handmade rugs on Etsy! There are so many incredible shops there but here are a few of my favorites for rugs and textiles: Mumotoronto, Berberology, The Compulsive Traveler, and Majorelart.

Canary Lane carries a gorgeous selection of high end vintage rugs, including LOTS of insanely cool runners!

The Rug Company has been around since 1997, working with craftspeople in Nepal to make rugs in pretty much every print, color, or pattern you could dream up.

Justina Blakeney has dreamt up the most inspiring rugs for her bohemian home decor offerings at Jungalow. We love her collab with Loloi!

Like I said, Etsy is also a fabulous place to find ethically made rugs. Of course, you have to do your research to make sure the vendor is transparent in how their rugs are made and with what materials, but asking questions via DM usually helps me learn more. Here are some of our favorites!

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Where did you last purchase a rug? We’d love to update the list with more ethically made rugs you can buy online.

3 Sustainability Questions to Ask Your Host Before You Book Your Airbnb

published on September 4, 2020 by Angela Hamilton

When you travel, do you make sure the accommodations you book maintain an eco-friendly property? With hotels this question is fairly easy to answer, but you have to dig a little deeper when booking via rental marketplaces like Airbnb, VRBO, Vacasa, etc. The hotel industry has an unsurprisingly substantial impact on the environment so choosing an independently run vacation rental can already be a sustainable act, but recently I started wondering how else I can ensure that my travels align with my own eco-friendly practices.

The perk of these vacation rental sites is that you can often connect with your host before you book. I think this is a great time to ask questions and ensure you’re totally comfortable staying in the host’s space, particularly during Coronavirus. Here are 3 questions you can ask that say a lot about your host and their property.

What do we do with trash? Do you recycle?

Don’t assume your Airbnb has recycling, compost, or other trash services, even if you know that the town you’re staying in generally does. I’ve stayed in too many Airbnbs only to realize there was no recycling available. My friends and I joke about the times we’ve “packed out” bags full of recycling after group getaways… But it’s not always possible, and it’s obviously never ideal to road-trip home with a trunk full of trash!

This is a simple question you can ask, and then decide how to proceed. Is staying at a particular property worth it if you can’t properly dispose of your post-vacay waste? Further, if they don’t have eco-friendly practices in place, it’s not too presumptuous to conclude that they probably don’t consider “green” hospitality practices in other areas (like when cleaning, restocking, etc.)

What is your cleaning process for each new guest?

I admit that before COVID-19 I didn’t put too much thought into how an Airbnb was cleaned. I did in the sense that I wanted to make sure any cleaning fees actually went to maintaining a safe and hygienic space, but it didn’t really matter to me how it was done (did the owner do it themselves? did a team of professional cleaners come after each guest?).

Now that ANY travel is risky, it’s so important to make sure your Airbnb is getting a thorough clean. In my experience, cleaning fees have been higher during COVID, which is another reason to actually confirm that you are getting what you paid for. I’ve personally only booked a couple of properties in 2020–small staycations within a couple hours drive from Seattle to get a change of scenery and relieve some cabin fever!–but my last stay made me want to dig a little deeper.

In Airbnb’s COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, they encourage all hosts to use their enhanced cleaning protocol, which includes sanitization techniques, recommended supplies, and a five-step process outlined in their cleaning handbook. Hosts who commit to doing so receive a listing highlight that lets guests know they’ve incorporated the advanced cleaning standards. It’s definitely a big plus to see what they’ve done to support hosts and encourage better cleaning standards, but in the end, it is the guest who will get to see and decide whether it’s been implemented properly.

(Side note, if you’re staying in any ‘bnb during this time, take responsibility for the risk! Everyone needs to do their part, especially if we want to continue supporting each other when traveling. This post isn’t to rag on hosts at all, but to help guests interpret a listing and understand what to expect before they arrive.)

What cleaning supplies and toiletries do you use?

If there are certain chemicals you avoid when cleaning your own home, for health or sustainability reasons, you may feel uncomfortable staying somewhere that has just sprayed those chemicals throughout your home-away-from-home! You also might be concerned with which products actually do the job of disinfecting a space, and how safe they really are. There will certainly be some compromising.

As far as toiletries… I was super impressed to find that one of the last places I stayed had Who Gives A Crap TP rather than conventional! I’m sure there are so many hosts who have to weigh the benefits of offering sustainable amenities against the added cost. Sure, TP probably isn’t a make-or-break-it consideration for you, but it could influence your booking decisions if you’ve got options to pick from.

Of course, read all listings thoroughly to see which questions have already been answered for you! What questions do you ask before booking an Airbnb? Do you take sustainability into account?