Photo by Ralph Hockens

For 2008, I made a resolution to bring eco-consciousness to my wardrobe and take readers of The Tastemaker Diaries with me. Our January installment of Green Your Closet introduced the Clothing Swap, a party combining the noble task of reusing your old garments by acquiring new ones from your nearest and dearest stylish friends. Now, we’re showing you how to love your wardrobe and the planet…by taking good care of the clothing you already have. If you keep just a few simple tips in mind, you can make your “personal classics” last a lifetime. If you take care of the clothes that aren’t your favorites, you can happily pass them on to another lucky person to wear for years more. By lengthening the life of your clothes, you lessen the environmental impact of the clothing manufacturing business, which makes for cleaner water, air, and soil for you and yours. Who knew buying less could have such a big effect on the world beyond our bank accounts? We also show share a few great tips on green washing (the good kind.)

Keep ‘Em Cold
Wash your darks and brights in cold water to keep colors true and save on hot water. And keep any garments that may bleed color far from whites…there’s nothing like one random red sock to ruin a whole load of whites.

Green Your Clean
The bulk from most laundry detergents is made up of water. The concentrated versions are good for just as many loads, use much less plastic for packaging, and require less petroleum to transport. The non-toxic powder versions packaged in recycled cardboard are my personal favorite.

Handwash delicates to keep them looking like new.

If you have to dry clean, make it green! Ask your local dry cleaner if they use “perc” (perchloroethylene) in their processing. In addition to lifting out stains with ease, Perc has also been known to cause neurological damage. Ooh…no bueno. The EPA called PERC a hazardous air pollutant and a potential carcinogen. Perc was a even used a chemical weapon back in World War I! So how do we keep chemical weapons out of our closets? Find a green drycleaner in your neighborhood at LowImpactLiving.com. Enter your zipcode and Low Impact Living will tell you where you can find your nearest non-toxic dry cleaner. If there’s not one near you, make sure your local dry cleaner is aware of the risks of Perc and that you want to see its use eliminated as soon as possible.

Photo by Miss Pupik

Hang ‘Em Up!

All’s well that ends well. Hang your clothes on an old fashioned laundry line and use the power of the sun instead of a coal-fired power plant to dry your clothes. It keeps the color of your garments truer (especially if you turn them inside out) than the dryer; it also saves all the energy (cha-ching) it takes to run it. If you don’t have anywhere to hang your clothes outside, try one of those handy indoor drying racks.

It just goes to show you style mavens- loving your clothes is more than just an attitude, it’s a way of life. Stay tuned for March’s Green Your Closet, which will cover the 3 R’s of a green closet: Reclaim, Reconstruct, and Reinvent. Dust off those sewing machines, fashionistas-it’s going to be a funky ride!