Sustainable Wardrobe, Part VI, Everything Else

Tags: Zero Waste, Minimalism, Buy It For Life

And here is everything else that I put on my body!

Base Layers/Under Garments

My favorite place to buy the stuff that goes underneath my clothes is Boodywear. Boodywear is made of organic bamboo rayon. Rayon is a soft fabric that is breathable in the summer but also provides warmth in the winter. Boodywear claims to use an environmentally preferable process to convert biomass to fabric. They also have the following certifications: ECOCERT (organic certification), OEKO-TEX (free of chemical residues), and WRAP (fair labor).

I also like these organic cotton tights form Pact Apparel .


Sleep/Lounge/Workout Clothes

I have one set of clothes that I use for sleeping, lounging, and working out. It makes things a lot easier, and because I don't go to a gym or yoga class, I don't feel the need to fit in by wearing specific clothes for working out. This four-piece bunch is all from different brands: Maggie's Organics (organic cotton tank made with fair labor), Toad&Co (organic cotton sweatshirt), Threads 4 Thought (organic cotton and recycled polyester shorts), and Sweet Skins (hemp, organic cotton, and USA-made pants). 


Swimwear

My swimwear is synthetic (big surprise!), but is mostly made from recycled nylon. It includes a swim top and swim capri pants to go over the bikini and it's made by Prana. It certainly isn't minimalist, but it's better than sunscreen and keeps me warm!



Outerwear

All I have for outwear is a synthetic winter jacket and an organic cotton hoodie. Outerwear options that provide warmth without using synthetic fibers or wool are hard to find. I decided to go with this synthetic jacket by Columbia that uses reflective technology to keep you warm, resulting in a less bulky jacket and a reduction in plastic fabric use. My hoodie is organic cotton and socially responsible from Econcious. I forgot that I also have a packable rain coat, not pictured.


Accessories

Most of my accessories are items for cold weather. My scarf and headband are from Threads 4 Thought and contain recycled polyester. For summer I have a cotton hat and sunglasses. For jewelry, all I wear is my wedding ring and a pair of earrings. I have three pairs of earrings that I rotate. I forgot to include hair accessories in this picture, which includes a copper hair holder, a couple of small ponytail holders and two hair clips.

In the final Part VII of this series, I will share some of my strategies for managing my wardrobe in a sustainable and efficient way.

Sustainable Wardrobe, Part V, Casual Clothes

Tags: Zero Waste, Minimalism, Buy It For Life

Here are my casual clothes. Nothing very interesting or fancy, but it was much easier finding these kinds of clothes from sustainable brands.

Winter Clothes:

I have two items in my winter clothes that are made in part from recycled polyester. The rest is mostly organic cotton or organic cotton/Tencel blend. The brands shown here are Fair Indigo, Prana, Toad&Co., Threads 4 Thought, Columbia, and Eddie Bauer.

Summer Clothes:

Most of my summer clothes are made from organic cotton or organic cotton/Tencel blend. I have one pair of shorts that are nylon. The brands shown here are Fair Indigo, Prana, and Toad&Co.

Sweaters:

Sweaters are great for adding extra warmth throughout the year. It seems like a lot of sweaters are made of synthetic or animal fibers. Here are some 100% organic cotton sweaters that I found from Prana and Toad&Co.

Odd-Jobs Clothes:

These are some clothes I don't wear anymore that I've kept for things like painting and volunteering at the animal shelter. The point is that it's okay to get them really dirty. This is probably too many, but I haven't decided which ones to keep yet.

In Part VI of this series, I'll be covering everything left in my wardrobe.

Sustainable Wardrobe, Part IV, Barefoot Shoes

Tags: Minimalism, Natural Movement, Vegan

I used to have the goal of owning vegan, plastic-free shoes, but once I got into the barefoot shoe movement, I realized that vegan, plastic-free, and barefoot was not going to happen. So, my shoes are vegan and barefoot. Barefoot or minimalist shoes have the following properties:

1. Flat - No heel of any height, not even a half inch. Heeled shoes throw the body out of alignment and make it difficult to walk naturally.
2. Thin, flexible sole - The foot is complex and has lots of distinct bones. Our foot is designed to feel the ground underneath and make minor adjustments based on the terrain
3. Wide toe box - In natural walking, toes move a lot and actually grip the ground. Narrow toe boxes squish the toes together, making them almost like one toe. Hammertoes are the result of narrow toe boxes.
4. The body of the shoe sticks to the foot, but is flexible - The best counter-example to this is the flip-flop. The sole of the flip-flop moves away from the foot when one walks and the toes are required to grip in an unnatural way in order to keep the shoe on one's foot.

I currently own six pairs of shoes (yay minimalism!). Here they are together and individually:

Rain boots/Snow boots:

These are very flexible rain boots from Vivobarefoot. I convert them to snow boots in the winter by adding a thermal insole and lining them with boot socks. I put a boot sock on one of the boots in the picture to show what I mean. I also just ordered some traction cleats to add on, because I found myself slipping on the ice. 

With all these add-ons, I wonder if it would have been better to just get a pair of snow boots, but I still think this is a more minimalist strategy. I wear the boot socks over my pants in the house sometimes for added warm in the winter. 

Walking/Hiking/Casual Shoes:

These shoes also come from Vivobarefoot. Vivobarefoot shoes are pretty expensive, but they do offer pretty good sales. I got this pair at 40% off.

Dress Shoes:

This is the best I could find so far for dress shoes. They are made by Astral.

Indoor/Office Shoes:

I like to call these pajama shoes. It almost feels like nothing is on your feet at all. These shoes by PrimalEvo were supposed to be my walking/hiking/casual shoes, but they are just too minimalist. They hurt your feet on hard surfaces and are not very waterproof. I actually added insoles to these. I can get away with wearing these at work sometimes. I wear them at home sometimes too for extra warmth or cushioning.

Summer Sandals:

These summer sandals by Sanuk look like flip-flops, but they do not act like them. The sole is flexible and the two straps keeps the shoe attached to your foot at all times.

Odd-Jobs Shoes:

These are just some old New Balance shoes that are basically shoes that are okay to get messed up. I wear them when I volunteer at the animal shelter, because they come home smelling and covered in fur. I would also wear them for things like painting a room.

Toe Socks!

I love these organic cotton socks by Toesox. They help me keep my toes spread apart, and I wear them in the winter inside the house to keep my feet warm

In Part V of this series, I will be covering my casual clothes.

Sustainable Wardrobe, Part III, Office Wardrobe

Tags: Zero Waste, Minimalism, Buy It For Life

Finding office-appropriate attire that fits my requirements for minimalism, natural fabrics, ethics, natural movement, AND fits right has not been easy. Here is what I was able to come up with starting with my least ideal pieces first.


All-Season Sweater Tops:

I like these short-sleeve sweater tops from Lands' End for the following reasons:
1. They are very basic and they sell them all the time, only making minor changes to the style; I doubt they will ever stop selling them, but you never know
2. They are 76% cotton, so mostly natural fibers
3. They are cool enough for the summer, and in the winter I wear long-sleeve shirt underneath, with a cardigan or cotton blazer over the top


Trousers:

I have these trousers from The Limited, because I prefer extended-length pants and they are often not easy to find in extra small sizes. Luckily, these pants are also mostly plant-based (77% viscose), and they have stayed new looking, even after many washes. I chose a size that would allow me to wear thermals underneath them in the winter, but they aren't too loose in the summer either.


Button-up Shirts:

I like these button-up shirts from Fair Indigo. They are 96% cotton and fairly made in Columbia.


Sweaters:

I have two sweaters that I've kept from my thrift shop days. I kept them, because they haven't worn out over the years and they are wool, so they provide added warmth. I used to be okay with buying wool on occasion if it was not new, but am not now, so these will be my last wool items.


Dresses:

Two of these dresses come from Toad & Co. They are very basic and easy to layer with. They are made from 26% cotton and 59% Tencel -- a type of rayon that is made in an environmentally preferable way. The blue dress is from eShakti -- a company that makes dresses to your measurement specifications. It's 100% cotton.


Skirts:

Two of my skirts are also from Toad & Co. and made from the same materials as my dresses (48% organic cotton and 48% Tencel). The black pencil skirt is from Fair Indigo and made from 97% organic cotton and fairly made in Peru.


Cardigan, Blazer, and Vest:

My cardigan and blazer are 100%  and 97% organic cotton and from Fair Indigo. The vest is also cotton. 


Color strategy:
I tend to go with black for my cardigans and blazers, black for my socks/shoes, neutral colors for bottoms, and colorful for my tops. This strategy allows me to have fun without worrying about anything clashing. Everything goes together.


Layering:

In Part IV of this series, I will be showing my barefoot, minimalist shoes.

Sustainable Wardrobe, Part II, Closet

Tags: Zero Waste, Minimalism, Buy It For Life

Here is my closet! These are most of my clothes. My shoes, outerwear and winter accessories are kept by the front door. There are also a few items being washed.

In Part III of this series, I will show my work clothes.

Sustainable Wardrobe Tour, Part I, Introduction

Tags: Zero Waste, Minimalism, Buy It For Life

I’ve just embarked on a temporary project of extreme frugality, and one of the reasons I was ready to do that was because I finished my two-year journey to create my “sustainable wardrobe”. The goals I was trying to achieve with my wardrobe were as follows:

1. Minimize the number of wardrobe items I own

I was able to do this by focusing on only owning items that I love, are of high quality, and are versatile. I think I still have a way to go with this, but I’ve made some good improvements. One of my difficulties is that I now live in a climate that has “all the weather”: cold, "blizzardy" winters; hot, humid summers, windy days, and frequent rain storms. I have to be prepared for everything!

2. Minimize the amount of synthetic fabric in my wardrobe

I don’t like the way synthetic fabric feels on my skin, and there are environmental and health concerns with its use.

3. Support businesses that care about sustainability, health, and fair trade or local manufacture

I know buying from thrift shops is a basic strategy for the zero-waste lifestyle, but I decided that if I was going to reach my wardrobe goals easily, I would have to buy new. I also believe that it’s important to support ethical companies, because I’m a long-view person and shopping at thrift stores is not sustainable in the long run, because we shouldn’t be creating so many low-quality consumer goods in the first place. I want the companies that care to be a success, so that they continue to stay in business and create the new economy that I see for our future. With that said, I do believe that the re-use and re-sale of used goods is hugely important, now and in the future; I just hate to see the dominance of buying and throwing away (donating) cheaply-made goods.

4. Own clothing and shoes that align with the natural movement/barefoot lifestyle

My health has improved significantly since I transitioned to “barefoot” shoes and taken up the natural movement lifestyle. This includes wearing less restrictive and less supportive clothing. The concept of natural movement/barefoot lifestyle is too expansive to address is this blog post, so I can only direct you to a couple of the educators: Nutritious Movement and Alignment Monkey.

In Part II of this series, I will show my closet.

What's on My Drying Racks Today, Volume I

Tags: ZeroWaste

I'm drying a lot of my reusables today. Here are my drying racks and what's on them:

Towels! Towels for my bathroom at home and the bathroom at work, napkins, and handkerchiefs. I've had this drying rack, along with a second smaller one, for over 10 years now and I bet they have paid for themselves by now. I almost never use the clothes dryer.

Canning jar cozies! I use 24 oz Ball jars for hot and cold drinks with the EcoJarz PopTop lids. These cozies keep my hands from getting to hot or cold and protect the jar from breaking. I wash them in a lingerie bag along with the rest of my laundry. The drying rack is a bag drying rack. I use it to dry re-used plastic bags mainly, but it has proved useful for other things too.

Various stuff! On my dish drying rack right now I have very few dishes. Instead, I am drying an Abeego wrap (not vegan - beeswax), tea wand, and a soak container that holds family cloth and cloth menstrual pads (don't worry, the soak container has been thoroughly cleaned!)

Small cloths! Cleaned family cloth wipes (these ones are really sturdy and have held up for years) and a Skoy cloth* are hanging to dry here. I also use this one to dry all my little cloth facial rounds. I've only had this rack for a short time, but I really like it so far. It hangs from the bar in the entry-way closet; I'm a minimalist, so my entry-way closet has plenty of space for this.

I <3 drying racks :-)

* https://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/10/skoy-cloths-theyre-plastic-free-and/

Glass Nail File to Replace Paper Emery Boards

Tags: Zero Waste; Buy It For Life

Glass nail files, also called crystal nail files, are the perfect choice for those wanting to find an alternative to disposable paper emery boards. The usual zero waste suggestion for replacing paper emery boards is a metal file, but I have found that metal files are too coarse for fingernails. 

Glass nail files work as well as emery boards, they are washable, and should last a lifetime if they are not accidentally broken. Don't get the idea that they are fragile, though. They are pretty sturdy, but they are glass, so it is possible to break them.

The only other downside to glass nail files is that most of them come in a plastic case. The one I bought came in a plastic case, but I didn't realize it came in one. 

I did a little research to see if I could find a high quality company that sold these files and it looks like Zamberg or Soligen is the way to go. They are both German companies.

I like this file from Zamberg and this one from Soligen/Three Swords.

Another option is Etsy, where you can get something really unique.

Zero Waste. Minimalism. Buy It For Life.

I've changed one of the three focus tags of my blog. Health is being replaced with Buy It For Life. Of course I care about health, but I'm very passionate about the buy-it-for-life movement and think it fits in better with zero waste and minimalism.

Buy It For Life!

Fagor Duo Combi for the Zero Waste Kitchen

Tags: Zero Waste; Buy It For Life

We have had this Fagor Duo Combi pressure cooker/pressure canner/saucepan set for ten years now and it's still in great shape. 

I love this company because not only do they produce quality products, they sell replacement parts. We use the Duo Combi on a daily basis for cooking and occasionally for canning and pressure cooking. In the ten years we have had it, we've had to buy a replacement gasket and upper handle. We also bought the 10 piece canning set, which was more metal and less plastic ten years ago.

At this point, I don't know how much longer Fagor is going to support the Duo line, so it may be worth looking at their other pressure cooker lines.

Happy canning and cooking!

Zero Waste Kitchen Tool: The Jar Scraper

Tags: Zero Waste

Jar scrapers are a great way to eliminate food and water waste. Compared to a regular rubber scrapper, the handle is usually longer and the scraper is narrower. They help get all the food out of tall and narrow containers like jars and blenders.

We buy bulk peanut butter from our co-op with our 24 oz canning jars. Not only does a jar scraper help us get our every last bit of peanut butter, it results in requiring less water, soap, and effort in cleaning the jar out once it's empty.

The jar scraper really helps with cleaning out food containers for recycling and getting out food from the bottom of a blender. I also use it for easier clean-up when making small batches of homemade toiletries out of coconut oil and shea butter.

To reduce the amount of plastic, you can find ones with wooden or metal handles:

Le Creuset

Williams-Sonoma

RSVP

Three Body Washes and a Bar Soap that Eliminate the Need for Body Lotion

Tags: Zero Waste; Minimalism

Body lotion is dangerous (just kidding) and a waste of time, money, and resources, when there are soaps and body washes out there that don't dry your skin. Here are four that I've tried that have worked for me.

EO Shower Gel
This is the body wash I currently use. I buy it in the gallon bulk-sized container and re-use the pump, which you have to buy separately. In a two adult household, it lasts us 6 months when we use these recycled plastic shower poufs*. These shower poufs also double as body exfoliators. I also use this soap in a foaming soap dispenser next to the sink for hand washing.

EO 3-In-1 Soap
This liquid soap can be used as body wash, shampoo, and bubble bath. I've tried it for all three and it works pretty well.

Chagrin Valley Dry Skin Soaps
I haven't tried all of these, but the ones I did try worked and this is the only soap bar I've tried where I didn't need to put on lotion afterwards.

Branch Basics All-Purpose Soap
To use this one, you will need to dilute it in a foaming soap dispenser at one part soap and five parts water. They also sell a reusable foaming dispenser. I personally wasn't happy with this option in the long run, because I felt I had to use a lot of the foam to get the job done. I tried using it in a regular soap dispenser, but it is so watery that a lot of it ends up going down the drain before you can get it from the soap dispenser to you body. I've thought about trying a squeeze bottle to squeeze the soap directly on the body.

*They have smaller versions now too, but I haven't tried them yet.

Zero Waste Market Kit

Tags: Zero Waste

Here's my zero waste market kit and I love it!

I use an insulated market basket* with the soft cover and before I leave to go grocery shopping, I make sure it's filled with glass jars for the bulk bins, grocery bags, coupons from my co-op, and a wax crayon to mark my glass jars with PLU numbers. I put my market basket in the shopping cart and pull things out as needed. When groceries are being bagged, I make sure that the frozen/cold items go in the insulated market basket.

Here are a couple of storage ideas for produce bags:

For both of these options, you can just pull produce bags out of the top as you need them, making it very convenient. Also for convenience sake, I use grocery bags that also fit in a stuff sack. I like the bags that have shoulder straps; I can carry more bags into the house that way and still have my hands free to unlock the door.

For the bulk bins I use glass canning jars: 24 oz jars for most bulk items and 4 oz jars for spices and small quantities. I use a wax crayon to write the PLU and tare weight on the jar lid.

I use a lid with nothing pre-printed on it, so I have more room to write. With this special lid, the tare weight of the 24 oz jar is 0.90 lbs. With the original lid, it is 0.88 lbs. The tare weight for my 4 oz jar is 0.31 lbs. Some grocery stores can't subtract the high tare weights of glass jars, so always check first.

* Use this market basket for more than just the grocery store. Use it as a cooler for camping or picnics. Use it for potlucks. Use if for non-food purposes like transporting items that need some protection and the stability of a flat-bottomed container.

Sources: Bea Johnson is the originator of the washable crayon idea. For the produce bags in the glass jar, I got that idea from seeing another blogger use this idea for handkerchiefs.

The Cheapest Way to Have a Bidet and Eliminate the Need for Toilet Paper

Tags: Zero Waste

This is so ingenious, I don't know why more people don't do this. For an investment of less than $15 you can have a clean, fresh bum whenever you want. How's that? With a travel bidet!

Just fill the travel bidet with warm water and even a little soap, do your business, bidet away, and then dry off with a towel.

This is one of those things that is certainly not going to work for everyone, but it's such a small investment, it's worth a try. I feel that the fact that you can add soap to it makes it more possible to work for everyone. You could even have one for washing and one for rinsing (or if your toilet is next to your sink, just fill it with rinsing water).

Nothing beats the clean feel of actually washing you bum instead of just wiping it with toilet paper.

For the drying off part, there are so many options. Just use your bath towel if you are confident in you cleanliness. Or, use a dedicated hand towel that has its own place to hang to dry. I use individual wipes or wash cloths. Used wipes go in an enamelware soaking container until wash time.

Update: Works for menstrual cycles too.