Showers and Flowers: Sustainable Styling for Spring
Flower buds popping up everywhere? Enjoying that perfect not-too-hot weather with a slight breeze? Allergies acting up? It must be springtime. They say that April showers bring May flowers, so let’s look at some sustainable wardrobe ideas so you can be prepared for both.
Showers:
First up are sustainable options for all those April drizzles. Everyone loves that smell right after it rains and just how green the whole world looks, but no one wants to be soaked on their way to work or have to deal with wet socks all day long. So here are some eco friendly rain gear so you can have your cake and eat it too.
Rainboot - Alice + Whittles Minimalist Spring Pink Ankle Rain Boot.
As classic as the little red rain boots are, we’re branching out for a more subdued pastel pink. These boots are made from 100% all natural rubber tapped from fair trade and sustainably managed forests. Rubber is a material that desperately needs more attention to sustainable development, and so a fashion company putting sustainably managed rubber at the forefront is definitely something we can get behind, and look cute while we’re at it.
Umbrella - Brelli Pink
Did you know New Yorkers throw away so many umbrellas that an artist managed to build a gigantic 24ft diameter floating dome made entirely from thrown away umbrellas to raise awareness of the pollution problem in NYC’s waterways? Yeah, disposable umbrellas are a problem. Luckily Brelli has a gorgeous solution that can actually withstand the NYC weather for more than one use. This umbrella is made of sustainable bamboo, organic cotton, and biodegradable PVC, so when it finally does give up the ghost it won’t clog our waterways forever either.
Raincoat - United By Blue Albright Rain Shell
And finally, for those who prefer a coat, why not a coat that is fashionable, lightweight, durable, and cleans up a pound of trash? United by Blue has a mission to help restore the planet by removing a pound of trash from our waterways per purchase, in addition to being a certified B corporation that uses recycled materials, organic materials, or other sustainable materials when possible. And if you feel like getting your hands dirty, you can always join them for a cleanup while you’re at it.
Flowers:
Now we’re on to the May flowers. Nothing says spring like a look based around a floral dress and nothing says sustainable like these eco-friendly brands.
Dress - Reformation Harley Dress
Who else but Reformation? This dress is gorgeous and the mission is even better. Reformation makes sure every step of the process is as low impact as possible, from sourcing to shipping, so you can feel as good as you look. Even us in New York City have to give these LA cool girls the nod.
Bag - Rust and Fray Upcycled Caprice Handbag
For those who don’t know, upcycling is the hip new recycling. Instead of downcycling, which is extending a product’s materials for one last use before being thrown out, upcycling makes an entirely new and better product, moving the material up the supply chain. The Caprice CC is a cute tote with a springtime feel to match the dress, and is 100% upcycled and handcrafted to match the eco-friendly feel.
Shoe - Nisolo Serena Sandal
Finally, sandal weather. Late spring is the season to show off those painted toenails, and Nisolo gives you a chance to walk that eco-friendly walk. Everything they make is made in their fair trade, regularly audited factories, run through impact assessments so they can continually improve their environmental and social performance, and every pair of shoes contributes to helping protect the Amazon rainforest. They even have a return program so that your broken down shoes don’t end up in the landfill.
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