September Earthy Style Picks~ Munchkin Girls

 Since picking the Earthy Style Picks is a delight for me I decided to spice it up and add the children's clothing I have been drooling over.  I thought since it is back to school time why not.  So September will be girls, because we are the best.  And October will be boys!  I remember that when I embarked on this new parent adventure I thought there was no way I would ever put my children in second hand clothing, not because of pride or weirdness I was just more concerned with old clothing and what it was washed in for several years before it made it's way to me.  I was some what closed minded about it until I went to my first Just Between Friends Sale!  If you don't know of it here is the info about it's majesticalness: http://www.jbfsale.com/home.jsp  After going to this sale I was super excited to be able to shop for my gals second hand (which is what I do for my self normally), the items are gently used and are coming from the moms verses being traded down the ranks thru thrift store to shelter to thrift store!  At the end of the day buying second hand everything is what is better for the planet if you are going to buy, and I always say these kiddos are growing so fast why invest in items you pay an arm and a leg for to watch the clothing get stained, ripped or pooed in or just not fit by the time the little one gets around to wearing it on their fanny!

Fun factoid about the pollution from apparel manufacturing:

The textile industry has a big pollution problem. The World Bank estimates that 17 to 20 percent of industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment. They’ve also identified 72 toxic chemicals in our water solely from textile dyeing, 30 of which are cannot be removed. This represents an appalling environmental problem for the clothing designers and other textile manufacturers. - See more at: http://blog.airdye.com/goodforbusiness/2009/09/30/water-pollution-and-the-textile-industry/#sthash.Qwp2ICOq.dpuf

The textile industry has a big pollution problem. The World Bank estimates that 17 to 20 percent of industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment. They’ve also identified 72 toxic chemicals in our water solely from textile dyeing, 30 of which are cannot be removed. This represents an appalling environmental problem for the clothing designers and other textile manufacturers. - See more at: http://blog.airdye.com/goodforbusiness/2009/09/30/water-pollution-and-the-textile-industry/#sthash.Qwp2ICOq.dpuf

Fashion leaves a pollution footprint, with each step of the clothing life cycle generating potential environmental and occupational hazards. For example, polyester, the most widely used manufactured fiber, is made from petroleum. With the rise in production in the fashion industry, demand for man-made fibers, especially polyester, has nearly doubled in the last 15 years, according to figures from the Technical Textile Markets. The manufacture of polyester and other synthetic fabrics is an energy-intensive process requiring large amounts of crude oil and releasing emissions including volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and acid gases such as hydrogen chloride, all of which can cause or aggravate respiratory disease. Volatile monomers, solvents, and other by-products of polyester production are emitted in the wastewater from polyester manufacturing plants. The EPA, under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, considers many textile manufacturing facilities to be hazardous waste generators.

Another one just for S&G's:

 According to figures from the U.S. National Labor Committee, some Chinese workers make as little as 12–18 cents per hour working in poor conditions. And with the fierce global competition that demands ever lower production costs, many emerging economies are aiming to get their share of the world’s apparel markets, even if it means lower wages and poor conditions for workers. Increasingly, clothing being imported to the United States comes from countries as diverse as Honduras and Bangladesh.

To me I understand now days that because we are making too many clothes and clothing gets discounted so cheap it is almost cheaper to buy new than used.  But I think that if we as a society stopped buying so much junk and bought a few nice used pieces that we will use forever we would be better off.  We need far less than we think, even when it comes to clothing.  We need to get over the can't wear it more than once idea!  I mean really who do we think we are sometimes.  ;(  Just crazy.  The more you know, the less you need is such a true statement!  :)

 These are items you can find second hand, all wonderful and better for the planet.

Vintage, fair trade, cruelty free ( although the only time I buy leather is second hand because I am annoyed that an animal died and the shoes or bag were just tossed out after wearing them once), organic, recycled!

The textile industry has a big pollution problem. The World Bank estimates that 17 to 20 percent of industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment. They’ve also identified 72 toxic chemicals in our water solely from textile dyeing, 30 of which are cannot be removed. This represents an appalling environmental problem for the clothing designers and other textile manufacturers. - See more at: http://blog.airdye.com/goodforbusiness/2009/09/30/water-pollution-and-the-textile-industry/#sthash.Qwp2ICOq.dpuf

The textile industry has a big pollution problem. The World Bank estimates that 17 to 20 percent of industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment. They’ve also identified 72 toxic chemicals in our water solely from textile dyeing, 30 of which are cannot be removed. This represents an appalling environmental problem for the clothing designers and other textile manufacturers. - See more at: http://blog.airdye.com/goodforbusiness/2009/09/30/water-pollution-and-the-textile-industry/#sthash.Qwp2ICOq.dpuf

The textile industry has a big pollution problem. The World Bank estimates that 17 to 20 percent of industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment. They’ve also identified 72 toxic chemicals in our water solely from textile dyeing, 30 of which are cannot be removed. This represents an appalling environmental problem for the clothing designers and other textile manufacturers. - See more at: http://blog.airdye.com/goodforbusiness/2009/09/30/water-pollution-and-the-textile-industry/#sthash.Qwp2ICOq.dpufThese items are items you can find second hand:  Vintage, organic, fair trade, cruelty free, recycled!  You just got to know where to look.  Besides JBF sales I also shop Etsy because there is always a ton of super one of a kind children's pieces...  Just like myself I like my girls to look different from their pals.  It's cute when they match their friends once in a while in a shirt from target!  But for the most part I want them to be a little less barbie and a little more their own personality ya dig! 

Please message me if anything catches your eye so that I may connect you with the seller!

Please try to purchse clothing that is not taking a toll on the earth, and also please consider giving the things that are on this planet already a good home and one more go around.  Mother earth will thank you and so will your pocketbok!  

Tread lightly!