Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Living Better With Less: Buying What Lasts


Julie Gilhart Hates Frankenstein Shoes, Thinks Sexy Lingerie Is ‘Very Important’
(photo courtesy of NY Magazine.com)

Wanted to share a snidbit from NY Magazine's interview with Julie Gilhart, former women's fashion director at Barney's. I totally agree with her answer to the following question:

You're a big champion of eco-conscious fashion, but it can be really difficult to convince people to buy something eco-friendly when their top priority is looking good. How do you reconcile that?
Well, it's really about making conscious decisions that aren't wasteful. Like with Lanvin, one of my favorites, there's nothing organic about it. But Alber [Elbaz]'s clothes tend to be very well made, and they never go out of style. So in Lanvin's case, you're buying a jacket that you can wear for years. I have a jacket that I bought that's from 2001, and I'm still wearing it. It's very difficult to buy 100 percent organic or sustainable, but the number one conscious decision is to not buy more than you need, and to buy things that last. If I had a choice to buy a T-shirt that's made in New York City versus a T-shirt that's made in China, and they're very similar, I'm probably going to choose the one that's made in New York, you know? And if I choose the one that's made in China — and that would be because it has a certain look, or a certain fit, or a certain price that's appealing — then I'm going to buy it and keep it and wear it for a long time. It's just about not being wasteful.

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