(Courtesy of TheGlamourai.com)

Just dropping E.S. readers a note that we’re taking a mini-vacation starting tomorrow, but we’ll be back with all-new blog content on Wednesday, September 8.

In the meantime, here are some ways to say goodbye to summer and celebrate the beginning of fall:

• Thumb through every single page of ad and editorial content in the 726-page September issue of Vogue, featuring the first cover model of color in 20 years. Spend the rest of the weekend trying to copy Halle Berry’s perfect smoky eye.
• Purge your closet and take your rejects into the thrift or consignment store. Come home with a few new seasonal staples.
• Wash and pack away your summer clothing, but follow these tips to ensure safe storage of your favorite sundresses and summer-weight cashmere.
• Tackle a fun but time-consuming DIY project. Need inspiration? Check our archives.
• Forget outdated style rules, like the one that forbids the wearing of white after Labor Day. Hasn’t anyone heard of  ”winter white”? Come on!

A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research shows that big-spending consumers are moving away from buying luxury goods with conspicuous logos, thanks in part to the prevalence of counterfeit goods.

It’s a trend that fashion’s biggest houses are noting with interest:

“It’s the age of Bottega,” says [stylist Robert] Verdi referring to Bottega Veneta’s successful line of handbags with the logo hidden inside.

Other famously logo-friendly brands are following suit. Chanel’s latest line of eyewear moved away from the iconic oversized C’s in favor of a smaller printed reference. Fendi replaced the logo on some of it’s eyewear with stitching down the temples. Versace and Valentino are incorporating color, braiding and metal into their glasses in place of a garish signature.

“Gucci is doing sweaters with a tone-on-tone version of the company’s old crest. If it were a few years ago it may have been done as a more prominent embroidery,” says GQ’s Creative Director, Jim Moore.

The exception? Louis Vuitton posted a record-breaking 53 percent jump in profits for the second quarter of 2010 — meaning the company’s iconic monogram goods are still selling like hotcakes.

(Frank Ockenfels/Blogs.AMCtv.com)

The advertising industry spent a whopping $125-billion last year alone to convince you that you couldn’t live without something. That is serious money, and while the ad industry can claim success, they can’t exactly say they came out of that success smelling like roses.

To combat the negative image many people have of advertising, industry leaders have banded together to launch the Institute for Advertising Ethics at the University of Missouri.

There’s a burgeoning need for this, says one of the institute’s founders:

“Because it is persuasion, advertising is viewed in a questionable way by a lot of people,” said Margaret Duffy, a former ad executive who now teaches at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and is helping to organize the ethics institute.

But even though the industry’s fundamental purpose is to convince shoppers to buy a product they may not actually need, such persuasion can be done in an “ethical and tasteful” way, she added.

The institute has appointed Wally Snyder as its leader, who will use his background as a former Federal Trade Commission lawyer and American Advertising Federation president to help people in the industry approach advertising in a more ethical way, and benefit ad viewers as well.

For more on the ethics of advertising, check out E.S. Issue 36, the Art of Persuasion.

Today the New York Times has a thoughtful piece on people who have gone on self-imposed “shopping diets” and reduced their wardrobes to six items, due to a challenge by the website SixItemsOrLess.com.

The “Sixers,” as they call themselves, have drawn some interesting and eco-applicable conclusions from the experiment:

[Stella] Brennan did sound ripe for some kind of fashion intervention. In a recent interview, she spoke of a rack of clothes in the back of her closet that still had the tags on them, and clothes that she has not worn in 15 years but that she cannot stand to part with, and her 72 pairs of “active” shoes (meaning those that she actively wears, not the ones still in the boxes), and a closet full of clothes for her 3-year-old daughter, and, lest she forget, a wardrobe of clothes for her dog.

“My daughter doesn’t care what she wears, and I’m turning her into a monster,” Ms. Brennan said. “We’re ruining the next generation of girls with fashion.”

And here I thought I was being hardcore by limiting myself to 10 pieces for the summer.

I like the message that refutes the idea that new always equals better, and that simple can still be stylish (as evidenced by Kate Moss’s put-together-but-basic ensemble at right).

So as I like to say: There’s always more room on the bandwagon! Join the Summer Light Challenge today — we may be a third of the way into summer already, but the last two months will surely be the toughest.

This article has been reprinted from Green by Design’s blog covering the Summer Light Challenge, which asks eco-fashionistas to limit their wardrobes to 10 pieces over the 91 days of summer. We have covered the details of the challenge before; here, I describe my experience of wearing the same things over and over and why it’s not as limiting as you might expect.

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When I first read about the Summer Light Challenge, I immediately thought to myself: “Bring it on.” The timing was perfect, as I’m not terribly inclined to overdress in the heat. But it also dovetailed with my latest preoccupation: changing priorities and how they have affected the way I approach shopping.

Full disclosure time. I’m 28 years old and I’ve been an avid shopper since high school (my mom can verify this fact – back-to-school shopping was a very big deal for me, even though I wore a uniform). Few things give me more pleasure than the smell of new clothes and the commitment of cutting the tags off a purchase. I love fashion and how it’s a manner of self-expression. Truly, under the right circumstances – a bad breakup, a new job – it can be downright transformative.

But between writing for EthicalStyle for going on two years and getting married last fall, I find lately that I’m more content with what I have instead of chasing an ever-evolving version of myself. I don’t know that I want to say that I’ve matured, but I’ve definitely become more comfortable in my own skin.

It’s certainly helped that I’m not in much of a shopping mood these days. Part of it, certainly, is that marriage makes me feel more responsible and less inclined to spend some double-digit percentage of my paycheck on clothes. But as collateral damage of the Great Recession, some of my favorite places to shop are no longer in business (most notably Martin and Osa, a brand that introduced me to soybean sweaters and the lion’s share of my polished casual basics).

I guess you could say that fashion used to be the way I demonstrated my personal evolution, and after a few years of tinkering with it, I’m no in a place where I don’t feel I need to reinvent myself every three months. Is it possible I’ve evolved to a point where I am actually happy with how I look?

I remember being in college and feeling like this day would never come. I would grab my lower belly and lament how poochy I was, despite being an athletic size six. I would change my hair color with my mood, from Punky Bleach’s banana yellow to Clairol’s simmering dark espresso. I bought way too many clothes at H&M during this era, trying out a variety of fashion styles from preppy to punky as if they were boyfriends I never took seriously.

Yet as I’ve entered my late 20s, I’ve felt myself settle down like a house into its foundations. Having seen what my body is capable of and how much my husband loves it now matter what shape it’s in, I refuse to ever again tell myself that I’m fat; in fact, I’m currently training for my first triathlon. I’ve stuck with the same shade of blonde since 2008, breaking my own personal record. And I’m comfortable with the idea of limiting my closet to ten pieces for a whole summer. Because now I know it’s not the dress that wears the woman.

My 10 pieces, clockwise from upper left:

Dark grey ruffle-front tank top from J. Crew

White v-neck tee from J. Crew

Orange and white striped nautical tank top from Martin and Osa

Black three-quarter sleeved organic cotton Henley from C&C California

Colorblocked tank dress from Crossroads, my favorite consignment shop in Los Angeles

Dressy black tunic-length tank by Vince (doubles as a dress if worn with leggings)

Oatmeal-colored vintage jersey hoodie by Splendid

Ash grey skinny jeans from a thrift shop on Lake Tahoe (only $6!)

Dark-wash trouser jeans from Martin and Osa

Khaki “Aviator” skirt with cargo details from Martin and Osa

(M.J. Prest/EthicalStyle.com)

Three weddings, two weeks. My life has turned into a bit of 27 Dresses, just with less satin.

Thanks to the amount of ribbon and tulle that has run through my fingers in the last two weeks, my lesser self  is tempted to say that weddings are bastions of conspicuous consumption and excessive excess, and that the only thing earth friendly about weddings is the “something old” item. My better self will remember my friends finding true love and the celebratory aspect of weddings.

The navy belt ties the author helped fashion for her friend's bridesmaid dresses. (Kara Cook/EthicalStyle.com)

As you can imagine, being the DIY Doyenne, I’ve been asked to do a myriad of wedding-related projects for these friends of mine. Also not so shocking, it’s all the things that would otherwise be very expensive or a undue hassle, that friends found out I could, to put it kindly, jury-rig.

Here are a couple of ideas and projects that that may help you get more with less, save money, and perhaps use resources more wisely.

Flowers

To help keep floral costs down, I am using a local wholesaler and getting a bargain on flowers for the entire wedding. They aren’t organic but I like to think I minimized transportation and storage energy costs by buying in bulk and doing the arrangements myself.

A few ideas to make your flowers more eco-friendly: Consider an organic flower supplier like Organic Bouquet, although be prepared to gasp at the price differential. A few other ways to get flowers include asking your friends what they will have growing around the time of your wedding. Collect greenery from friendly neighbors — say, magnolia leaves from the groom’s front yard. Or (cost-sucking) hydrangeas from a very friendly neighbor. Also, just make sure you get the most out of your flowers, send centerpieces home with guests after the event, give leftover flowers to helpers, and support local businesses or hospitals. At the end of the day, I am convinced that flowers provide real, visceral happiness to people. So enjoy the wedding flowers and don’t feel bad about it. To do that, well, that would be wrong.

A Bridesmaid DIY

A nontraditional dress from J. Crew that can be worn again gave one recent bride the need for a belt on her four bridesmaid’s waists. I was tasked with creating this unifying piece. Wonderfully specific about what she wants in the wedding, she told me she wanted navy belts with little “bowtie” in the middle back to make the dresses more serious. I took fusable hem tape and doubled the thickness of a beautiful grosgrain navy ribbon with an iron in seconds. Taking a 12 inch length and sewing it into a circle, I aligned the seam in the middle back and wrapped another piece of ribbon in place around the middle and stitch it together, attaching it to the waist band with sewing on one side and snaps on the other. Although I will tack the belts in place, they will be completely usable for (hopefully) something else — as will the dress itself.

Bridesmaid Dresses

Everyone has been at a wedding where someone (whoever that someone is who picked the bridesmaid dress) will tell you that they picked the bridesmaid dress because you can wear it again. I suppressed an indecent laugh at the last wedding I was at because I had just been told I could wear — yet again — a dress I already owned three times over, in the exact same color. A bride actually committing to a dress that can be worn again, even if it isn’t organic, could be the best thing for the environment and recycling.

I have recently discovered the TwoBirds dress, which is one bridesmaid dress that can be worn 15 ways. And my money is on it actually being worn again. Another idea is to think outside the box about what the dresses should look like. Break free from the stranglehold of David’s Bridal!

The Card Box

The card box, a very important craft project to protect cash gifts. (Kara Cook/EthicalStyle.com)

You have to have somewhere to secure all those cards (and the cash inside) that you are going to receive for your wedding. There are some beautiful card boxes out there, made with love and affection (check out these on Etsy.com). With all the ribbon and tulle that you are most likely going to have left over. Instead of buying a card box, considering using left over ribbon and wrapping paper to decorate your own. Have ribbon from your bridal shower or various other lead-up events, incorporate it into the card box. Gift packaging from the parties may also provide you with some perfect boxes to use as well. Use leftover fabric or purchase some acid free paper to cover the boxes. Oh, and I advise a lot of hot glue.

In conclusion, I adore my friends and helping them has been my pleasure (if any of then are reading this), but it’s a lot of work. My advice to any prospective brides is don’t be the DIY doyenne for your own wedding. There are savings to be had and that extra level of creativity and personalization is at your finger tips, but print off these ideas and give them to a dear friend you trust. Then walk away!

Fashion exists entirely on the idea of the “new.” Without trends, seasonal collections, innovations in textile technology, and designer inspiration, style would stagnate instead of evolve. Magazines would go out of business overnight. And we, the fashion lovers, would be eternally bored.

Photographer Petros Chrisostomo's art installation "Fithi 2007" displayed larger-than-life shoes. (Courtesy of JonesieCake.blogspot.com)

However, just because trends come and trends go doesn’t mean we need to buy into them. Truly ethical consumers know that it’s not enough just to buy the latest and greatest in eco-fashion. You have to be willing and able to use your purchases, or else all that conscious consumerism was for naught. Waste is waste, whether it’s in your wardrobe or in the midst of a landfill somewhere.

Most of us are chasing some idealized version of ourselves through our shopping. Who among us hasn’t bought some Little Black Dress or smart pair of pants, only to discover the tags still hang from it months later? We call that shopping for the lifestyle you want instead of the one you have.

If the goal is to reduce, reuse, and recycle, it’s time for that to end.

This issue offers a few perspectives on how fashion can help you reinvent yourself, but only to a point. Eventually you have to be content with what you have, even if it’s only a brief connection with the zen.

Kara proved herself a bridesmaid extraordinaire for her friends’ upcoming weddings — a time of reinvention, for certain.

And speaking of weddings, the newest Twilight movie has inspired an antique engagement-ring craze. Here we compiled a gallery of beautiful vintage gems.

In Fresh Start, I share my own experience in becoming happy with what I have instead of reinventing myself through my style every few months. This article also appeared on GreenByDesign.com, for those interested.

Thrift shoppers know that new-to-you clothing can be just as big a thrill as something you buy from Bloomingdales. Here, we present tips for getting the most out of your next trip to the thrift store.

Want more? Check out Seam Ripper, our selections for the best stories from the Behind the Seams blog.

Good morning, greenies! Over the weekend, Green by Design ran a post by yours truly on why I’ve joined the blog’s Summer Light Challenge, reducing my wardrobe to ten easy pieces for the duration of the summer. We’re at the beginning of Week 4 right now, and it’s turned out to be easier than I thought it would be.

You can read my piece here, and find out more about the challenge on the SLC’s Facebook page. If nothing else, it will inspire you to dig old favorites out of the closet!

For our first issue of summer, we’re open to the idea of starting small. When it comes to ethical style, it truly is the thought that counts — because so many people don’t think at all before they buy. We won’t judge you if your wardrobe is 95 percent Forever 21 and 5 percent carefully considered purchases that take your personal labor and environmental values into account. Trust us, that perfect closet doesn’t exist.

Want some inspiration from those who have gone before with a small but valuable idea? Read on.

• If you’re up for a challenge, consider a small project that you can complete quickly. The idea is to choose something you can check off your list in a week or less, and then come up with something new to pursue.
• Kara interviewed a collection of her eco-loving friends and asked what they did to get their start in earth-friendly consumerism.
• Ingrain ethical style early with these eco-friendly fashion options for the under-two set. There’s a surprising number of options for infants and toddlers now with online shopping at your fingertips!
• We also profile a few of our favorite small businesses that have nurtured the seed of a good idea into a full-grown business plan. And best of all, the good word is spreading.
• Finally, for more ideas of great things coming in small packages, check out Seam Ripper, our selection of blog stories on the theme.