(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• Forget outdated style rules, like the one that forbids the wearing of white after Labor Day.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!

(Courtesy of LoveAndCasinoWar.com)

As fashion’s heaviest hitters duke it out over intellectual property and design copyrights, fast fashion and streamlined manufacturing in Asia have made it easier than ever to translate trends into retail in record time. Sometimes it’s legal, sometimes it’s not. But in any case, is it ethical?

In this issue, we take a look at the reasons counterfeit goods have gone mainstream and when you should just say no to knockoffs:

• Is there really nothing new under the sun anymore? We ponder why knockoffs have become so prevalent.
• Evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller makes the case that we are biologically hardwired to seek out status symbols — and whether they are authentic is besides the point. With that in mind, we review his well-researched book Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior.
• In the same vein, you may wonder – is buying fake every ethically warranted? Madison explores the problems and benefits of buying into trends.
• If you’re a dedicated online shopper, you want to make sure you’re not getting ripped off by knockoffs. But how? This handy guide to avoiding fakes will steer you in the right direction.
• And as always, check out Seam Ripper for more news and developments on the fakery front.

(Courtesy of UnsureShot/Flickr.com)

For better or worse, I equate “fake” with youth and ignorance. But perhaps that’s only because of my own personal journey from buying fake to preferring real.

When a young fashionista thinks she is looking for fashion, she is likely looking for a trend to adopt. If it’s just about the trend, i.e. looking a certain way, then fake is justifiable financially — fake fur, fake bags, fake leather, poorly made goods. But ethically? That’s another question.

I think we all are aware of the jury of our peers, whether they’re equally ignorant or equally ethical, all judging based purely on appearance. Intrinsic value is ignored and quality is irrelevant, because who knows or cares? The trend will likely disappear as quickly as it sprung up.

If our goal is to style ourselves purely in the moment, or indulge in a trend that is without a doubt going to be out of fashion within a season, then this is one of the only cases where I can understand the urge for fake. This reasoning is perhaps not very sound, however, or very kind to the planet.

Here are my two thoughts:

Number one: If it’s an item that you only plan to wear for a few months, cheap has its appeal. But don’t fill your closet with these items and find yourself purging your wardrobe every few months because you have nothing to wear. Trends are fine but be self-aware enough to recognize that you’re participating in it.

And number two: Respect the real thing.  Because it is real and will likely hold up very well, if I am going to purchase something real, I want it to be something that will look fabulous for possibly years to come.   A quality pair of boots may set me back a bit, but I will wear them for a very long time. ”Real” is intrinsically not about trends, but about expressing your personal taste. And your sense of style is not fake, we assume.

A smart, eco-friendly shopper can transcend the trends by buying real items with real value and real design — not only trendy, cheap, and potentially environmentally damaging items. The challenge is move beyond the trends and get acquainted with actual, honest to goodness fashion, where “real” things can thrive and be valued.

So is there a case for faking it? Maybe in certain situations. But buying fake can engender wasteful consumption and steer you off the path of learning what your fashion values are.

(M.J. Prest/EthicalStyle.com)

Earlier this summer, I became a thrifting convert. I was aware of the budgetary and environmental benefits of snapping up gently used clothing, but I always viewed the thrift-store scene as too much work for too little payoff.

That was before I figured out how to play the game. And so was born the “Goodwill Hunting” guide to successful thrifting.

The best part? Today I realized every last thing I was wearing (aside from undergarments and shoes) was thrifted. These items have become just that integrated into my closet. The striped sailor tee set me back only $3. My $5 vintage cross-body purse is genuine, thick Italian leather in the richest buttered rum color. The Salt Works bootcut jeans? Originally retailing for $175, I paid a mere $6.

All that means I managed to put together a reasonably presentable and totally recycled outfit for $14. And that’s not counting the $10 Seven for All Mankind black jeans, the $4 Michael Stars long-sleeve tee, the $4 cashmere-blend cable cardigan, and the many $3 real leather belts I’ve also adopted into my wardrobe over the past month.

My secret is threefold: patience, pickiness, and perseverance. I flip through every item on the rack, and I never go into the store unless I have at least half an hour to browse. For every 20 things I pick up, I try on maybe one and from those, I like maybe one out of every three items I bring into the dressing room.

And ultimately, with finds this cheap, I almost never have to choose between one item and another. If I like it, I will buy it without putting a serious crimp in my shopping budget. Because the one thing I can’t afford when it comes to blink-and-it’s-gone clothing is non-buyer’s remorse.

(Courtesy of NYMag.com)

New York Magazine‘s fashion blog The Cut is sponsoring a personal-style contest for its readers, soliciting photo submissions of who’s wearing what around the country. Today, the blog highlighted this reader, who we agree looks stunning in her vintage look:

It was hard choosing a favorite, but Cut reader CourtneyPrince (pictured) just looked so elegant in her veiled fascinator, fashioned from hand-dyed vintage velvet and ostrich feathers, we couldn’t resist plugging her. So, congrats CourtneyPrince, you’ve inspired us to forget for a minute that Gossip Girl pretty much ruined feather headpieces and actually give the plumed look another go.

No matter what The Cut says, we still are fascinated by fascinators.

Want to give the look a spin yourself? We love Ban.Do’s vintage and handmade hairbands, or you can give it the old college try with a DIY.

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.

About a month ago, we wrote our first guide to successful thrift shopping. We got such great feedback on it that we decided to expand it into a full-length feature. For the uninitiated and the intimidated, read on to learn the tricks of the thrift-shopping trade.

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(Courtesy of TheVintageSociety.com)

Whenever I travel to a new place, I always check out the local thrift store — Goodwill, Oxfam, hole-in-the-wall charity shop, you name it. Not only does your purchase raise money for a good cause, it’s the most affordable and unique place to score a souvenir, and it’s interesting to sort through what the locals have worn. (You also get major coolness points back home for being able to say “Oh, I picked this up in Argentina” or “I found this in Paris,” knowing it’s a one-of-a-kind.)

Even at home, thrifting can be a deeply satisfying way to spend an hour or two. In fact, I only ever go into a thrift shop if I have cash on me, because I know I will walk out of there with something in hand.

My favorite thrift shop is divided into women’s and men’s sections, and then organized by tops, pants, skirts/shorts, dresses, coats, accessories, and activewear. It’s also in a ritzy area that’s pretty much split between retirees and young people, so having an idea of the local demographics is helpful in knowing who’s likely donating their stuff. (Indeed, this shop has plenty of brand names, from Seven for All Mankind to Eileen Fisher.)

I love the idea of rehoming unwanted clothes. It reminds me of an animal shelter in that way — they have plenty to offer for the person who has the inclination to give a new treasure the attention it deserves.

Intimidated by the lack of organization or squicked out at the thought of wearing other people’s castoffs? Fear not. There’s one central principle in the art of thrifting, and it’s called “compromise.”

In short, enter a thrift shop with the broadest possible idea of what you’re after. It could be a beaded bracelet, a trench coat, or a clutch purse. Then head to each section and assess your options.

I find the best way to shop is to do a sweep of the entire store first, grabbing anything that catches your eye. Don’t overwhelm yourself with options — once you reach 5 or 6 items, stop and try them on before roaming unexplored territory. That way you can edit your choices as you go, and you might later discover the perfect skirt to wear with the tank top you’ve already settled on.

There are a few pieces that deserve special consideration before you buy. Touching everything and trying each item on for size is key, especially if you’re still developing your eye for determining how a garment hangs on the rack will translate when it’s hanging on your body. Inspect every inch for stains or other defects that you know you won’t be able to repair; loose threads and missing buttons are one thing, but a funky smell is quite another. White shirts and dresses in particular must be searched thoroughly; check for yellowing, food stains, and sheerness, because you won’t be able to fix those problems. Have some faith in your DIY skills, but don’t bite off more than you can chew.

You can also use thrift shops as a means of procuring cheap clothes to alter and upcycle, or even just for the thrill of a bargain It’s remarkable how your price ceiling adjusts when everything is objectively inexpensive, because I’ve been known to balk at a $25 price tag on a coat before. Yet where else can I find a well-made coat for so little?

Above all, keep an open mind. Making the mistake of adhering to too specific a treasure hunt means you won’t give a second look to items that are truly special.

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)

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!

Keith Johnson, the star of television series Man Shops Globe on the Sundance Channel, is also incidentally the found objects buyer for Anthropologie, traveling the world to find interesting textures and designs to incorporate into Anthro’s ethnically-inspired line of clothing and accessories. (If you think this guy sounds like he has the best job in the world, you have a lot of company.)

In a recent interview posted on Anthropologie’s website, he talks about his shopping strategies and how to avoid the dreaded buyer’s remorse:

I always look for integrity. I don’t like things that have been monkeyed around with too much — or if they have been manipulated, it has to be intentional, almost ironic. I also look for things with a great patina or things that narrate the experience of where I am. …

I used to feel I needed to buy variety. It made me make choices that weren’t based on falling in love with something. The thing with found objects is you have to be open to happening upon something and responding to it. If you have too strong an agenda, you are going to force your eye into seeing things that may not be there.

Sounds right in line with our thoughts on successful thrift shopping. The point being: The secret to being a world-class shopper is selectiveness. And with enough patience and an eye for quality, anyone can become one.