2 ECOfashionably awesome ideas: ThredUp and The Uniform Project.

Wow, my 176th post... And I have 50 Google followers... This is reason to celebrate! I am celebrating with a cup of hot tea. It's a bit on the cool side in my apartment. It's definitely autumn here in Toronto.

Thank you to all those who've opened their pocketbooks to donate to the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. Mother Nature continues to hit Southeast Asia hard, most recently with an earthquake in Indonesia. *Sigh* just yet another reminder why we need to take good care of our Mother Earth, she's clearly hurting and we need to take note.

So speaking of being ECOconscious I came across two very clever fashionably sustainable ideas...

One called ThredUp "Like Netflix for Clothes" according to the online newsletter UrbanDaddy. The concept is simple...

People change.

You grow. And before you know it, things just don't fit anymore.

Yes, we're talking about that relationship of utmost importance: the one you have with your clothes. And when that relationship goes sour (as it sometimes does), you'll need a mess-free way to breakup.

As usual, look to the Internet…

Introducing ThredUp.com, a first-of-its-kind service devoted to helping you get rid of the clothes you don't want anymore, and just maybe, getting some new threads to replace them, in beta now.

In a nutshell: Think webwide clothing swap. From what I gathered it's only available in the US. But being a big fan of clothing swaps, I think this is one ECOfabulous way of exchanging your threads for gently used ones with the very slim chance of running into the previous owner. What do you think?

The second fashionably clever idea that is not only sustainable but philanthropic! The Uniform Project. This one was passed on to me courtesy of my brother G. Thanks for forwarding this along G!

I love this idea. I grew up attending a few schools requiring uniforms, and I quite frankly preferred it. I love clothes, but I also love sleeping in, and deciding what to wear can be such a drag in the morning.

So here's the scoop, starting May 2009, Sheena the author of the year long blog will "wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion."

Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies. Think of it as wearing a daily uniform with enough creative license to make it look like I just crawled out of the Marquis de Sade's boudoir.

The Uniform Project is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. At the end of the year, all contributions will go toward Akanksha’s School Project to fund uniforms and other educational expenses for children living in Indian slums.

I think this is an awesome idea. Plus, I've already found myself scrolling back to May 2009 to see all the very clever ways Sheena has worm this adorable dress. I love how you can visit every day and rate what she's wearing. In fact, the Uniform Project is at their sixth-month mark... And they have raised over $27,000! I will definitely be contributing to this somehow... I wonder if she'll take paper donations?

Speaking of philanthropy... I am currently in the midst of working with Mark of Ecojot on an amazing cause starting 2010, that I cannot wait to tell you more about. All I can say is... It'll be one more awesome reason to feel good about owning an Ecojot!

Here's a peek of Day 1 to today, Day 154 of The Uniform Project...

Kudos, Sheena for this awesome project! I look forward to staying tuned on all the awesome ways you wear your year-long uniform. Is it just me, or do you want to own this dress too?

xo,

ej