MORNING Wake Me Up 7:20 a.m.

Clothes Minded
Wear What Matters
RANSACKING YOUR CLOSET to unearth an outfit often leads to the same conclusion: I have nothing to wear! (Yes, guys think it too, ladies.) But more likely, we have nothing ethical to wear. Prices have plunged faster than V-necks on men. This means were buying a third more clothing than just a few years ago. All this fast fashion is bad for the environment (cotton is often doused with pesticides like its cheap cologne) and bad for the people in distant sweatshops. After seeing the factories where these heretoday-gone-tomorrow togs are made, its impossible to feel good about what were wearing. Me to We Style says good-bye to guilt-ridden clothing. With the help of co-founder Oliver Madison, we launched a company that doesnt rely on pesticide-coated cotton or children in sweatshops, or create untold amounts of pollution and environmental damage. To put that in fashion speak: that is SO last season! So few clothing companies follow ethical standards that Me to We Style had to set its own. We use organic and sweatshop-free fabrics, recycled polyester from plastic bottles all manufactured in Canada. If thats not enough, for every T-shirt sold, we also plant a tree, and half our profits go to our charity partner, Free The Children. A wardrobe that builds schools, digs wells and makes the world a better place. That doesnt just solve your what-to-wear dilemma, it makes a real fashion statement.

PAIN IS NOT BEAUTY

Cut back on your closet! Save your cash for that extra special, ethically made somethingsomething. Look for clothing companies, such as Patagonia, Icebreaker, Me to We Style, that account for its entire supply chain from start to finish. Remember sustainable, ethical clothing is often better made, lasts longer and saves you money. Shop vintage or second-hand for a true recycled fashion experience. Take note: not all designer or expensive clothing is ethically made. Checking websites, asking in-store or running a quick search online will turn up more answers. Check out local and hand-made products at craft festivals or online marketplaces, such as Etsy.

SOLID TIP
16

Living Me to We | Morning

MORNING Wake Me Up 7:20 a.m.

THE LIFE OF A T-SHIRT

Printed, Sold

3 North America

Milled, 2 Woven, Cut, Assembled Cotton

China

High End Vintage

Japan

U.S.

Africa
Cast-offs

U.S. Cotton

Farmed in the U.S., subsidized cotton drives down profits for producers from the other 70 cotton-producing countries in the world.

China Milled, Woven, Cut, Assembled

North America Printed, Sold

The T-shirts end up in stores around the country, sold for as little as $5 a pop.

The largest exporter of clothing, where reports state that workers can make as little as 12 to 18 cents per hour, often in unsafe conditions.

Africa Cast-offs

Over the last decade, secondhand clothing charities have reported a 67% increase in donations. Africa gets the dregs of this system: cheap clothing is packed into mass bundles and sold at markets across the continent.

Japan - High End Vintage

Wondering where grandmas fur coat ended up? Japan is the largest buyer of vintage and highend donated clothing.

ONE T-SHIRT EQUALS

1/3

pound of fertilizers

1/3 pound of pesticides One pound Cotton 1,170 litres of water

GO TO PAGE 153 FOR MORE TIPS AND INFORMATION Source: Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry, Environmental Health Perspectives, September 2007.

Morning | Living Me to We

17

DAY Community Ties 1:30 p.m.

The Power of Walking

Create a Community Connection
IMAGINE THE STREET your mother told you never to walk down at night: dripping pipes, shadowy corners and exhaust vents spewing fog. During a midnight tour of Vancouvers notorious east side, we walked that street. Known as a SLAP tour, this walk explores the forgotten underside of Canadas poorest neighbourhood where we met addicts, drug dealers and street workers. One teen said it was his first night sleeping outside after getting kicked out of a Tim Hortons. We realized how little we knew the city we had visited countless times before; we were always rushing past with blinders on. It took a walk to slow us down and rediscover the many stories of the street. No one enjoyed a good walk or appreciated its illuminating power more than urban thinker and writer Jane Jacobs. Refering to of the intricate sidewalk ballet of the streets, she invited all of us to step outside our bubbles and see how we fit into the larger world. Speeding past in a car, you miss the details of the changing streetscape: the shutters of a fourth-generation store, the young family carrying a new baby or the kid sleeping in a doorway. Meanwhile, postal carriers, who walk the same blocks daily, are so in sync with the community they are often first to report crimes or help at the scene of an accident. Most importantly, a walkable community is an accessible community. For the elderly lady who recently lost her license or the poor student who cant afford a car, the sidewalk is the ultimate leveller and a space we can all learn to share. Whats good for your community also works wonders for your health and the environment. Walking one kilometre a day reduces your risk of obesity by 5 percent. Plus, it produces no pollution and costs nothing, except maybe a new pair of walking shoes now and again. Whether you walk to raise money for cancer, learn about an issue like homelessness or simply to get from point A to B, take the time to slow down the fast pace of your world and reconnect.

WALK THIS WAY

Take or lead a Janes Walk, a walking festival that happens every May across Canada. Start a morning or evening walking group in your neighbourhood. Committing to a group plan means youre much more likely to make the trek. Pick an area of your town or city youve never explored and spend the weekend there on foot. When moving to a new neighbourhood, rank it based on whether you can reach the nearest school, library, grocery store, park and hardware store on foot. Or enter the postal code on Walkscore.com, which will instantly assess the hoods walkability. Dogs are a great way to work in a daily walk, not to mention the companionship of an animal friend. Try to walk one errand a day.

SOLID TIP
66

Living Me to We | Day

DAY Community Ties 1:30 p.m.

GRADE YOUR HOOD

Look for these signs that you live in a walkable area.

BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS: Are there nearby spots to work and learn?

PUBLIC SPACE: Are there public parks or green areas?

PEOPLE: Are the streets buzzing with people?

GROCERY STORES AND ENTERTAINMENT: Can you grab essentials nearby? Can you walk to a local pub, movie theatre or caf?

My feet are my only carriage, so Ive got to push on through.

GO TO PAGE 163 FOR MORE TIPS AND INFORMATION Source: Janes Walk, Walkscore.

BOB MARLEY

Day | Living Me to We

67