Sustainable Urban Fasion: Eco-Friendly Goods for City Living

The sign outside our shop says  Bootyland: Sustainable Urban Fashion, and we’ve been using that as a tagline in our advertisements for years. But what exactly do we mean by “sustainable urban fashion”?

Sustainability has been the guiding principle of everything we do here at Bootyland for over ten years now.  This is the definition we use:

Sustainable: A resource that meets present needs without compromising those of future generations.

Which is great – but we want you all to know how we translate this idea into action.  One major way we practice sustainability is in our vendor and merchandise selection. We made this pie chart to illustrate how our current vendors fit into Bootyland’s sustainability categories.

Look, we made a chart!

As you can see, the majority of the companies we buy from use either Organic Fabrics (like cotton, bamboo and hemp) or other Eco-Friendly Materials (like sustainably harvested wood, natural rubber and non-toxic paints).

We are also committed to supporting local artisans and local economies. 12% of our vendors are local designers, crafters and artists who are producing their merchandise right here in the Pacific Northwest. We feel lucky to be able to showcase so many beautiful, handmade items in our store.

Recycled and Upcycled content is a growing part of our business – 9% of our current vendors are using recycled and upcycled materials.

Flood Hat - made from upcycled materials!

Upcycling is a kind of recycling – designers take gently-used garments apart and use the materials to create something new. Flood Hats and Ricicli Clothing are two examples of designers using upcycled materials.

The final category is small but important. Living in Seattle means needing rain gear, but most raincoats and pants are made from vinyl (PVC).

Vinyl off-gasses toxic fumes, contains endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and is difficult to recycle, so we are excited to be able to offer PVC-free rain coats, pants, hats and mitts that are certified to be free of over 100 harmful chemicals. And they’re comfortable and cute! Our rainboots are also PVC-free and fully recyclable.

The Bootyland Crew scours the world looking for great products that fit our criteria. And we look at the manufacturing process as well as the materials, only purchasing from companies who treat their workers fairly.  We practice sustainability in other ways too – all of the paper products we use are recycled, we use soy based inks in our printing,  eco-friendly lighting in the store and we even clean up with green cleaning products. We want you to have an awesome time while you’re here, and be able to leave with a clear conscience.

So now you know what we mean by Sustainable. In my next post, I’ll talk about “urban fashion” and how you don’t have to sacrifice style to be eco-friendly.

organic kids clothing for back to school

We have been searching for hip, eco and organic kids fashions (as always) and we recently found a company that makes eco-friendly clothing for boys and girls, sizes 2-12, manufactured in the USA.

It has become common to buy local and
organic produce; we are also trying to bring that focus into other areas. Many people have not considered the clothing industry as an area where we can be more eco-friendly, but we can by choosing organic cotton, hemp, soy or bamboo clothing made with low-impact dyes.

Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically-dependent crops, sucking up 10 percent of all agricultural chemicals and 25 percent of insecticides.  This is hard on the enviornment as well as on anyone who works with the fiber or the thread or the eventual fabric and garments themsleves.
With all of that in mind we are happy to have found a great line that brings in organic, green spun, and upcycled fabrics. They do it with style and have kids clothes from 2 to 12. So your eco- conscious family can find a hip urban style that is ethically produced and made in the USA.  Sustainable Kids donates $1.50 of every purchase to the Hands and Feet Project’s Children’s Village in Haiti. The company also supplies a box with prepaid shipping to Haiti, for kids and parents to fill with small donations, teaching the value of community support.

Bootyland @ Seattle Children’s Boutique Sale

The fabulous Plum Children’s Shoes has once again put together the Seattle Children’s Summer Boutique Sale, Saturday June 13, from 10:00 – 2:00.

Last year’s event was a big success, with tons of great deals to be had from many of Seattle’s favorite kid’s boutiques. This is a great opportunity to shop independent stores from all over the city in one convenient spot. Booths will be set up outside Plum, at 2913 E Madison St.; make sure to get there early for the best finds.

We have some special items just for the sale – including toys from Playful World and Green Toys, organic cotton dresses from Fig (half off!), and an assortment of screenprinted tees and onesies. You never know what you might score, so we hope to see you there.