[caption id="attachment_570" align="alignleft" width="127" caption="Shopping with a conscience"] [/caption] It's important to question your shopping habits to ensure your purchases do everything to help the environment. Just because shopping for clothing is fun, it doesn't mean you should check your morals at the door. It's easy to be eco-friendly when shopping, you just always have to remember to read the labels. Look for clothing made from: organic cotton, bamboo, hemp or organic wool. It's not as hard to find stores and brands that carry clothing made from these materials, which require less (or no) pesticides to grow, as it used to be. It doesn't stop there, though. It's also very important to consider buying clothes that are fairly traded to ensure they aren't manufactured in a sweatshop. The best eco-friendly shopping is also the most fun. Head out to your local vintage and second-hand stores to rummage through funky clothes. You'll almost always find a hidden gem. I also love shopping online (I'm not one for hitting up downtown on a busy Saturday afternoon). One of my favourite sites is www.etsy.com, which is an online community where people buy and sell handmade goods (accessories, clothing, furniture, jewellery, you name it!). Visit the site, I guarantee you'll be occupied for hours. Lastly, when you do go out shopping, always remember to bring your re-usable shopping bags! Speaking of eco-friendly fashion, Fashion Takes Action (whose mission is to have a socially and environmentally positive impact on the fashion industry) is hosting an Earth Day party on Friday, April 24. This fundraising event looks like it's going to be a great time, with live entertainment, an open bar (featuring eco-friendly beverages) and a eco-designer challenge where 10 Ryerson University fashion students will design a garment from packaging and waste ( you can buy tickets to the event here). I'm offering up two tickets to the event. so if you live in Toronto or can get yourself here (the event takes place at the Burroughes Building at 639 Queen St West). All you have to do is be a subscriber to my blog and leave a message here telling us about your favourite eco-friendly clothing line. I'll announce the winner of the two tickets on Wednesday, April 22! How exciting. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my friends who live outside of Toronto. I have another FilterForGood prize pack to give away. Subscribe to this blog and YOU COULD WIN a FilterForGood Prize Pack including: • Brita Pitcher Water Filtration System (Grand model – 10 glass capacity) • 3-pack of Brita Pitcher Replacement Filters • FilterForGood reusable, BPA-free water bottle All you have to do is be a subscriber to this blog. I'll pick a winner at random and announce it here on Earth Day (April 22).