I make my new year's resolution fashionably late, in May.

After some deliberation & guilt over buying pricey stuff from catalogs, I have decided not to buy any new clothing that isn't at least trying to be made in a sustainable & responsible way. This rules out pretty much all chain stores, which is both a bummer and a relief. Instead of wanting the stuff in the JCrew catalog, I can a) think about how to make stuff with my sweet sewing machine and b) think about other ways to wear the (endless piles of) clothes I've already got. I would prefer something from a company like Patagonia, Loomstate, Stewart & Brown, etc, or something with a similar "green" goal, but will also consider things made in the US by fairly paid people, like American Apparel (even though I hate their "sexy" and ever present ads, and their hipster aesthetic). I bought some boots from LLBean, who I think is ok. (they're from Maine, how can they be evil?) I needed a planner/notebook to keep my glamorous life in order, so I bought one made by a small company in Maine. It was made out of leather, and I did buy it from Barnes & Noble instead of the local independent bookstore (my old employer), which takes points off, but 57th Street Books only has Moleskine journals, and everyone and their mom has a Moleskine and Moleskines do not come in shiny bronze. So I think, even with all those points off, I made the right choice.

If anyone wants to recommend for me some environmentally or socially responsible leggings/skinny pants, I am in the market for some. I am completing my transformation into a total hipster, and I need some skinny pants. Like these, from AA:
Or these, that I found on ebay but will not buy because they don't fit my ideals, or these. They were made I think in South Korea, which may or may not mean they were fairly made, but then they were imported such a long way, and there is no environmental claims made, so I think they are out. Although they are cute.

These are what I am considering. I am willing to drop mad dough on these because I only buy pants like once every 2 years. I found this website with a google search for "green jeans leggings" or something like that and it looks like quite the resource.
Pivot Boutique, where I would buy all my clothes if I could afford it, and ever went up to the North Side.
beklina.com -- "organic. sustainable. green. hemp. made in the usa. ethical. lovely." Yes, please.

Looking at clothing I will probably not buy takes up most of my time online, so there will be more posts about this kind of thing. For now, a few photos.