Holy crap, I can't believe the spending spree that took place on Sunday. I blame Mr. Wallet Mouth.
We were walking down the main drag of our neighborhood, Mini Mouth snoozing away in the baby carrier on her father's back, when we passed our local eco-fashion boutique. We pass this place frequently—I stepped inside once out of curiosity but left after ascertaining that it was indeed as spendy as it looked—but this time there was something different: signs in the window proclaiming huge discounts within.
"Hey baby," he said, all casual-like. "Look at that coat. I'll bet it would look really cute on you."
"Meh. I don't need more clothes. Besides, it's too expensive in there."
"Oh come on, baby. Just go in and look."
Minutes later, we were inside, and he was going through the racks and calling me over to look at garments he knew I'd like. (I'm convinced that in an alternate dimension, Mr. Wallet Mouth is employed as a personal shopper to the stars.)
A litle while later, we left with a bag containing three treasures, all for me: a jaunty pair of pants, a completely impractical but lovely reversible hooded woolen cape that looks like something from The Lord of the Rings, and a pair of organic blue jeans made by a local company across the bay. Even though it had been marked down substantially, the price tag on the denim made me break out in a cold sweat. Now, granted, I seem to buy jeans only at Goodwill, and I've owned only one pair over the past 10 years, so I'm a little out of the loop on current prices. Anyway, Mr. Wallet Mouth convinced me that they were a steal. And besides, shouldn't a conscious consumer such as myself feel good about forking out for the locally made organic cotton jeans?
Well, yes... but maybe not as much as I'd like. After we got home, I unearthed OnEarth, the NRDC's magazine, and happened to find this article on eco-jeans. I wanted to call the company, Del Forte, and ask whether the metal components on their jeans are recycled and whether they choose dyes that are less harmful to aquatic life, but Mini Mouth never gave me a spare moment. Since the company's website talks mostly about the benefits of organic cotton and says nothing about all that other stuff, I'm guessing that the jeans' eco credentials are somewhat limited.
Oh well, nobody's perfect, least of all me.
Addendum: Del Forte Denim's website does refer to "the most cutting-edge wash development facilities in the country," so I have high hopes that the company's dyeing process is top-notch.
