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Thoreau once said, "Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes." And over 100 years later, you can buy a brand-new T-shirt with that quote printed on it in earnest. In your face, Thoreau! Who's living in quiet desperation now?
Thoreau may have revolutionized near-lake living, but his quotes and life have been gobbled up by the corporate machine and spit back at us in the form of coffee mugs, Day-Glo posters and novelty T-shirts. My guess is that Thoreau would have been kind of mad about this, until he saw how rad he looked in a Che Guevara hoodie.
Honestly, do we need all this kitschy gear? Probably not. I'm sure there are enough "I'm A Pepper" T-shirts to destroy the Everglades forever, and I've seen enough shirts that attempt to simulate drunkenness with blurry letters to wipe out a medium-sized rainforest. The only thing funny about these T-shirts is how subversive everyone who wears one thinks he or she is.
Are they wearing blinders of some sort? Do they not notice the throngs of people at Hot Topic all buying the same horrible T-shirts that grow old once puberty ends.
We need to start a trend of buying used clothes. These used clothes may not feature the latest MTV fare, but they can probably be more individualizing than some lousy Coldplay T-shirt that every eighth grader has. Also, new T-shirts have a weird smell. Who knows what that's about?
The most subversive thing that you can do is buy a used plain-colored T-shirt that doesn't advertise anything. That's right. Wear a shirt to protect your body from the elements. That's what they are for.
This post may have espoused ideas that aren't very fun. Do you know what? Thoreau wasn't very fun sometimes. So suck it up.
Read more about green fashion
How to Go Green: Wardrobe
How to Go Green: Fashion Accessories
Swap Your Clothes With Friends—Reduce Waste
Make a Dress from Recycled Fabric
Thrifting Is Fun and Eco-Friendly
A Library for Clothes
Refurbish Your Favorite Old Pair of Jeans
Practice "The Closet Trick"
Are you a green hipster looking for all things green and cool? Then you'll love actor and eco-activist Adrian Grenier and his team of environmental experts, who live it up with sustainable style on Planet Green TV's Alter Eco.
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