Joslin Van Arsdale and her clothing boutique Eco Citizen believe you can go green and still look absolutely fabulous.

How do you eco?

Eco Citizen is a high-end eco boutique which only sells fair trade, sweat shop-free clothing made from organic and sustainable textiles. I represent fashion designers who prescribe to long term sustainable and eco-friendly practices and good design. The clothing I carry is made from organic cotton, recycled textiles, bamboo just to name a few. The store is run as a green business. I believe in paying fair wage, using vintage or used computers and furniture, FSC certified wood, as well as low energy light bulbs, biodegradable garbage bags, recycled paper and eco-friendly cleaning products.

For each decision I make, I try to research eco-friendly and sustainable solutions for each problem.

Why did you go eco?

I wanted to be part of a business where I knew at the end of the day that I was helping improve the lives of others. We will never stop buying things and as an American raised in a consumerist society I feel that conscious consumerism is a positive step towards closing the gap between the haves and have nots or the first and third worlds.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

As Voltaire once said, “Perfection is the enemy of good.”

In other words, we can not let perfection be the enemy of good. Nothing is perfect whether it be organic cotton v. bamboo or vegetable tanned leather v. a man-made material. Each has its repercussions and is imperfect, whether it be the amount of water used, the byproduct of its production, or the biodegradable nature of natural materials v. the non-biodegradable of the man-made.

At the end of the day, it is up to us humans to use our brains, educate ourselves and do the best we can.

EcoLinks

• Eco Citizen
• ecofabulous