This Is A Good Guide Revised Edition

Marieke Eyskoot

• Publisher: BIS Publishers
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9789063695880
• eBook ISBN: 9789063696283

This is the definitive and comprehensive guide for what you can do about climate change and how to contribute to a better world. This is a fully revised edition, published in 2021, of the global bestseller This is a Good Guide – for a Sustainable Lifestyle.

Would you like to live a bit more consciously, and know what you can actually do to help stop climate change and make equal rights happen? Would you like to feel empowered, and make your choices matter? Then this is the book for you.

It's filled with practical and positive tips regarding fair fashion, clean beauty, real food, eco travel and a low-impact home, and shows that stylish and sustainable go very well together. And that it's about good, not perfect: about being smart, doing what you can and what suits you. With this modern, definitive handbook, sustainable lifestyle expert Marieke Eyskoot makes green and ethical living doable and cool. Solid solutions, inspiring insights, surprising facts, innovative brands and the right addresses – exactly what you need. After all, doing good and feeling good at the same time: does it get any better than that?

• Fully revised edition of this global bestseller, with 8 extra pages and a new foreword by gamechanger Aja Barber.
• Updated information about major movements (anti-racism, body liberation, environmental action), groundbreaking initiatives, hands-on dos and don'ts, zero waste suggestions, worldwide brands, (online) stores and much more.
• Interviews with leading frontrunners such as Livia Firth, Green Kitchen Stories and The True Cost director Andrew Morgan.

FASHION

Since 2000, the amount of clothes average consumers annually buy has increased with 60%. They keep garments half as long, and 3 out of 5 end up in landfill within a year.

Preparation

Know your Wardrobe

One of the first stops for sustainable fashion, is your own wardrobe. The longer you make do with what’s in it, the better. It may sound corny, but it’s not. Because the contents can often be quite surprising. We don’t always know exactly what we have. But that knowledge is quite useful, as it tells you all kinds of things: what you like to buy, what you like to wear (which isn’t always the same thing), what you have lots of, and what’s missing from your collection that you could combine some of your other items with. Having a thorough rummage through your wardrobe is one of the best ways to make it more sustainable (and it clears up nicely!).

> Your clothes are made of all kinds of different materials, from cotton to polyester and from lycra to modal. But what is what? Have a look when you’re going through your wardrobe, also at what you prefer. This will help make your next purchase something you will actually wear and suits you.

> You have the whole world in your wardrobe: it’s quite amazing how many countries your clothes come from, and from how far away. Read the labels, it gives you an idea of how global the fashion industry is – and maybe, a wish list of places your clothes have been, but you haven’t (yet!).

Clearing Out is Great (or It Can Be)

I actually don’t do this often enough, even though I know it works. Clearing out your wardrobe really helps: with less clothes, you better know what to wear and what you still need. In short, go for it! Like this, for example:

01. Make three piles: 1) Definite keepers, 2) To go, and 3) Unsure.

02. Looking at the ‘Unsure’ pile, consider this:

> Does it still look good? Is it still in one piece? No? Get rid of it. Has it lost its shape, are the colours faded or is the wool bobbling? Out with it.

> Does it still fit? If not, it can go (it’s not going to fit any better).

> Have I worn it in recent years? No? Ditch it. Unless you easily can come up with something else in your wardrobe to combine it with.

03. Divide the pile that can stay into two: basic items (jeans, black trousers, white shirt, blazer, jumper, cardigan, sneakers, flats, those kinds of things) and items that allow you to vary and combine (the more colourful, unique items). The ideal ratio is said to be 70/30, but don’t hold me to that and see what suits you.

04. Take a good look at the piles. What items are you missing, to combine so that you can wear as much of your wardrobe as possible? Go in search of them.

05. Of course, don’t throw away the clothes and accessories you’re getting rid of. Sell, swap, donate or give as a gift. More about this later (see p. 061).

06. Be strict with yourself. Difficult now, great later.

Well, that’s better. This is your basic collection. And Now Stick with It:

» One in, one out. So, if you buy a new dress or coat, another one goes. If you’re given a new bag, another one goes. You get the gist. This will keep your wardrobe nice and tidy and you’ll really be able to use everything.

» Invest in your signature item (or items, of course). The thing you always turn to if you want to feel fantastic, powerful, beautiful. For me it’s a jumpsuit, yours maybe a jacket or good shirt. Something you wear your entire life, your go-to item (guys, this sounds familiar too, doesn’t it?).

» Always choose quality over quantity. Always. So often, that I’ll talk about this a lot more later.

» Go for timeless. Again, as often as you can. Trends pass, and everyone looks the same. And suddenly that print is a real no-go in a few months’ time (which in itself is bizarre, so never mind that if this trend happens to be your perfect style). Your clothes will go together much better and be easier to combine if you choose classic items – and you’ll be able to wear them a lot longer.

» Is there an item you don’t have that would make it easier to get dressed every morning? Buy it (not something else).

Brits buy around 37 new items a year, spending over 1,200 euros. They only use 44% of their clothes regularly (that’s an average of 57 unworn garments). It takes them about 15 minutes a day to decide what to wear (almost 4 days each year).

Style is Everything

You can buy, swap, sew, borrow and steal clothes, but not style (okay, you can steal that). Style is how we put our look together, our personal fashion language, our je-ne-sais-quoi. It’s not about expensive things, big names or following the crowd. Often quite the opposite. The choices you make about your top, jeans, coat and bag, and how you combine them, say a lot about you. About how you want to be seen, your taste and what’s important to you. Knowing your style matters, because it can prevent bad buys. You of course look better if you know what suits you and what makes you feel invincible. Invest in getting to know your style, then you won’t get carried away by hypes and you’ll buy the right things.

> What colours work best for you? Depending on your eyes, hair and skin tone, you probably fit into a colour type. This can help you find your style and enhance your appearance.

> What’s your body shape? What clothes, styles and prints suit this well? Good to know – and be honest with yourself. It’ll ultimately be for the best. Also if you think you’re perfect and can wear absolutely anything. That’s your prerogative.

> Tastes differ, but in general, these things won’t benefit your style:

» Try not to buy counterfeits. Fake is for wannabes, it plays into the hands of dubious industries, unregulated in terms of working conditions or the environment. The quality also often leaves a lot to be desired too.

» Sandblasted jeans (it gives workers lung disease and cancer) or other clothes that are treated to look worn. They won’t last long.

» Items made by big brands, who take no credible responsibility for exploitation. Choose an ethical, independent label when you can.

Germans buy approximately 31 items of clothing and pairs of shoes a year, the Danish 35 (15 years ago: 27).

Clothes are Cool

We don’t always realise how important clothes are for us. But they actually matter quite a bit, and have all kinds of functions. They protect us against cold, rain or sun. They give us attitude for an interview, class at a wedding and the right look for an evening on the sofa. Clothes hugely determine how you feel – sharp, chic or relaxed – but also how people see you. Ideal if you’re a doctor or chef: the uniform immediately clarifies your goal. Your outfit communicates (I’m tough), inspires (I love that bag!) and implies (I like to stand in the foreground). Your clothes say who you are. But clothes also make your entire life possible. We can’t actually function in this society without them. The chance that you’re reading this guide ...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Contents
• Introduction
• 01. Fashion & Accessories
• 02. Beauty
• 03. Food
• 04. Home & Work
• 05. Leisure
• 06. Knowledge
• Afterword