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1/4Living Me to We |Morning6

RANSACKING YOUR CLOSET tounearth an outft oten leads to the same conclusion: I have

nothing to wear! (Yes, guys think it too, ladies.) But more likely, we have nothing ethical to wear. Prices

have plunged aster than V-necks on men. This means were buying a third more clothing than just a ew

years ago. All this ast ashion is bad or the environment (cotton is oten doused with pesticides like its

cheap cologne) and bad or the people in distant sweatshops. Ater seeing the actories where these here-

today-gone-tomorrow togs are made, its impossible to eel good about what were wearing.

Me to We Style says good-bye to guilt-ridden clothing. With the help o co-ounder Oliver Madison, welaunched a company that doesnt rely on pesticide-coated cotton or children in sweatshops, or create

untold amounts o pollution and environmental damage. To put that in ashion speak: that is SO last

season! So ew clothing companies ollow ethical standards that Me to We Style had to set its own. We

use organic and sweatshop-ree abrics, recycled polyester rom plastic bottles all manuactured in

Canada. I thats not enough, or every T-shirt sold, we also plant a tree, and hal our profts go to our

charity partner, Free The Children. A wardrobe that builds schools, digs wells and makes the world a

better place. That doesnt just solve your what-to-wear dilemma, it makes a real ashion statement.

MORNINGWake Me Up

7:20 a.m.

PAIN IS NOT BEAUTY

Cut back on your closet! Save your cash or that extra special, ethically made something-

something.

Look or clothing companies, such as Patagonia, Icebreaker, Me to We Style, that account or its

entire supply chain rom start to fnish.

Remember sustainable, ethical clothing is oten better made, lasts longer and saves you money.

Shop vintage or second-hand or a true recycled ashion experience.

Take note: not all designer or expensive clothing is ethically made. Checking websites, asking

in-store or running a quick search online will turn up more answers.

Check out local and hand-made products at crat estivals or online marketplaces, such as Etsy.

SOLIDTIP

ClothesMindedWear What Matters

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2/4Morning | Living Me to We

U.S.Cotton

ChinaMilled,

Woven, Cut,

Assembled

AricaCast-os

JapanHigh End

Vintage

1

2North

AmericaPrinted, Sold

3

4

5

U.S. Cotton

Farmed in the U.S., subsidized

cotton drives down profts or

producers rom the other 70

cotton-producing countries in

the world.

North America Printed, Sold

The T-shirts end up in stores

around the country, sold or as

little as $5 a pop.

Arica Cast-ofs

Over the last decade, second-

hand clothing charities have

reported a 67% increase in

donations. Arica gets the dregs

o this system: cheap clothing

is packed into mass bundles

and sold at markets across the

continent.

Japan - High End Vintage

Wondering where grandmas

ur coat ended up? Japan is the

largest buyer o vintage and high-

end donated clothing.

China Milled, Woven, Cut,

Assembled

The largest exporter o clothing,

where reports state that workers

can make as little as 12 to 18

cents per hour, oten in unsae

conditions.

MORNINGWake Me Up

7:20 a.m.

THE LIFE OF A T-SHIRT

ONE T-SHIRT EQUALS

1/3pound o ertilizers

1/3pound o pesticides

Onepound Cotton

1,170 litres o water

Source: Waste Couture: Environmental Impact o the Clothing Industry, Environmental Health Perspectives, September 2007.

GO TO PAGE 153 FOR MORE TIPS AND INFORMATION

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3/4Living Me to We |Day6

IMAGINE THE STREET your mothertold you never to walk down at night: dripping pipes, shadowy

corners and exhaust vents spewing og. During a midnight tour o Vancouvers notorious east side, we

walked that street. Known as a SLAP tour, this walk explores the orgotten underside o Canadas poorest

neighbourhood where we met addicts, drug dealers and street workers. One teen said it was his frst

night sleeping outside ater getting kicked out o a Tim Hortons. We realized how little we knew the city

we had visited countless times beore; we were always rushing past with blinders on. It took a walk to

slow us down and rediscover the many stories o the street.

No one enjoyed a good walk or appreciated its illuminating power more than urban thinker and writer

Jane Jacobs. Reering to o the intricate sidewalk ballet o the streets, she invited all o us to step

outside our bubbles and see how we ft into the larger world. Speeding past in a car, you miss the details

o the changing streetscape: the shutters o a ourth-generation store, the young amily carrying a new

baby or the kid sleeping in a doorway. Meanwhile, postal carriers, who walk the same blocks daily, are so

in sync with the community they are oten frst to report crimes or help at the scene o an accident. Most

importantly, a walkable community is an accessible community. For the elderly lady who recently lost

her license or the poor student who cant aord a car, the sidewalk is the ultimate leveller and a space we

can all learn to share.

Whats good or your community also works wonders or your health and the environment. Walkingone kilometre a day reduces your risk o obesity by 5 percent. Plus, it produces no pollution and costs

nothing, except maybe a new pair o walking shoes now and again. Whether you walk to raise money or

cancer, learn about an issue like homelessness or simply to get rom point A to B, take the time to slow

down the ast pace o your world and reconnect.

Create a Community Connection

DAY

Community Ties

1:30 p.m.

WALK THIS WAY

Take or lead a Janes Walk, a walking festival that happens every May across Canada.

Start a morning or evening walking group in your neighbourhood. Committing to a group plan

means youre much more likely to make the trek.

Pick an area of your town or city youve never explored and spend the weekend there on foot.

When moving to a new neighbourhood, rank it based on whether you can reach the nearest

school, library, grocery store, park and hardware store on foot. Or enter the postal code on

Walkscore.com, which will instantly assess the hoods walkability.

Dogs are a great way to work in a daily walk, not to mention the companionship of an animal

friend.

Try to walk one errand a day.

ThePoweroWalking

SOLIDTI

P

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4/4Day| Living Me to We

DAY

Community Ties

1:30 p.m.

PUBLIC SPACE: Arethere public parks orgreen areas?

BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS: Are therenearby spots to work and learn?

PEOPLE: Are the streetsbuzzing with people?

GROCERY STORES ANDENTERTAINMENT: Can you grabessentials nearby? Can you walk toa local pub, movie theatre or caf?

My feet are my only carriage,so Ive got to push on through.

BOB MARLEY

GRADE YOUR HOOD

Source: Janes Walk, Walkscore.

Look for these signs

that you live in awalkable area.

GO TO PAGE 163 FOR MORE TIPS AND INFORMATION