Conscious Choice: Local Mindful Shopping for the Holidays and Always!

December 2003

Local Mindful Shopping for the Holidays and Always!

by Mary Beth Janssen

Since reading the watershed classic, Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin, shopping for other than necessities, is definitely toward the bottom of my to-do list. Having said this, I’ve learned that frugal consumption can honor not only ecological awareness but also the individual and cooperative work of our fellow human beings. After all, our money, well spent, can be a form of vital energy, supporting and nurturing others. In a hurting world, we can share our prosperity with those who may be less fortunate.

With an advance read of Anna Lappe’s piece on the importance of sustainable, fair-trade clothes shopping, I set out to visit Chicago-land retailers who offer just such environmentally and socially responsible products. My experience in visiting these outlets was indeed magical, and quite delightful...with many offering a variety of items crafted by artisans from around the world.

A Magical, Mystery Shopping Tour

At Ten Thousand Villages I was greeted with an aromatic and earthy sample of fair-trade coffee, a commodity on which many of us cut our teeth when it comes to learning the definition of "fair-trade." You’ll also find fairly-traded clothes, accessories, artwork and handicrafts from around the world.

I was struck by the "dignity, not charity" tag attached to the inside of the clothing line: Marketplace: Handwork of India. A store manager, Susanne Donahue shared touching first-hand accounts of meeting many of the Third World artisans behind the shop’s wares...stories about lives changed by the empowerment that flows from receiving a fair, living wage for their work.

Plan It Green, carries the exquisite Earth Speaks line of non-swea shop, organic hemp clothing. And they also carry the very fun Basura bag hand made at a women’s cooperative in the Philippines. These amazing ladies sew the discarded juice pouches from local schools into a wide variety of bags, packs, and purses. They’re fashionable, durable, and 100 percent recycled.

Amongst the vast riches of Healing Earth Resources, you’ll also find organic cotton yoga wear, along with hemp clothing and accessories, including hats, bags, and socks. Check out the fair-trade clothing, felted wool slippers and purses, and jewelry made by Tibetan refugees living in Nepal.

Jalan, Jalan is inside of Kopi — a Traveler’s Café. Enjoy a cup of their fair-trade coffee while shopping. From the exquisite Sacred Threads line of clothing to the purses, yoga mat bags, and jewelry, the owners are intimately involved in the purchasing process for their environmentally and socially responsible goods.

LaurenCeleste children’s clothing (infants to size 4 for boys and girls) is created in their Chicago studio. They also carry Ecospun fleece items, which are made from recycled soda bottles. Their products are available via their Web site (see resource box) or traipse over to The Red Balloon Company on Damen for the LaurenCeleste line, as well as the Eko Logic line of adorable recycled hats made from cashmere sweater scraps.

Fourth World Artisans Coop is an experience for the senses. They feature the work of over 100 local artists, as well as a number of small-scale importers, along with foreign-based artists’ cooperatives. The Everything Alpaca and Little Journey’s labels of hats and scarves support women’s artisans groups from Peru. Also take a look at the line of recycled jewelry made from old typewriter keys. Very distinctive!

O’Field’s offerings include the organic hemp, non-sweatshop Earth Speaks line, along with a limited selection of Ecolution’s "Eco-Devout creations," and the Sweetgrass Natural Fibers Line. For those of you with even a hint of doubt as to the environmental efficacy of organic hemp, these very savvy folks can provide a quick, yet thorough education in this regard.

The Field Museum of Natural History’s store features some fair-trade gems — from the Tibetan Cloud Earrings made by Tibetan artists living in refugee communities, to the raffia handbags hand woven in Madagascar, to those woven by Mayan women’s cooperatives in Guatemala.

Saffron in the Bucktown area offers a selection of clothing made by some very creative local/independent designers. These pieces champion innovative unique designs over the pervasive sameness of corporate franchises.

In the true spirit of giving this holiday season, let’s make our dollars spent count in a remarkable way. As we make our shopping sojourn to find the perfect and thoughtful gift for those in our sphere of influence, remember that our ethical purchases will be the gifts that keep on giving environmentally, socially, and spiritually. Yes, it is possible to shop with a social conscience. Let’s use our consumer power for tremendous social change now...and all year round.

Mary Beth Janssen is an organic lifestyle consultant, certified mind/ body health educator, and author of several books, including Radiant Beauty: Your Healthy and Organic Guide To Total Body Well-Being (Rodale Press).

Local Clothing/Accessories Resources

Bright Hope International (for accessory/jewelry items), Hoffman Estates, IL, 847-519-0012

Field Museum of Natural History Store, Chicago, 312-922-9410

Fourth World Artisans Co-op, Chicago, 773-404-5200

Gifts of the World (a Ten Thousand Villages store), Schaumburg, Illinois, 847-895-3654

Healing Earth Resources, Chicago, 773-327-8459

Jalan, Jalan, Chicago, 773-989-5674

LaurenCeleste, Chicago, 773-281-1960

Mia’s Wish, organic hemp clothing and accessories, two locations, Worth, 708-671-9474, and Chicago Ridge, 708-952-0173

O’Fields, Chicago, 312-867-0624

Patagonia, Organic Cotton Outdoor Wear, Chicago, 773-276-7976

Plan It Green, Evanston, IL 847-864-9098