Allie’s Answers

Sourcebooks was kind enough to send me a copy of Green Chic: Saving the Earth In Style, and I loved it. It’s a fun, easy read and a great reference for making greener choices every day. (Keep reading. There’s a giveaway!)

Christie Matheson, the author of Green Chic, has great ideas for going green without sacrificing your sense of style or giving up too many creature comforts. Her writing has an approachable, conversational tone, but she isn’t afraid to get into the specifics of going green. In other words, the book is simply stated, but it isn’t too simple.

Many of her tips are things I already do, or things that don’t really effect me much. I don’t need to get a no-polish manicure, because I don’t get manicures to begin with, and I’d rather just wear the same cute little black dress I’ve worn for years than go surfing for a vintage Chanel gown (because vintage = recycled), but I know I’m not the norm.

Green Chic is a great guide for people who want to go green but stay chic. But even if you’d rather gnaw off your arm then shop, and don’t consider yourself to be chic, this book has chapters of great tips for making your home more efficient, dining green, and using eco-friendly transportation.

While she offers amazing tips to help readers make greener purchases, Christie Matheson also issues a reminder that buying less is the best way to go green. She writes, “Being eco-friendly means consuming less, not more. And if you’re buying and buying like crazy, you’re definitely on the more track. Get in the habit of thinking before you buy. The best time to purchase eco-friendly goods is when you need them.” When it comes to buying new items, she advocates going for quality in eco-friendly materials and making sure what you buy will stand the test of time.

Green Chic is printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper, and 50% of all royalties Christie Matheson earns (after taxes) will go to environmental organizations.

Green Chic’s official publication date is tomorrow. I think it would make the perfect gift for your favorite fashionista (especially paired with a bag of fancy fair trade organic coffee, or wrapped up in a vintage scarf), but you may want to keep it for yourself as a handy reference to help you make greener choices.

I enjoyed reading my copy of Green Chic, and in the spirit of being eco-friendly, I’d like to pass it on for someone else to read. For the rest of the week, I’m going to make the Tip of the Day a tip from Green Chic. Sign in with a valid e-mail address to comment on the Green Chic Tip of the Day posts from Tuesday, March 18th through Friday, March 21st. For each comment, you’ll get an entry (one per day, please). The giveaway will close on Sunday, March 23, at noon (Eastern), and I’ll draw a name out of a hat to determine the winner. The winner will be announced on Monday, March 24th. Comments that appear to be spam will not be counted. Good luck!

CONTEST CLOSED 3/23/2008

This entry was posted on Monday, March 17th, 2008 at 9:09 pm and is filed under Going Green. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.