be eco-chic
Another reason girls are DIYing their duds?
Sustainable style is more relevant than
ever as people are better understanding
the environmental impact of fast fashion.
Knowing how your clothes are made
is becoming a bigger factor in people’s
clothing choices. “I think that transparency
in fashion is a huge thing right now,” offers
Maddie Flanigan, founder of Madalynne
Intimates, a DIY brand. “It started with ‘I
want to know where my clothes are coming
from.’ And then asking ‘What options do I
have besides buying something new?’”
Flanigan also teaches sewing work-
shops—partly because teens want to have
more control over how the clothes they
wear are sourced, and also a stronger hand
in how the items fit and look.
Sewing something also gives you own-
ership over your wardrobe in a way that
shopping can’t, which fosters a deeper
emotional connection to your style. As a
result, you are more likely to wear, main-
tain and keep the clothes you make, which
produces less waste and has a lighter
carbon footprint.
Since fashion is one of the top two
polluting industries in the world (second
only to oil—eep!), it feels correct now,
more than ever, to do our part. Says
Washington, “You can make a simple skirt
or redesign an oversized T-shirt in under
an hour—and keep those items out of a
landfill for good.”creating confidence
Maybe the best thing about crafting your
own clothes? The sense of accomplish-
ment that comes with it. The fact is that
sewing isn’t super easy: It’s a lot of trial
and error, and you’ll likely face some sew-
ing snafus along the way. But once you’ve
got that final garment together? You’ll be,
well, bursting at the seams.
Sammi Parrish, now a sewing pattern-
maker in Baltimore. who began sewing at
the age of 13, says she’ll never forget the
memory of finishing her first piece.
“I really wanted a new skirt. My mom
said she wouldn’t buy me anything, but
that she’d teach me to make whatever I
wanted,” she recalls. “So I found a pic of
Dakota Fanning in a paper bag skirt and
my mom sat with me and told me what to
do until it was finished. It was one of my
proudest moments.”SEW GOOD
GL AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2019 77Continued from page 71Girls’ Life (ISSN 1078-3326, Vol. 26, Issue 1) is published
bimonthly by Girls’ Life Acquisition Corp.,
4529 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214 (410-426-9600).
Basic subscription price is $19.95 (USF). Periodical postage
paid at: Baltimore, MD, and additional mailing offices.
All submissions become property of Girls’ Life magazine
and Girls’ Life Acquisition Corp. Reprints of Bill & Dave
and And How Was Your Day? are available by sending
$1 to the address above. Bill & Dave and And How Was
Your Day? are trademarks of Girls’ Life Acquisition Corp.
Entire contents ©2019 Girls’ Life. All rights reserved.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Girls’ Life,
3 South Frederick Street #806, Baltimore, MD 21202. Change
of address: Please send old label and new address to same.
Subscription questions?
Get 24/7/365 interactive customer
service by logging on to girlslife.com.FASHION
SHOPPING GUIDECredits for pages 14-31, 72-73 and 78-79.
All other credits on page.
A New Day · Target, target.com
ADMK Jewelry · admkjewelry.com
Aldo · aldo.com
American Eagle · ae.com
Amuse Society · lulus.com
ASTR the Label · lulus.com
Ban.do · bando.com
BaubleBar · shopbop.com
BKR · mybkr.com
Blank NYC · lulus.com
Boden · bodenusa.com
Candies · Kohl’s, kohls.com
Claire’s · Claire’s, claires.com
Design Loop · designloopco.com
Dolce Vita · lulus.com
Dylan’s Candy Bar ·
dylanscandybar.com
Experimental Jewellery Club ·
experimentaljewelleryclub.com
Faithfull the Brand · lulus.com
FitBit · macys.com
Flapjacks · fctry.com
Forever 21 · forever21.com
Fred & Friends ·
containerstore.com
Free People · lulus.com
Hat Attack · hatattack.com
Indigo Rd. · belk.com
Jam Paper · jampaper.com
Jansport · jansport.com
JouJou · joujou.com
Jules Smith · shopbop.com
Keds x Rifle Paper · lulus.com
Kipling · kipling-usa.com
Levi’s · lulus.com
Like Dreams ·
shop.nordstrom.com
Lulus · lulus.com
Lulus X LuvAJ · lulus.com
Maison Miru · maisonmiru.com
Mango · shop.mango.com
Mark Nason ·
marknasonlosangeles.com
Miss Me · missme.com
Modern Picnic · modernpicnic.com
New Balance · newbalance.com
Of a Kind · ofakind.com
Oliver Thomas ·
theoliverthomas.com
Others Follow ·
othersfollowclothing.com
Packed Party · papersource.com
Paper Source · papersource.com
Paperchase · paperchase.com
PBteen · pbteen.com
Pistola · lulus.com
Rainbow Shops ·
rainbowshops.com
Ready-Made · ready-made.com
Recollections · michaels.com
RedBubble · redbubble.com
Report · lulus.com
Rifle Paper Co. · riflepaperco.com
Seychelles · lulus.com
Shashi · shopbop.com
Skechers · Select
Skechers stores, skechers.com
Skinnydip London ·
skinnydiplondon.com
Smallable · smallable.com
Socialite Clothing ·
socialiteclothing.com
Sofft Shoes · sofftshoe.com
Steve Madden · lulus.com
Sunnylife · sunnylife.com
Superga · lulus.com
T.J. Maxx · T.J. Maxx, tjmaxx.com
Talking Out of Turn ·
talkingoutofturn.com
The Good Twin · thegoodtwin.co
Three Floor · threefloor.com
UBrands · ubrands.com
Universal Thread · Target,
target.com
Unpublished ·
unpublishedcollection.com
Urban Outfitters ·
urbanoutfitters.com
Veja · veja-store.com
Villa Rouge · shopbop.com
Well-Kept · staywellkept.com
White Crow ·
whitecrowclothing.com
Wild Fable · Target, target.com
Yes Studio · walmart.com
Yoobi · yoobi.com
Z Supply · zsupplyclothing.com
Zara · zara.comPHOTOS FROM PAGES 10-13: Summer McKeen: Hudson
Taylor. Jonas Brothers: instagram.com/jonasbrothers. Dodie
Clark: Kyle Jones. PrettyMuch: Nev Todorovic. Books: Sean
Scheidt. Logan Shroyer: Jalen Jet Turner.6 WAYS TO FEEL AMAZING
MAKE YOUR CHANGE: Going plant-based is
not for everyone, but if you’re curious about
how it might work for you, start off easy.
Kick off the week with a #meatlessmonday
or try to make one meal each day that’s
meat- and dairy-free. Then, slowly add more
vegan meals to your routine until you’re all
in. Hit up vegan friends or family members
(or bloggers like Deliciously Ella) for tips and
recipe ideas. And be sure to get in all the
nutrients you need—eat plenty of veggies,
fruits, grains and beans to ensure you’re
getting enough protein, calcium and iron.I TRACKED MY WAY TO
BEING MORE ACTIVE.
“I got a fitness tracker for my birthday and
it changed my life. I went from not knowing
how many steps I took, ever, to setting new
step goals every day. I even had a fun chal-
lenge with my BFF to see who could rack up
the most movement.” —Cate M., 13
MAKE YOUR CHANGE: A recent study from
the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public Health reported that 75 percent of
teen girls log less than one hour of physical
activity a day. The good news? You can now
monitor your movement without breaking
the bank. Fitness trackers range from simple
step counters to more advanced gadgets
that measure your sleep and heart rate, and
even have built-in GPS so you know exactly
how far you’ve walked or run. It’s a super
simple (and fun) way to stay motivated and
better your best on the daily.I DECIDED THAT MY WEIGHT
DOESN’T DEFINE ME.
“I grew up being bigger than other kids. Last
year, I finally opened up to someone who
helped me realize that my awesome, wild
and unique personality defines me, not my
weight.” —Cat Q., 14
MAKE YOUR CHANGE: Start crushing on your-
self! Instead of focusing on your so-called
flaws, think about what you absolutely love
about you. Maybe it’s how bold you feel in a
pink jumpsuit or how your new frames make
your green eyes pop. Or maybe it’s your killer
sense of humor that always has everyone
LOLing. And whatever you do, go easy on
the rest of your bod. Because those curves,
those freckles, those stretch marks? They’re
part of you and they’re beautiful, too.Continued from page 67