Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion and Beauty: The Global Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty [Perfect Paperback]

I guess in trying to be more environmentally friendly the book was made in a different sort of "hard cover" with no dust jacket, yet it has flaps like a dust jacket. It's like a flexible cardboard rather than a hard cover. Yet the book stinks of a weird chemical smell that hardly seems natural. Also the book is made in CHINA where else???
The author opens you up to a whole bunch of manufactures in the green biz. From clothing to personal care. Not everything is organic. It is based on more than that. Upcycling, recycling, organic, sustainable practices and the like. Some of the fashions are downright hideous (in my opinion) and very expensive. If you have the money to burn, and you like the fashion then hell yea spend it on something good for the earth that doesn't promote child labor & tearing down rain forests!
There is a section on personal care that could really use some work. Sure this stuff is way the heck better than the conventional poisons out there, but don't kid yourself, this stuff isn't perfect either! Rather than trusting her (the authors) judgement/opinion on these types of products, you would do much better to make your own educated decisions about what you put on your skin by visiting skin deep at[...].
The very back of the book has a section dedicated to all the different sources for all the topics she mentions. I find this is great because I can review these companies at my leisure. This section makes it easy to find the type of companies you are looking for.
I love the premise of the book & what it stands for. If you need some help in the sustainable/organic industry, then you would do well to get this book. It is also a great source of inspiration for creating sustainable products yourself! I will keep this on the bookshelf & use this as a reference but continue to make my own decisions & not simply follow the authors suggestions.

Foremost, let me note that this expansive text has some ability to educate those completely unfamiliar with eco-friendly health/beauty/fashion products. Likewise, it is a lovely presentation of the more obvious products currently available (some of which are of questionable origin/quality). Those interested in educating themselves in this lifestyle can purchase this text (but a trip around the internet would prove more effective). However, if you are already invested in this lifestyle, you may find this book a rehash of everything you learned (and possibly disliked) in your first month of exploration.

For example: Oakes pushes the Burt's Bees line (found in every pharmacy/grocery-store/Wal-Mart). (And, I must admit, I LOVE their lip-balm!) But there are better choices for health/beauty products (ones which use fewer animal-based ingredients and less plastic). It may take more effort to locate these products (which is probably why Oakes elected to feature the Burt's Bees line), but you'll ultimately feel better about your choice. Moreover, if you are a lover of Sephora (as I am), check-out their organic/natural section (many of the product have biodegradable packaging! Even the lipstick tubes!)

Finally, Oakes' approach to eco-friendly fashion is a little too "boho" (bohemian/"hippie") for my taste. (Which will possibly lead many readers to resent the text ... and see it as a painful stereotype). As a professional woman, I'm not particularly interested in carrying a handbag crafted from old food cartons or tires. (Though I find the concept amusing). The text insinuates that "sophistication" and "eco-friendly" are incompatible -- simply not true. Moreover, I am equally as concerned about the products that Oakes touts ... many of which come from third-world countries at slave-wages. "Recycled" fashion that makes a person "feel good" about him/herself probably shouldn't come from the pain of others.

Sure, buy Oakes text for a cursory, mainstream introduction to the topic ... but my suggestion is to take a stroll to your local health-food store (for simple beauty products), Sephora (for more high-end products), and simply check the internet for more eco-friendly fashion (many of your favorite brand-names have eco-friendly lines (ex. C&C California has an organic line which even has organic, flower-seed sales-tags!!) You don't need this book to begin a transformation ... you only need curiosity!

I chose to read this book as I was most curious about issues with the clothing industry and how the manufacture process may be bad for the human workers or the Earth. I already know a lot about the issues with ingredients of personal care products and makeup.

Overall I feel this book is a very good attempt to bring a blend of information, some important and some more "feel good" information to a reader who may not already know this information. This book will inform readers a LITTLE BIT on the topics. The book handles the topics lightly. The author does not over-burden the reader by inciting anger or fear.

As the subtitle states, this is a SHOPPING GUIDE and it is worth mentioning that it does not steer the reader toward Do-It-Yourself projects such as encouraging readers to make their own soap, shampoo and skin care products.

Good to know also is the products and clothing in the book are for women and teenagers. This book does not have too much in the way of men's personal care products (except where gender neutral items can cross over). Also the book does not cover the growing market for green baby and children products and clothing.
Some shortcomings are that the author recommends toothpastes but never explains the health risks or issues related to SLS in toothpaste (a special concern as if swallowed it has different implications as when SLS is in shampoo or hand soap). The big fluoride in toothpaste controversy is entirely absent. Also missing from the discussions are the issues chemicals that act as phyto estrogens which is especially an issue for young girls and boys and for women in peri-menopause (the dozen or so years before menopause).

An omission in the laundering clothes section was bothersome. The author focuses on laundry soap and reducing water usage and carbon emissions. However she does not mention fabric softener which is an issue in some people's opinion. Inexpensive white vinegar can be used in place of chemical based liquid fabric softener products. Other issues regarding ingredients in softener sheets (chemical neurotoxins) is absent.

Also perplexing is that the author covers laundry detergent which is good but fails to carry it over to the next logical important topic: household and dish cleaning. I understand the book has to have limits on what is covered but one or two pages could have been included to discuss this. The same considerations given for natural laundry detergent could have been said for surface cleansers, bathroom cleansers and floor cleansers: avoiding the toxic, buying the `green' or natural versions (or making one's own for a lower cost). As a comparison the author found room in the book to discuss the danger of inhaling toxic chemical fumes when using perfume or chemical fragrances but the same thing can be said of using common cleansers for glass and surface cleaning sprays while cleaning one's home. While we're on this topic it would also have been good to discuss not just perfume for the body but issues with chemical fragrance in candles and diffuser oils and to present greener alternatives.

Praise:
1. Discusses the fact that in the USA the FDA does not regulate the safety of products such as makeup, skin care and sunscreen. Consumers must educate themselves and become informed consumers to make choices that will hopefully not cause them to become sick with something as serious as Cancer.
2. There are over 50 pages of resources to learn more and to find products, located at the back.
3. Good resources are also listed within the pages of the book such as reading sunscreen recommendations on the Skin Deep site.
4. The book is fully indexed which I find useful, especially for going back to re-read certain sections after I've already read the book cover to cover.
5. I learned new things about the manufacture of clothing such as how certain processes such as tanning leather can create pollutants or put workers at risk for developing diseases. To learn more about that was one goal I had for reading this book.

In summary this book covers a broad range of topics in a non-scary way and leaves the reader feeling hopeful and almost happy to go spend money on new products and clothes. The person who will spend a lot on fashion and wants to feel good about their purchases will be happy to hear about companies to buy from.

If money is not an issue the reader/consumer will feel good about being directed toward certain products and companies. The real life downside is that not all consumers will be able to afford these purchases and may have to rely on DIY methods that are not really encouraged in this book, such as opening one's mind to making natural homemade bath soap and skin lotions. If you are in that category, more self-education is needed and there are plenty of good books on the market to inform you.