Clothing And Kippot
When choosing that special outfit keep in mind these few things:
Environmentally-Friendly Material
A number of the websites listed in the website resource section
will point you to sites where you can buy outfits
made from
environmentally-friendly materials such as organic cotton,
recycled textiles and hemp.
Secondhand Environmentally-Friendly Material
Look for dresses, suits, shoes and accessories at places
that include/specialize in secondhand formal and/or party wear.
You can find some great bargains, especially considering that
the outfit probably has been worn only a few times, if that. A
few consignment shops even sell wedding dresses. This is a
great place to reuse and
recycle if you can find what you are
looking for.
A Note About Consignment Shops
Remember that their inventory may vary widely from
month to month. If you are looking for a wedding dress or more
formal outfit, always call first to see if it’s worth going over
to the store to check things out.
Recycling Your Outfit
If you do buy a new outfit, look for something that you
can and will want to wear again. However, if the outfit is a
wear-it-once kind of thing, consider selling it to a consignment
place or on ebay or donating it after the event. Or
better yet,
if it’s something that has been worn by your teen, donate it to
an organization that collects clothes for
low-income kids going
to proms or getting ready for a bar/bat mitzvah or other
coming-of-age celebrations. These
organizations also may be
looking for adult party clothes as well, so perhaps they would
love to have your outfit,
too. (See the Clothing Appendix for
more choices on where to shop).
Recycling Kippot
Believe it or not, you can even purchase recycled kippot to offer
your guests when they arrive for the ceremony.
Fair Trade Judaica can
point you to some vendors, or you can do an internet search for
recycled kippot. Also,
consider donating your extra kippot after
your event. Perhaps your synagogue can use them for Shabbat.
Some Organizations to Explore
The
Fairy Godmother Project and the
Northshore Fairy
Godmother Project, which is part of the Glass Slipper
Project,
collect new and gently worn formal wear accessories so that teens
can go to their proms.
The Bridesmaid Party
will send your dress to Kenya or Afghanistan where women will
transform it into products that
they can sell to help support
themselves.
The
Princess Project
provides prom dresses and accessories to those who can’t afford
them.
The I Do Foundation
donates your dress to someone who can’t afford one.