Pretty Crafty

Crafting your own clothes isn't going to solve the problems of Third World workers, but there's something rewarding about being resource minded in your own community, says Jean Railla, author of Get Crafty, a guide to do-it-yourself style, and creator of the website getcrafty.com "The idea is that we consume consciously," says Railla, 34. "That might mean you wear jeans from Old Navy, a T shirt you deconstructed from a thrift store, a vintage blazer and a hand-knit scarf."

That combination of recycling and innovation has special appeal to a generation that has come of age in a world of global mass marketing. Railla calls it "Generation DIY" (for do it yourself). "It's so much better than showing off a Prada label," she says. "When I get dressed, I want to tell the world that I'm creative, complicated and colorful."