Fashion & lifestyle

This is Greenwashing: Seeing clearly in a world of green fog

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A guide to protecting yourself from false sustainability claims: Spot the lies, demand better


In a world of green fog, we’re surrounded by claims like “eco-friendly,” “carbon neutral,” and “sustainable.”
Sound familiar?

These buzzwords are everywhere, but how many of them are actually true?

Have you ever felt uneasy after buying a product labelled sustainable or eco? You’re not alone.
If you’ve ever felt misled by so-called green marketing, so have we. 
After years of watching brands twist language to appear greener than they are, we decided to write something clear, honest, and useful.

Seeing clearly in a world of green fog: Book cover of This is Greenwashing by Rosita and Cristina Cigliola. The design features bold, minimalist typography with green, pink, and white tones on a black background, highlighting themes of sustainability and deception. 'This is' appears in green; the words 'green', 'eco-friendly', 'conscious', and 'sustainable' are in pink but crossed out; and 'greenwashing' is in green. The subtitle and authors’ names are in white, standing out against the dark base.
This is Greenwashing: our e-book is out now!

Why this book exists


This Is Greenwashing isn’t a textbook.
It’s a guide born from frustration — and from a deep desire to empower.

“The most environmentally sustainable product is the one that never gets made.”

We’re Rosita and Cristina Cigliola, sisters with nearly 30 years in the fashion industry. We’ve seen greenwashing up close — how it misleads consumers and delays real change.

In recent years, especially after the pandemic, we’ve watched companies slap vague eco-labels on products while businesses carried on as usual. Greenwashing keeps consumers confused, compliant, and complicit in a broken system.

This e-book reveals the tactics behind the buzzwords. It helps you recognise what’s real and what’s not. You’ll learn how to decode vague claims, ask the right questions, and stop being manipulated by marketing.
Because when regulation fails, awareness becomes our strongest line of defence.

The bottom line: In a world of green fog, awareness is power


We wrote This Is Greenwashing to:

✔ Expose the tricks brands use to manipulate you
✔ Decode the jargon so you can spot lies at a glance
✔ Give you practical tools to make informed choices—no PhD required

In a world of green fog, knowledge is crucial. Awareness is power.
The more you know, the harder it is for companies to fool you.
And right now—with regulators stepping back and failing to protect us—we need that power more than ever.

📘 Get your e-book here — at your favourite digital store:  https://books2read.com/u/bpgxOX

📣 And if it helps, please leave a review — it truly means a lot.

“This is greenwashing’s greatest crime: distracting us with false solutions as the planet burns.”

Spot the lies. Demand better.

P.S. Share this with someone who’s ever asked: “But is this actually sustainable?”  🌍

🇮🇹 Versione italiana in arrivo — stay tuned!

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The Clay Dye Shirt by GoodNeighbors Shirts

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Hand-dyed in Japan’s earth – Slow, genderless, & alive with imperfection


The Clay Dye Shirt isn’t just clothing—it’s a slow manifesto. Light as rice paper. Grounded like river clay. Woven from 100% cotton and treated by hand with iron-rich clay from Fujioka’s mineral earth, it carries the weight of tradition and the lightness of modern ease. Each piece bears the marks of its making: uneven, alive, like parchment left in the sun.
For those who dress in stories, not seasons—whose wardrobe is a curated archive of tactile memory.

It’s born from Fujioka’s mineral-rich Kanto Loam—a clay 1,200 years in the making. Dyed using ancestral methods—no chemicals, just earth and water that return to the soil. This shirt carries the weight of generations; wear it as a quiet revolt against the disposable.

A young man wearing the clay dye beige shirt by GoodNeighbors Shirt. Its earthy, hand-dyed texture visible—paired with tailored black trousers and a slim belt. Round John Lennon-style sunglasses add a retro touch as he leans against a weathered white and blue wooden window, natural light highlighting the shirt’s organic wrinkles and subtle mud-dyed variations.

The alchemy of mud: Warm, mottled, alive


True craftsmanship is never rushed. This shirt falls like a well-worn page: relaxed through the shoulders, flared like a painter’s smock—textured as wind over loam, fading with grace.

  • The clay-white hue: Not plain, but layered. Like sun-bleached pottery or the inside of an apricot pit.
  • The trapeze silhouette: Effortless volume, no stiffness. A shape that swings from studio floors to twilight terraces.
  • The Takase shell buttons: Repurposed from food waste, each one a tiny manifesto against excess.
  • The hand-dyed variations: No two alike. Mottled gradients of iron-rich clay, as if stained by monsoon rains.
  • The pocketable back band: Snap it on for structure. Remove it for airy drift. A shirt that adapts like daylight.

The Clay Dye Shirt: Wear it like a well-travelled sketchbook


For the soul who presses wild chamomile between receipts, who finds beauty in the warp of sun-warped wood.

  • For the flea market dawn: Paired with drawstring linen pants, a woven hat, the back band tucked away like a secret.
  • For the kiln-room hours: Smeared with clay fingerprints, sleeves pushed up, the back band a flash of persimmon against dust.
  • For the late train home: Loosely knotted over a swimsuit, salt-crusted and sun-drunk, the dye deepening like old parchment.

For the modern humans who curate, not consume—whose wardrobe is a library of dog-eared favourites, each piece a chapter in their story.

🌟 The Clay Dye Shirt
Limited edition. Like a diary page—meant to be lived in.

🖤 Reserve yours: DM @suite123 | WhatsApp | e.mail

Available by appointment for shopping in Milano or worldwide—from screen to doorstep. From our hands to your story.

P.S. Ask about the mud’s journey. (It ages like rain-soaked stone—softer, brighter, more itself with every wear.)

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Italy blocks EU’s Green Claims Directive, stalling anti-greenwashing regulation

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The demise of the directive and what it means for Europe’s fight against greenwashing


The regulatory landscape is growing increasingly opaque as European policymakers retreat from anti-greenwashing regulation. Most notably, they have blocked the proposed Green Claims Directive—a central piece of legislation aimed at tackling greenwashing.

The European Commission recently announced its intention to withdraw the proposal, citing opposition from several Member States and mounting pressure from right-wing groups in the European Parliament. Italy played a decisive role in this setback by pulling its support, effectively torpedoing the final trilogue negotiations—an essential step in EU lawmaking. The move has drawn criticism from environmental organisations and consumer advocacy groups alike.

Anti-greenwashing regulation: What the directive aimed to do


At its core, the Green Claims Directive aimed to curb misleading environmental claims made by companies. The goal was to bring greater honesty and clarity to sustainability communications and product labelling across the EU. Key measures included:

  • Transparency and verifiability: Authorities would require companies to provide concrete, verifiable evidence to back up environmental claims.
  • Ban on vague language: Terms such as “eco-friendly”, “sustainable”, or “carbon neutral” would no longer be permitted unless backed by robust data.
  • Clearer labelling: Environmental labels would need to be comprehensible, standardised, and meaningful to consumers.
  • Stronger consumer protection: The directive aimed to shield consumers from unfair and deceptive marketing practices related to sustainability.

Italy’s role and the reasons behind the withdrawal


The Italian government, under Giorgia Meloni, openly opposed the directive. The stated rationale was to reduce bureaucratic burdens and additional costs for businesses—especially small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for a significant share of the EU economy.
However, critics argue this reflects a broader political alignment with efforts to dilute environmental regulations. Some even suggest that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen coordinated the decision, raising further doubts about the EU’s commitment to its own Green Deal ambitions.

The fallout: Consequences and concerns


The withdrawal of the directive has far-reaching implications:

  • Cancellation of the trilogue: The final negotiation round between EU institutions was scrapped.
  • Public backlash: Environmental groups and consumer associations expressed deep disappointment, calling it a significant regression.
  • Regulatory vacuum: Without a clear legal framework, companies may continue to engage in greenwashing with minimal accountability.

Anti-greenwashing regulation – Final thoughts


In essence, rejecting the Green Claims Directive marks a troubling pause in Europe’s push for transparent and honest environmental communication. In fact, it casts doubt on the political will to challenge deceptive sustainability claims and to protect consumers from being misled.

For a continent that once positioned itself as a global leader in green policy, the retreat of anti-greenwashing regulation sends a worrying message.

What do you think? Is this a political misstep or a deeper shift away from sustainability commitments?
Leave a comment below (you’ll need to register first). Or DM @suite123 | WhatsApp | e.mail

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Vintage fabrics: The future of fashion lies in the past

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Sustainable fashion starts here: Timeless style from a hidden archive


There’s something undeniably special about vintage fabrics—the way they drape, the weight of them in your hands, the subtle textures that whisper of another era. These fabrics were made to endure, crafted with care feels almost unreal in today’s fast fashion landscape.

Our love for them runs deep, and it all began with our mother. She wasn’t just a seamstress; she was an artist, stitching magic into every garment. The kind of woman who hand-finished buttonholes because anything less wouldn’t do. Growing up, our world was filled with treasures—jars of buttons, spools of thread, and stacks of fabric waiting for their second act. Even our school bags and pencil cases were reborn from deadstock denim, transformed by her hands into something both practical and extraordinary.

Vintage fabrics: A discovery that changed everything


Recently, while rummaging through an old closet, we stumbled upon a trove of forgotten beauty: vintage fabrics, carefully preserved over the years. Our mother, always a visionary, had tucked them away—some for their unmatched quality, others because they simply spoke to her. These weren’t just textiles; they were fragments of history, pieces of a time when craftsmanship wasn’t an afterthought.

And that’s when it hit us: the future of fashion isn’t about what’s next—it’s about what’s already been done. In a world obsessed with churning out disposable trends, these fabrics are a rebellion. They carry stories in their fibres, proof that clothing can—and should—last.

Weaving the past into the present


Now, we’re taking these forgotten gems and reimagining them with a modern eye in one-of-a-kind garments. Each stitch is a bridge between then and now, a way to honour the past while crafting something entirely new. This isn’t just upcycling—it’s an act of resistance, a quiet revolution. Because sustainable fashion doesn’t start with a label or a hashtag—it starts here, in the quiet magic of a hidden archive, in the belief that the most extraordinary styles are the ones that never go out of fashion.

So here’s to the fabrics that started it all, and to the hands that taught us their worth. The future of fashion isn’t in endless newness. It’s in the quiet art of making less from more, in stitching new stories into forgotten cloth.

Each piece is a one-of-a-kind story waiting to be worn.
🖤 Curious to wear yours? DM @suite123 | WhatsApp | e.mail

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Fashion as protest: How John Lennon still inspires quiet resistance

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Seeking cross-cultural dialogue as USA bombs Iran


On June 17—just days before the U.S. bombed Iran—we shared a John Lennon quote on the suite123 Instagram account:

“Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I’m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That’s what’s insane about it.”

The Spring/Summer 25 GoodNeighbors Shirts collection led us back to his legacy. Inspired by Lennon’s 1977 days in Karuizawa. Lazy, sun-drenched moments with family—this resort wear blends effortless elegance with relaxed summer ease.

We never expected this collection to resonate so powerfully with the present. Just as we never expected—or would ever wish for—the horrific violence unfolding through the U.S.’s continued support of Israel’s destructive policies. A calculated move to divert attention from Gaza, where over 60,000 lives have been erased while the world watches. Americans voted for this president despite clear signs of instability.  Now the world must reckon with the consequences.

Revisiting John Lennon means rediscovering music, style, and his unwavering voice against war—messages that still burn urgently today.

The GoodNeighbors SS25 collection was born from a simple truth: the peace we seek in the world starts with the peace we cultivate in our own lives. A reminder that harmony isn’t just something we shout about. Peace isn’t just a slogan; it’show we move through the world.

Final thoughts


In the end, it’s clear. John Lennon’s quiet rebellion lives on, bridging cultures through music, fashion, and the courage to imagine something better.

What makes this timeless is simple: We still live in a world where, as Lennon said, “Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives.”

But here’s the truth they ignore: Humans are better. Cultures do connect. 

And every act of resistance—in fashion, music, or daily life—proves that we refuse to let maniacs define our future.

Connection. Meaningful research. Inclusion. A different language—this is how we resist. 
🖤 Add your voice below—we’relistening. (Register first to join the dialogue.) Or DM @suite123 | WhatsApp | e.mail

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