She was struck by Ashley Watson's designs first, but then was won over by the eco side. Says Shoppingsmycardio, "I have to be honest – I’m not the most “green” girl out there. So I love that I can wear one of your bags and feel like I’m doing a good thing for the planet, without sacrificing fashion or quality." Turns out Ashley Watson came to the green in a similar way. Check it out the get the whole story!
I could go on and on about how impressed I am by this project by green-leaning gear maker Patagonia, but I promised myself when I started this blog that there would be minimal pontification.
The Footprint Chronicles is startlingly honest look at exactly what goes into a selection of Patagonia products, from design to manufacture to distribution. Of course it's promotional material in some respect, but it's also a wonderful peak into the many steps and choices that go into manufacturing clothing. For people who've never thought about where and how their clothing is made, it's a gentle wake up call. For greenies looking for a new perspective, it's a nice reminder about the compromises that are inevitably required (stomach parasites? who knew!) Check it out, and then make sure to tell Patagonia you appreciate this step towards transparency.
I've always been impressed with the construction and creativity of Doie Designs (here in Boston, they're carried by Envi.) But for some reason, I never found a design that got my heart racing and my blood pumping. It probably has something to do with my irrational fear of patterns -- I always think, will this match what I own? will I get bored of it? will I show up at a party and blend in the wallpaper? Silly fears, I know, but they always make me pause when it comes to committing to patterned clothing.
All that changed last week when founder Sara Kirsner sent me an email to remind me to check out her eco brand. Looking at the new Fall Line, I saw a ton of new pieces with her signature style -- Asian-inspired prints accenting hems, necklines and even elbows. Again, I thought, "Beautiful, but those patterns..." And then I saw this bamboo tunic dress.
First of all, the cut is just perfect right now -- flowy enough to evoke last season's girly dressy trend, sleek enough to stay away from last season's infantalizing trend, short enough to be uber sexy, loose enough to stay totally sophisticated. Then there's that pattern -- it doesn't scare away even the most avowed pattern fearer (me!) but is just that one extra touch to make this one LBD that won't be forgotten. Plus, notice how the arm sashes' position calls attention to your waist? That's right, an optical illusion that keeps things hour glassed without needing Spanx.
You could pull this one off with tights and flat boots at your office. But I say save it for heels and something (or someone!) really special.
Sprig.com is the very glossy, very light green online style magazine from "WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive" and the former editors of Organic Style (RIP.) This week, they're bringing you behind the scenes video from New York Fashion Week.
The first two parts of this three part series are about the eco friendly label Noir and designer Peter Ingwersen. I think what I love more than the clothes (which you can peruse at your leisure over at Style.com) is Peter's take on friendly fashion, which even includes chosing models who break out of the prepubescent/anorexic mold that the fashion world still hasn't been able to give up. What a nice reminder that green fashion is way more about attitude and outlook than organic this or recycled that.
Muumuu Heaven is yet another local recycled-fabric company I missed out seeing while in Hawaii. I did, however, catch a woman looking quite chic in one of their beauitful skirts at the Kapiolani Community College Farmer's Market.
Run by new parents Deborah and Eric Mascia, Muumuu Heaven makes one-of-a-kind pieces from vintage hawaiian print clothing. The skirts, I think, are the real gems here. Any of us who've tried know that real muumuu shapes don't exactly translate when you get back to the mainland. But these skirts strike the perfect balance, with beautiful recycled fabrics updated in clean shapes that you can pair with your favorite tees and tanks.
Full disclosure -- I seriously considered getting married in a Candice Held. Can you tell I'm a sucker for one-of-a-kind recycled-vintage dresses?
Candice Held (designer) and Jordana Magin (business brain) have two collections -- their normal print collection, and their simply gorgeous creations out of vintage scarves. What blew my mind about the vintage dress I almost bought was the construction -- the entire dress was lined in a second set of equally beautiful scarves, so despite the vintage fabric, the dress felt as thought it could survive anything (even a wedding!)
I'm a little more "eh" about the normal collection, especially the Spring/Summer 2007, which knocks off the vintage scarf aesthetic yet is somehow more expensive (though I have to admit the patterns and colors are lovely.) I'm disappointed that Ms. Held seems to be focusing more on the mass produced end of her collection, but hope she keeps making those beautiful scarf creations for those of of us who want something a bit more original and a bit more earth friendly!
Candice Held's vintage collection can be found at their online web store and at Maneater Threads, a lovely SF based online boutique with a completely inefficient navigation structure.
Clothing by Armour sans Anguish is not for the shy. But finding the right dress by Tawny Holt and Julie Edwards is like finding your glass slipper. Not only are their one of a kind dresses carefully constructed from vintage finds, but each piece is entirely unique, as if the girls were listening to what the fabric had always dreamt of being.
My perfect dress is to the right (no, that's not me... one of the tragedies of being the camera wielder is never having photos of yourself) and while I love it unconditionally, I would recommend it with one caveat: most of the edges were unhemmed, which I loved, but one of the fabrics used disintegrated slowly all night, leaving tiny trails of soft gold fuzz behind me. I'm not worried about getting my money's worth from this dress, but its construction was not for those who like their nights perfect and their dresses predictable.
In addition to the Armour sans Anguish shop, a few bits and pieces can be found at Beklina, BTC Elements and Envi. Since everything's one of a kind, make sure to grab your favorites before they belong to someone else!
Treehugger
the ultimate go-to for all things hip and green
learned to love fashion in NY and sustainability in Berkeley; now I'm busy in Boston trying to find easy ways to keep up the green without giving up the chic.
