Fashion Favorites

We’ve covered - and discovered - a lot of green fashion this year. If you’re new to green fashion you’ll want to check out this handy reading roundup. Peruse this helpful guide for tips and links to all things eco fashion.

Fashion 101

Image: Stitch

Green fashion means everything from buying wise (and buying less) to simply making the most of what you’ve got. This can be something as simple as learning how to make your clothes last longer and preserve your designer shoes. Things that may not seem green often are; a trip to the seamstress annually to mend frays and tired stitching can add years to your wardrobe and lighten your carbon footprint over the long haul. You can even repair and rewear your jeans or make your tees new again.

When you do need to replace items in your wardrobe, you’ll want to go for the essential eco basics: start your eco-wardrobe with a few easy pieces. It’s also a good idea to recognize your eco-fabrics, like hemp, organic cotton, cashmere and bamboo to name a few. Convert the skeptics who think green means granola and itchy, scratchy fabrics. Show off your eco-knowledge and share the 4 benefits of bamboo with your friends and family.

Vintage

Image: lemoncat1

When it comes to going green, less is always more, and who doesn’t appreciate less expensive? We are committed to making high fashion attainable for you. Vintage boutiques are a great way to find unique and chic and affordable fashion. Follow the green anthem - reduce, reuse and recycle - and just say yes to seconds.

We’re always searching for something cool and eco-chic. Discovering the old and making it new is easy when you know how to raid your grandmother’s closet. And if yours is anything like mine, there are treasures galore to be had. Go vintage for a viable planet - the secondhand clothing business is here to stay. And what about throwing a fashion party? Gather your friends (and their clothes) and trade and swap and exchange rather than shop for new. Tell them swapping is the new shopping and everyone goes home happy and green.

Even though the true shopping emergency is a thing of the past, there are times when finding new stuff is necessary and fun. That’s why we’ve spent months gathering information that should answer all of your eco-fashion questions and gently guide you towards green - without sacrificing your style.

What we’ve found while following the green in fashion is that it’s easier than ever to put together an eco-ensemble. Organic and sustainable materials, vintage and recycled pieces - we stopped at nothing to find the prettiest, most unique and most sustainable threads out there. We’ve showcased tons of tees and pants (for him and her), sweaters, coats, dresses and jeans, as well as shoes galore and accessories for all occasions. Simply skip over to Fashion to see everything.

Handbags and Totes

Image: clairity

Grab a cart and go through the check-out line but don’t forget the canvas tote to guarantee that your shopping is green when buying sundries and groceries. It’s the simplest and most obvious choice when it comes to green. The stylish options are endless while the rights of plastic are being stopped short. (You’ll have no fear when saying no to plastic with the fabulous eco tote by Chloe.)

Totes are perfect when you’re asked “paper or plastic?” but what about when life takes you out and about? It’s times like these when you need your entire life in a bag, am I right? Small and sexy simply won’t do, so shop wisely. Check out what you need for a getaway. Don’t forget to protect your computer! Here’s our guide to eco laptop bags. (By this point your friends may call you the eco-conscious bag lady!) We’ve got you covered in the eco-handbag department with options like vegan, soda cans, felt, salmon skin, vintage, linen and even candy wrappers. When small and sexy are the name of the game, we’ve got a lot of clutch lust. (Here’s even more: the raffia clutch and this flocked number are sure to please green gals - they make great gifts!)

Tees

Image: Sublet

Let’s talk staples. Wearing a tee is the simple and classic way to look good. An essential piece in any wardrobe, it will never go out of style. We have plenty of favorites, but here are just a few. Find the eco-basics at No Sweat Tees; you’ll discover fashion with an edge at Sublet. Go ahead and buy Two Tees for All Seasons, then find your favorite by perusing our top 10 eco-friendly figure-friendly tees.

Pants and Jeans

Image: pangaya

No matter who wears the pants in your household, if you let him wear the pants he’ll wear them well, because eco-fabrics truly are softer, lighter and more comfortable than ever. Hemp, organic cotton and bamboo make a perfect trouser for him…and her. We’ve found adorable high-waisted slacks and some with sassy stripes. For casual weekend activities you’ll love these wide-legged organic cotton pants, and did you ever think denim could be deemed green? It’s true - your favorite jeans can fit your body like a glove, and be eco too. There are jeans made for every body, whether you’re a skinny sister or a voluptuous Venus. We even found an eco raw jean - the kind sans stretch that starts out stiff and soften to butter with time. Lastly, we remind you to wait to wash your jeans. Wear them at least a few times before you toss them in the washer - it saves energy and besides, it feels good to have an extra day of stretch.

Dresses

Image: EDUN

Pants are a woman’s prerogative but if your day is calling for something a little more dressy, have no fear. Our resident fashionistas found a dress to impress any boss or client that will also take you to your evening date in style. And even though the seasons change and temperatures drop, there’s always an occasion for showing some leg. Just remember if you decide to shop for new, focus on eco materials. The green options are vast when it comes to being dressed well, so shop wisely for the best dress…and that’s a wrap!

Coats

Image: Camilla Norrback

Speaking of wraps, the colder winter months call for warm sweaters and comfy coats. At the first sign of the chill, what gal wouldn’t want the perfect fall to winter to spring cover up? Sign us up! The sweater coat is a fashion favorite, versatile and not likely to go out of style. As the months have passed and our green research has continued, we’ve found plenty of luscious coats made with organic, sustainable and recycled fabrics. Once just a needle in a haystack, we’ve come across more than a few hard to resist eco coats, some of which have gorgeously tailored collar, bows and belts to delight your fancy. The stunning cashmere indulgence that my friends labeled my new second home is a wardrobe staple to last a lifetime. If you long to wear (fake) fur and be a stylish vision, we even found a green alternative that will calm any eco-conscience.

Shoes

Image: embodies

We’ve clothed you in green from handbag to tees and pants and dresses. But what about your feet? Lest you worry about slim eco-pickins in the sexy shoe department, we found anything but. Kiss those crunchy sandals goodbye. Everywhere you look there’s a new vegan mary-jane or a wedge made of organic cotton and reused wood. High tech heels will keep you sexy and sustainable, as well as well as these 5 eco wedges you’ll love. The forever fashionable flat is recycled, plastic and so sexy in every color and designer styles. For my fellow shoes lovers, here are the must-have hot eco boots and high-style heels. And if you’re shopping for the perfect winter boot, or wondering what to wear while working in the garden - we’re always looking out for you.

Accessories

Image: gpwarlow

Any eco-fashionista knows that a wardrobe needs special accessories. They add a little this or that to an ensemble that otherwise might be just so-so. So we encourage you to splurge on the urge to adorn your slacks with vintage belts or try out a splash of color with bright eco tights. Not as exciting or fashion forward, but just as necessary to our eco-sanity is the solution to the sock problem - bamboo.

The green movement has filtered into every aspect of our fashion lives - headbands and hats; sunglasses and sleepwear. For the sun goddess, bringing sexy back to the beach is easy with an eco-bikini and soy swimwear. The active greenie also has options when it comes to upping the green factor of her apparel. Whether your game is golf or yoga or snowboarding or just the great outdoors, nothing can stop you from going green. And underneath it all there’s the basic cotton panty.

Fashion Trends

Image: Stewart & Brown

It’s clear we’ve covered the basics of an eco-wardrobe and but we also found a way to keep you on the cutting edge, if that’s your thing. We aren’t flashy here at EcoSalon, so the latest trends aren’t cause for dropping everything and running to the nearest mall. But we do claim our eco-chic ground, and when our watchful eyes spot a cool new idea we can’t help but spread the word. So you can show up a stylish shade of green, we kept An Eco Eye on Sheers and Florals and Head Gear for Fall. We showed you the Summer Must Have Eco Maxi Dress and How to Layer Organically, as well as Green Shades of Grey and the Fall Color Trend Purple. Always looking out for our chic readers, we encouraged you to get Ruffles Around the Edges and to Show a Little Shoulder, while warning Don’t Let the Muumuus Get You Down and Don’t Shy Away from Silky Shorts. See what we’re getting at here? We want you to look your very best while feeling good about the lighter than light impact your wardrobe has on our planet. Follow our lead.

Jewelry

Image: Green With Glamour

Last but not least, let’s talk jewelry, because who hasn’t heard the tagline diamonds are a girl’s best friend? Even if this crystal clear gem isn’t on your wish list, most women are drawn to one sort of jewel or another - simple, showy, blingy or bland - but always green, and I don’t mean emerald. For anyone interested in the ins and outs of eco-gold, read Green Gold Bling For the Biosphere. We’ll have you Sold on Old Gold and converting all your friends to Gold for Good faster than you can watch a season of the Golden Girls. Or why not try some silver and Sustainably Beautiful Jewels, if that’s more your sensibility. Looking far and wide for Just Your Type of Record Breaking Jewelry is our mission at EcoSalon. From the quirky to natural and nature-inspired, we’ve given you Everyday Eco Jewelry to Cherish and a Guide to the Best Eco Jewelry Designers. If you’re still searching for serious Neck Candy, you’ll make a statement of High Style Mystery and A Touch of the Untouchable with these bolder designs.

Jewelry Trends

Image: Verdier Jewelry

While EcoSalon strives for conscious consumption and a sensible shopping list, we love watching the latest trends. A big jewelry trend this year was recycled glass and we showed you how to get yourself a piece of Smart Glass Jewelry and make your friends Recycled Green with Envy. They’ll wonder if you’re wearing Beach Glass or Semi Precious Stone. If the cocktail ring tickles your fancy, raid your Grandma’s Jewelry Box or just ask for a Lemon Drop Cocktail…on us. Transparency was a 2008 trend to remember as well. Recycled lucite and eco-friendly resin are materials of choice for the In Crowd Accessories and Plastic Fantastic Jewelry Collection. Clearly quite green. Without giving away The Key To My Eco Heart, I’ll admit to loving A Charmed Life, the vintage kind that’s recycled, reclaimed and reused. Some of the most unique, eclectic and chic Antiques of the Future are made from Found Treasures that are combined and contorted differently by each designer. The end result makes a stylish statement and speaks louder than a Message in A Bottle. My favorites are always the Handmade One of A Kind Finds for Less Than $25. Cheap and eco-chic.