It’s crisp, fresh and perfect for summer. Here are tips for pulling off the all-white trend.

There was an abundance of white on the spring 2012 collection runways. It shouldn’t surprise us – nothing says summer more than crisp, fresh white. It’s a great trend with infinite possibilities, and is best worn top to toe – monochrome style. If you know how to pull it off, the only thing you have to fear is colored liquids.

Take inspiration from this runway look by Celine but bring it down to an everyday casual level. If you’re going to wear white pants, denim is the safest way to go. The fabric is thick enough so that you don’t see what you’re wearing underneath, and it also hides flaws (hello, cellulite) that lighter fabrics may enhance. Roll ’em up to ankle-length, pair with a loose-fitting, minimalist top made from 100% cupro and discreetly patterned vegan wedge sandals.

Carpenter Jean in White by Prairie Underground, $175, Juno & Jove / Sydney Top, $105, EcoSkin / Bounty Ankle-Strap Wedge, $150, Cri de Coeur

Mixing different hues of white is a great way to create a bit more layered texture and keep from looking too monochrome. This look by Chloe hits on many of spring’s biggest trends — mixed shades of white, wide-leg pants and wearing a collared shirt underneath a knit sweater. Copy it with an organic knit sweater and organic cotton pants by German eco-label Hessnatur, and a crisp white shirt by Kami Organic. Roll up the sweater sleeves so that the white shirt peeks out underneath.

Organic Cotton Sweater, $98, Hessnatur / Organic Cotton Pants, $98, Hessnatur / White Shirt, Approx. $230, Place des Tendences

White doesn’t have to be dressed-up, it can be low-key and casual. Taking inspiration from the runway doesn’t have to be literal either. This look by Sportmax is all about layering, length and volume. Start with a long, flowy organic cotton dress by Loup Charmant, add a cardigan from Stewart + Brown and a recycled polyester anorak from Organic by John Patrick for a nice layered effect that is elegant without being too fancy.

Organic by John Patrick Anorak Coat, $365, Juno & Jove / Lapel Cardigan by Stewart + Brown, $185, Juno & Jove / Swallowtail Cover Up, $150, Loup Charmant

Get inspired by Alexander Wang’s all-white runway look and be the epitome of casual cool in a perfectly slouchy shirt by Yana K. and pair of Organic cotton shorts by Eairth. White shorts look insanely good against tan summer legs. Dress them up with a Native American-inspired beaded belt and high heels. One last word of advice when it comes to wearing white: invest in good nude-colored underwear.

Itweg Nomad Shorts by Eairth, $115.00, Juno & Jove / Girlfriend Blouse by Yana K., On sale for $84.95, Future:Standard

The post How To Wear It: White on White appeared first on EcoSalon.

I’m a boutique owner with e-commerce skills – so why am I so fearful of ordering online? If I can’t get what I want locally then I will shop online, but I’m also very smart with my cash and don’t want to spend it on something I’ll just have to send back.

With this type of shopping (and possibly returning), you also have to think of carbon footprints, extra shipping and the fact that when you make the decision to buy something online it was special, on sale or just that perfect item you’d been looking for. It plain stinks to have to start the hunt all over again.

For those of you that have it nailed, I think we’d all love you to share your secrets in the comments, but for now, here are some tips that can get your online retail shopping ball rolling.

Know your measurements

You might think you can do it yourself, but just to play it safe, go to your favorite local tailor and have him or her measure you up. Get your bust, your hips and your waist measured so there’s no doubt.

Sites like Beklina have spots to click for sizing based on each size. Founder and designer Angelina Rennell says it’s important to know your measurements because designers all have slightly different sizing.

“A lot of our customers will email before making big purchases to double check on how the item is running – small, true to size, etc. We often get out the garment and measure for them. They can then compare that to their measurements. Customers should always feel comfortable emailing about sizing questions, sharing their size and inquire how the fit it running. They may say things like they’re really short or tall or big-busted and we can gauge if the style will work for them,” says Rennell.

If a brand fits, stick with it

You might be a fan of a line because you know they generally run a size large and whatever you get just always fits well. You might love the width of a certain type of shoe and the fact that they are always true to size. You know these things because you’ve always had success when buying them so stick with your winners.

Jennifer Miller owner of Charleston, West Virginia’s Mission Savvy says bamboo and hemp styles by labels such as EcoSkin are always reliably comfortable and true to size.

“The designer brings something new to the table every season and my online customers look forward to that. As far as dresses go, customers know what to expect from another tried and true label like Kelly Lane for colorful pieces. They also really appreciate that she goes up to a size XL and will follow her anywhere to get something new.”

Sizing or color question? Call the boutique!

The beauty of buying from small boutiques is that you don’t have to talk to someone halfway around the world who is not even in the boutique to get an answer.

Never feel silly calling. Small boutiques need to thrive and they can’t without you buying something that you’ll love and keep.

Julie Merriman, owner of Seattle’s Olivine says she always wants to make sure that her customers get the best possible customer service and make sure they love whatever arrives in the mail for them.

“One of the things I love about an online store versus a retail store is that people just don’t need as much help. Regardless, I am always happy to help customers with their questions,” she says.

You’ve got your order and it’s not that it fits bad, it’s just not like the picture

Before you give up and throw it back in the box or envelope to ship it back to the boutique, give them a call and tell them your feelings about the fit. Ask how they would style it and quite possibly with a few suggestions, your dream top or pants are again just that.

Olivia Bono owner of Sarasota, Florida’s Juno and Jove says a good design is made to fit lots of different body types.

“I consider the picture of the online model a starting point. You should get an idea of the fit and the unique details of the garment from the product photography, but style is about self expression. I myself am a medium, but I will often buy a size (or two) up or down depending on how I want to make that garment work on my body. We also like to keep our local tailors in business! If a pocket on the hip sags a bit too much or a wrap front top makes you feel a little too flashy, take it in to get tacked and tucked,” she says.

Beware the “Sale” designers

I have a t-shirt that says “I Heart Designers” and I really do but for those items that are always on sale, I say beware. There’s often some really good reasons why they are – including the fit, tightness, sheerness or armpit holes being too big. Or it might have been the buyer’s fault – caught up in the hype of the market, thinking they could really sell the piece or they misjudged their customer’s taste. Many things come into play and it’s worth it to call the shop you’re ordering from. If it’s cheap enough and can be altered by your favorite tailor, then it might still be worth the purchase.

For me, the big red flag is that both an urban and suburban boutique could not sell it. This means the piece was really just a design failure.

Final tip?

Make sure you don’t just buy sale items all the time. Splurge on the pieces you love versus filling your closet with clothes that are just okay.

Shouldn’t dressing be more than just being conscious? Maybe even (gasp) a lot of fun?

Image: Pecico

The post How to Order Clothes Online (And Get What You Want) appeared first on EcoSalon.

You know warm days are truly coming to an end when fashion packs are racing around New York City’s famed fashion week dressed in fall looks determining what we’ll be wearing the following spring. Next week, sustainable style gets its day in the sun when the Now spring ’11 showcase goes on display. Showing menswear, womenswear and accessories from a strong bunch of independent, consciously-minded labels, the NOW Showcase has grown substantially since they launched nine designers to eighteen.

“Since we started 2 years ago we have doubled in size. I think our success is due to the honest community we have formed. Many of the designers return each season and really like the atmosphere and vibe of the show. We are non-competitive and all support and help each other out throughout the year. We have a loyal following of buyers as well as designers, its become a place people come to because they know they will see old and new friends,” says Creem designer, Raina Blyer.

Knowing that there’s enough love and goodwill to power most of New York City at NOW, we turn to the designers to ask them one question: “What was your favorite part of designing spring 11?”

Here’s what they had to say.

Deborah Lindquist

“I’m launching a whole new brand based on urban, feminine t-shirts and t-shirt dresses in organic cotton and micro modal silk blends.  I’m still doing my more couture based collection but the emphasis has shifted for spring to bustiers, sweaters, and gowns. So my new focus for spring ’11 is t-shirts and ballgowns!” – Designer Deborah Lindquist

AngelRox

“What I liked most is the organic nature in which AngelRox  continues to evolve thanks to the lovely community of customers that support it. It’s their desires and needs I listen to and create new pieces for the collection based on their inspiration.”
– Designer Roxi Suger

Jai

“This season we worked with vegetable and fruit dyes! We had a blast blending, soaking and washing! JAI is now deliciously regal!” – Designer Kizzy Knight

EcoSkin

“We’ve been working with an amazing new sustainable fabric called Sorona corn jersey and we have been busy testing different weights and processes. It is always exciting to feature fabrications that are not currently out in the market but are sustainable – this is the best part of my job. Creating amazing bodies that feel comfortable and look chic is what dressing women is all about!”
– Designer Sandy Skinner

Chulette

“We try to push ourselves. Since we first introduced organic and sustainable material into our collection last fall, we’ve done more research and designed a collection using as much sustainable material as we could while still retaining our aesthetic. It’s exciting to offer something green that is feminine, modern and sophisticated.”
– Designer Lee Phutrakul

Origin Twenty Three

“This season we are expanding the agency from strictly fashion to also include lifestyle products such as essential oils, traditional herbal tinctures and elixirs, teas and herbal honeys. Inspired by my time this summer spent studying the botanical characteristics, medicinal properties, and therapeutic uses and effects of the herbs grown on the Goldthread Apothecary, Herbal Farm farm in Pioneer Valley, Western Mass. I am delighted to be showing JAI’s whimsical Spring collection produced here in NYC and hand dyed with turmeric, strawberries and natural plant dyes.” – Origin Twenty Three Owner and NOW Showcase Co-Founder, Eileen Moran

Juleselin

SDN

Lalesso

Manisse

The post NOW Showcase: A Sustainable Curation of Design and Designers – Part Two appeared first on EcoSalon.

We recently wrote about Jennifer Miller, founder of Mission Savvy in our Top 20 Eco-Fashion Sites list, so some of you already realize how much we love what she’s doing.

Based in Charleston, West Virginia, Miller has five “Missions” that represent her online store: Dream, Compassion, Freedom, Instinct and Voice. Each of these collections are symbolic of an animal protection issue she’s passionate about.

“Because of the fun, fashion element built within Mission Savvy I have been able to approach new demographics of people and talk about animals in entertainment or about excessive use of animals in medical research. When offered the opportunity to either help or continue to ignore these situations, I have found that people want to help,” says Miller.

For example, since launching in March, she has been invited to speak in open forums and conferences such as the Women of the Green Generation Conference in California.

“Every month we have an event that showcases different issues in animal welfare while allowing people to shop and have fun at the same time. We will be a featured eco-boutique in Nashville Fashion Week this September showcasing fashion and our mission side by side and we will soon be opening our first retail location that will jointly operate as a vegan friendly cafe and a venue for fundraisers for local animal rescue efforts,” says Miller.

As a former IFAW employee, Miller has seen a lot of animal cruelty worldwide so we support her creative way of educating us about what we don’t know behind the scenes at everything from traveling circuses to zoos and all that gray area in between.

Five percent of profits generated by sales from the site are donated to a select group of animal welfare and conservation groups.

This week’s giveaway is from her Dream Collection, featuring the Poinsettia Dress from EcoSkin, made from a bamboo/tencel knit blend.

Miller writes to me: “It’s wrinkle proof and incredibly soft, but not see-through kind of soft or t-shirt kind of soft.”

Perfect soft? You want it? Leave a creative comment below and you might just be slipping into this strapless number.

Good luck!

(Legalese: contest rules and FTC compliance.)

The post Mission Savvy’s EcoSkin Dress Giveaway appeared first on EcoSalon.

Batwing tops have certainly made their style known to us this year, but only some designers do it really right.

Sandy Skinner of Ecoskin, would be one such designer. Check out this soft blue Tamarind Tunic spotted recently on Kim Raver of Grey’s Anatomy, Lipstick Jungle and 24 (side note, how does one actress get so many gigs? Must be the top?).

Made from Italian organic cotton and produced by a premier domestic knit manufacturer, this slouchy piece goes great with a more structured, streamlined bottom. That doesn’t mean you have to be in jeggings like our pictured lass. Straight or boot leg jeans are just as cute.

With the forgiving blousy bottom, this will be your new “I’ve eaten too much raw food” sweater, your “I haven’t worked out in 3 weeks” sweater, your “Mother Nature just got pissed at me” sweater.

I can’t say how extremely important it is to have something like this in your wardrobe for all these occasions – as well as just looking hot.

Want it? It could be yours. Just leave a little comment love below.

Good luck!

(For complete giveaway info, go here. And for FTC compliance, here.)

The post Ecoskin’s Tamarind Tunic Giveaway appeared first on EcoSalon.

It’s an uphill battle for many designers to “go green.”

Some walk the talk more than others.

I caught up with three pioneering eco-designers and asked them if the eco-fashion industry is simply lost in a waste-stream of organic textiles or if it is actually possible for the industry to slim down a bit.

Here’s what they had to say:

Sandy of EcoSkin:

As this question is so broad it is difficult for me to give a specific answer, but what I can do is hopefully provide some insight into this issue for EcoSalon readers.

The fashion industry as a whole may never “go green” because the demand for inexpensive clothing and the American way of having more for less is still very present today. Even with the onslaught of green designers and the incredible movement we have seen these past several years of men and women like me taking a stance on social and environmental responsibility, there are still and will likely always be consumers who choose the other option.

I feel like I am kind of preaching to the choir because EcoSalon readers already understand the importance of the fashion industry going green, and what is going to actually move this process forward is education of those who do not care or understand the purpose of green fashion.

All I can do is focus on keeping my carbon footprint smallest, and providing those who do want to see green fashion thrive with an affordable, high-quality, fashion-forward product, and encourage the growth and sustainability of this industry.

Of course I believe in it, and you believe in it, but for the fashion industry to go green as a whole, we will need to move the rest of the world into this mindset. I believe it is possible though, which is why I started EcoSkin. I knew a contemporary label could be produced entirely eco, and therefore, “why not?”

It is up to the consumer in the end to make a choice between the labels that are green and the labels that are not. When the American public and its influencers in government and, I’ll say it, Hollywood, demand eco fashion, the industry will follow and this has thankfully already begun.

Lara of Lara Miller:

Absolutely not impossible. Sustainability is comprised of three main factors in my opinion  – economy, environment, and social good. Economy is what will drive the industry to be more eco-concious.

Recycling and engineering will be the future of our fibers. We need synthetic fibers, we cannot pretend that we do not – performance fabrics for athletics and various other industries. We want the varieties of fabrics as designers to allow for shine, stretch, and individuality.

Right now eco-designers have to be creative with what’s available. But our options continue to grow and expand as the consumer demand does. In just four short years I am amazed by the variety of textiles that have become available… in the next 10 years I truly see the sewn products industry using 75 percent recycled, organic, or renewable resources for fibers. Green choices simply make economic sense – thankfully – and those of us who are passionate about our environment will see the shift in the fashion industry that has been notoriously wasteful for way too long.

Lindsey of Reif Designs:

I don’t think it’s impossible for the fashion industry to go green, but it will take a very long time to get everyone on the same page. Given the fact that as designers we are in the business of creating new things, and we make our livings off of getting people to buy new clothes, rather than used, our definition of green can be very narrow or very broad, but there are steps that every designer large or small can take to work towards a more sustainable industry.

One of the biggest things I noticed when I started my line was the staggering amount of fabric that is wasted in production. Even the most precise cuts will yield waste, and the more garments produced the more there will be.

My first collection did a really small run, like 50 garments total, and I had 4 bags of scrap fabric from my floor cuts. These are pieces that can’t really be used for anything else but I couldn’t bear to throw them away. My solution was to post an ad on Craigslist offering the fabric to local crafters. I received 32 emails in 2 hours, and was not only able to give the bags of scraps homes, but I felt good knowing that the fabric was going to be used for some good. One recipient, for example, makes quilts for people in nursing homes, and another makes cat beds for cats waiting to be adopted at a shelter.

Another thing that I toil with as a designer is using newly produced fabrics. Regardless of how sustainable the fabric is, it is still brand new fabric, and there are warehouses full of fabric that has already been created and isn’t being used. I buy a lot of fabric end-run, and while some may say not like that its not organic, the fabric is just as sustainable as organic cottons and jerseys, possibly more so, because it’s keeping fabric out of landfills and using what we already have rather than producing new.

Plus, I find some great fabrics that way! There is a place here in Portland, for example, that buys leftover performance and outdoor fabrics from companies like Patagonia and Columbia. These are huge companies, and they might have 100 yards of a particular fabric that they can’t use any more, but for a small designer this is more than enough to create and produce a collection. These fabrics are also really durable and great for climates like the Pacific Northwest. These fabrics round out my collection, and I am able to provide customers with cool prints, colors and textures that I can’t get in sustainable textiles.

Image: Vincent Boiteau

The post Will the Fashion Industry Ever Achieve Sustainability? appeared first on EcoSalon.

We show off a lot of ecoSkin fashion around EcoSalon because well, we like their style. And now they’ve captured the latest fashion forward off-the-shoulder trend with the Mercury Top.

Somehow ecoSkin has found a flattering way to recreate this look from the flamboyant days of Flashdance. Frankly, I’m shocked. But even I might consider wearing this easy-going and slightly sexy piece made of bamboo and tencel. It looks comfortable and would be perfectly paired with skinny jeans or a slim denim skirt. Available in sizes x-small to large for $139 (black only), find it at Green with Glamour. You can see more of ecoSkin here.

Another shoulder baring favorite is this top from nixxi. It has an elastic hem for a snug fit at the hip, but it’s the asymmetrical neckline with a d-ring detail that says simple and sassy. Made of soy, organic cotton and a tiny bit of stretch, the nixxi Off-the-Shoulder Top is available in four fall colors in sizes x-small to large. Find it at greenloop for $90 .

The post Go Eco and Off-the-Shoulder appeared first on EcoSalon.