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.

Nine ways to wear one of spring’s hottest trends: ankle-length pants.

Ankle-length pants have been seen on the runways of fashion darlings like Isabel Marant for a few seasons now. This spring, it’s the hottest pant shape. A definite love-it-or-hate-it trend, ankle-length pants are easy to pull off, if you know how. The secret: picking the right shoes. We’ve done the work for you and found nine cropped pants and shoes that will make each look a home-run. Pair with a simple tee and a cropped jacket or long blazer and you’re wearing the spring trend as it should be.

Red is one of the hottest hues this spring when it comes to pants. Get inspired by Isabel Marant’s latest runway collection and pair your skinny ankle-length jeans with black pointed-toe pumps. It’s a fail-safe look.

Eileen Fisher Organic Stretch Twill Slim Ankle Jean in Saffron, $178, Eileen Fisher / Novacas Vegan Olivia Pump, on sale for $39.99, Moo Shoes

Take a walk on the wild side by pairing cropped cigarette jeans from Edun with cruelty-free vegan loafers in leopard print. All hues of pink – from soft pastel to hot fuchsia – are very on trend for spring.

Cropped Cigarette Jean, $198, Edun / Leopard-print Loafers, on sale for approx. $97, Beyond Skin

Most people will look best in a pair of skinny ankle-length pants, simply because they are more flattering and tend to accentuate the curve of the calves. Play with another of spring’s trends – stripes – in these organic cotton leggings by Feral Childe and pink vegan pinup-style sandals with a striped cork wedge heel.

Feral Childe Organic Cotton Chain Link Legging, on sale for $69, Jute & Jackfruit / Vegan Wedge Pindowns, on sale for $99, Fluevog Shoes

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, prints are huge for spring. Combine these galaxy/flower print cropped pants with yellow strappy sandals by Cri de Coeur and you’ll nail another hot trend – monochrome.

Low-waisted Skinny Pant, on sale for $112.50, Suno NY / Elegance T-strap Vegan Sandals, on sale for $50, Cri de Coeur

Strike the perfect balance between casual cool and street-savvy elegance by pairing Stewart + Brown’s Organic cotton sweats with shiny black rubber platform heels by Melissa. Top it off with a long black blazer and you may just get away with wearing sweat pants to a fancy dinner.

Stewart + Brown Terry Sweat Pants, $133, Stewart + Brown / Melissa Amazonas Platform Sandals, on sale for $67, Tobi

For a more avant-garde take on the ankle-length pant trend, pair these Organic wool trousers by designer Bruno Pieter’s new line Honest By, with a pair of vegan creepers. Keeping the look simple in all black keeps you from looking like a kid who outgrew his pants.

Adjustable Organic Wool Trousers, approx. $608, Honest By / Novacas Vegan Oxfords, $129.95, Compassion Couture

Keep things easy and breezy by pairing loose-fitting cropped pants by Dace with elegant architectural slingback heels. Add a lace top, sand-colored blazer and or loose-knit sweater and you’ll look like the nature-babe you are.

Dace Timothy Pants, on sale for $122.95, Future:Standard/ Clio Ankle Strap Vegan Wedges, $380, Cri de Coeur

If you’re ready to be totally daring with this trend, pair this printed jumpsuit by Edun with a pair of graphic black and white sandals. You’re guaranteed to turn some heads. Chances are, though, that this look will only work on amazonian model types.

Yoruba Print Jumpsuit, $489, Edun / Charm Bib-front Sandal, on sale for $42.50, Cri de Coeur

The post How To Wear It: Ankle-Length Pants appeared first on EcoSalon.

Tips for pulling off the monochrome trend. Inspired by Organic by John Patrick.

Dressing in one color from top to toe is one of the surest ways to look taller, leaner and right on trend. What is not to like about that? Here are a few simple tips to help you master the monochrome look.

Vary the Hue. The monochrome look is all about dressing in all one color, the trick is to mix it up and create some contrast by varying the hue. In his Fall/Winter 12 collection, John Patrick showed us exactly how to do this by mixing darker burgundys with brighter reds. Keeping the colors in the same family creates unity while the different hues create variety – a perfect balance. Buy the whole look by Organic by John Patrick straight off the runway or try a pair of bright red sustainable denim pants from The IOU Project, an organic cotton V-neck by Indigenous Designs, a handmade cowl knit scarf from De Nada, and burgundy heels from Coclico.

Denim pants, approx. $91, IOU / Organic cotton Deep V, $69, Jute & Jackfruit / Cowl Knit Scarf, $55, De Nada / Heels, on sale for $199, Coclico 

Keep it simple. Take a cue from Hussein Chalayan and keep things on the minimal side of things. Keep it simple with a few key pieces in a deep-yellow hue and you’ll be sure to shine. Try mixing a yellow Organic Pima Cotton dress by Stewart+Brown with footless mustard yellow rib tights by Tightology and yellow vegan pumps by Hearts of Darkness.

Organic cotton dress, $68, Jute & Jackfruit / Yellow Rib Tights, $39.95, Tightology / Yellow Pumps, $36, Hearts of Darkness

Introduce patterns. If pure color is just not your thing, try introducing patterns in the same hue to mix things up a bit. Cacharel did this beautifully in their F/W 2012 collection, by mixing knit sweaters with flowing skirts in the same hue. Start with a floor-length navy dress in bamboo and organic cotton by Perfectly Imperfect, add a drawstring apron skirt by Suno on top to create texture and visual interest. Top it all off with a navy cardigan by H. Fredriksson.

Floor-length navy dress, $154, Embodies / drawstring apron skirt, on sale for $118.80, Suno / Cardigan, $396 , H. Fredriksson

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

How to wear polka dots without looking like a 50s pinup.

Polka dots. You’ve seen them on the runways but aren’t quite sure how to wear them without looking like a 50s pinup or your grandma’s apron. Fear not, there are plenty of ways that this classic pattern can fit into a stylish eco-fashionista’s wardrobe.

Stella Wedge by Calleen Cordero, $455, Juno & Jove // Stella Stars Necklace, $128, Hovey Lee // Lina Rennell Recycled Leather belt, $165, Beklina // Polka Dot Sweater, Approx. $550, Chinti & Parker // Stella Vino clutch by Raven Kauffman, $325, Juno & Jove // Baby Toes Cactus polish, $12.50, Priti NYC // A Line Mini Skirt, on sale for $104, Edun

Let’s start with a Polka Dot Sweater from Chinti & Parker, a basic, versatile piece perfect for a first envoy into this polka dot trend. The mixing of patterns is very hot right now. Don’t be afraid to try ones that you wouldn’t think at first glance will go together — that’s where the magic happens. Mix your polka dot pattern with more pattern, like this woven mini skirt or a bright floral pattern or – why not – a smaller polka dot print on a dark background.

Stars are all the rage right now and just happen to be a great complement to those dots. This necklace from Hovey Lee will ensure your look is more tough than sweet. Add visual interest with with a burgundy bag by Raven Kauffman and shoes by Calleen Cordero. Finish off the look by adding some bright yellow – one of the hottest colors this spring – accents like a belt and nail polish.

If you’re still not convinced that you can rock the polka dots, try a dotty manicure (here’s a tutorial on how to do it yourself).

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