Oregon, the state known for its gorgeous natural landscape, micro-breweries and awesome alternative culture (mostly located in Portland), has some pretty cool sustainable and organic fashion to offer. From the heritage Navajo prints and soft organic materials to sustainable outerwear  and hand-sewn garments, there are some lovely fashion labels made in Oregon for the consciously style savvy type.

1. Brady Lange
Brady Lange may be best known for his appearance on the “Project Runway” spinoff “Under the Gunn,” and continues making the colorful, chic and street savvy clothes seen on the screen. Lange says the rain of the Pacific Northwest is one of his biggest inspirations, causing him to design bright and fun clothing to battle the long, grey days.

2. Briana Jacobs
Briana Jacobs is a fresh, new Portland-based designer currently completing a degree in Apparel Design at the Art Institute of Portland. Her designs are feminine and alluring, and all are made in Oregon–custom crafted by hand in her personal studio and sewing room.

3. Imperial Collection by Anna Cohen
Anna Cohen is a Portland-based fashion designer who teamed up with Imperial Stock Ranch in Maupin to create a completely sustainable collection of American knitwear. All of the wool is sustainably farmed at the ranch, and then processed, spun and knit in the USA. The result is a gorgeous set of shawls, sweaters, capes and accessories that will be available this fall.

4. Moulagerie
Moulagerie designer Karen Davis took on the task of creating tailored, feminine and sustainable fashion when she realized that the combination of the three was the only sensible way for her to make clothes. She has thus developed a collection of sophisticated and elegant dresses that are locally and responsibly manufactured from natural fibers, with a part of proceeds shared with various charities.

5. Nau
Nau is the Oregonian response to the need for sustainable and ethical outdoor apparel. All of Nau’s collections are made with sustainably sourced high performance textiles and ethically manufactured  in monitored factories with high quality standards. The perfect clothes for a hike in the Cascades!

6. Pendleton Portland Collection
The Pendleton Portland Collections defines the sophisticated and chic but youthful and relaxed Portland style. Native American prints, gorgeous hand crafted textiles and quirky, old school cuts make up this hip and wearable collection, all of which is made at Pendleton Woollen Mills in Pendleton, OR.

7. Sweet Skins
Sweet Skins is a Eugene-based collection of simple basics and classic wearables made from eco friendly fabrics like eco-fleece, hemp, organic cotton and wool. All Sweet Skins garments are hand made in Eugene where this ethically run label continues to maintain strong roots in the community and pave the way for sustainably made fashion.

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Images: Brady Lange, Briana Jacobs, Imperial Collection by Anna Cohen, Moulagerie, Nau, Pendleton Portland Collection, Sweet Skins

The post 7 Made in Oregon Organic and Sustainable Fashion Labels appeared first on EcoSalon.

There’s a reason bralettes have become so popular in recent years: they are soft and gentle on your skin, gently supporting your curves rather than shoving them into predetermined shapes. There is no hardware or restricting metals inside these bras, and they are sweet and romantic in design—wearing one is like your secret throughout the day. We’ve found five pretty ones made ethically from organic materials. Organic bralettes for every day of the week, perhaps? 

1. Scallop Mesh Lace Bra by Bazsarózsa

Made from organic cotton jersey and produced in New York City, Bazsarózsa focused on the subtle and sexy details that are often overlooked in what we wear underneath. Bazsarózsa (baj-sha roj-sha) is the Hungarian word for peony flower and also the designer’s last name. We love the simply romantic design of this organic bralette.

Bazsarozsa, $66

2. Organic Bralette by Only Hearts

Simple and sweet, this bralette is made using 100% organic pima cotton, and produced ethically in Peru near the farms the cotton was sourced from.

Only Hearts, $37

3. Sweet Juliet Chantilly  by Luva Huva 

Luva Huva makes beautifully sensual organic lingerie, and all their pieces are equally desirable.  This Sweet Juliet Chantilly is made with lace, bamboo rayon and organic cotton by hand in London.

Luva Huva, $63

4. Bra by Charini

Handcrafted from start to finish with the perfect amount of support, wearing a Charini bra is like a vacation in and of itself. Designer Charini Suriyage excludes elastics, plastics, harmful dying, and metal from her products, sourcing all materials via fair trade policies in her native country of  Sri Lanka.

Yoox, $158

5. Gamma Triangle Bralette by Clare Bare

Clare Bare started out a love from vintage fabrics and ended as a playful eco-lingerie. Specializing in organic bralettes and undies made from bamboo rayon jersey and vintage materials, Clare Bare’s designs are always unique and their form flatters all body types.

Clare Bare, $60

Want More On Trend? See Also:

Geometric Fashion Jungle: 7 Ways to Wear it On Trend

7 Fantastic Artisan Scarves: On Trend

images from the brands, top collage by Juliette Donatelli

The post Sweet Romantic Organic Bralettes: On Trend appeared first on EcoSalon.

With 55 million pounds of pesticides sprayed on clothes yearly, the EPA considers seven of the top 15 of these pesticides used on cotton in the United States as “possible,” “likely,” “probable,” or “known” to cause cancer in humans.

Thanks to various agencies safeguarding what we wear, “Eco-Friendly” clothing is being subjected to many production standards much like the green building industry from organizations like the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), the International Market for Sustainable Apparel (registry required) and the Organic Trade Association.

Which organization do you trust to set the standard for accountability? The jury’s still out.

One thing we know is that as the green movement proves it’s not just a trend, designers, buyers and shoppers will want proof of purchase so they can put their own green towards sustainable lines – and not feel so gullible. Until we have one standard to go by here are a few things you can do:

Do your homework. Many times we just accept that an item is organic without doing some research. A garment can be organic but still have a large carbon footprint.

Learn about different eco-fabrics that are available. Organic cotton and wool, tencel, soy and modal are some of the more popular choices.

Email the designers. Realize there are many ways designers can up the ante on eco-conscious production methods by recycling and using alternative energy at their design houses, implementing fair-trade practices and using natural dyes. Many of these eco-friendly designers are accessible through their websites.

Buy locally-sourced. Support your local designers and artists who use less fuel to get their goods to local stores. Not only will you help to sustain a small business, you’ll feel better knowing exactly where your goods came from.

Now that you have all this helpful information, what do you plan on doing with it?

Editor’s note: Please welcome our new fashion writer, Amy DuFault. You can learn about Amy here.

Image: ontwerpplus

The post Who Says Your Clothes Are Eco-Friendly? That Depends appeared first on EcoSalon.