Una for Me and Una for You
Date: December 30, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Fashion, Women
It’s a breezy world out there! Fill the void between your bare arms and the rest of the windy world with arm warmers from Una.
Letting your fingers roam free (with a cute little thumb hole), the hip, yet practical winter trend is great for bike riding or adding a little sass to the basic tee. Lightweight and scrunchable, they are screen-printed by hand on organic cotton. At $24 they are an eco-steal that is sure to update your wardrobe and keep you stylin’ with the best. (more…)
Bag this Deal!
Date: November 18, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Bags, Fashion, Featured
Ditching plastic bags is an honorable goal but if you want to lift your eco efforts to the next level, using totes made from organic cotton is the way to go. While we applaud anyone who forgoes plastic in favor of a reusable tote, many of the bags that tout themselves as eco-friendly aren’t really green. (more…)
A Call to Arms
Date: November 18, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Fashion, Jewelry
Are your wrists feeling a little bit out of the loop lately? Ecofabulous has the 411 on sustainable jewelry and the news keeps getting better and better. How cute are theses hand-woven telephone wire bracelets from Original Women?
Made entirely from telephone wire by Zulu basket weavers, the beautiful texture of the weave and the graphic patterns will appeal to teenagers and grandmothers alike. You can select from copper, black, silver, brown and copper zebra, or the black and white zebra. Since the bracelets are made by hand, each piece is unique. And when you buy the bracelets, which retail for $35, from Original Women, you’ll be helping female artisans earn a living and receive basic education, health education, and HIV/AIDS support. What a deal!
Under my Brella
Date: November 14, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure
Getting drenched is definitely not fabulous, but having an eco-friendly umbrella handy is.
Most rain devices were conceived to protect you from the rain but little thought was given to protecting the environment. Thankfully, there was a competition a while back that encouraged people to come out from under their PVC umbrellas and invent a better system. The Brelli was the “clear” winner. A more compact and less expensive take on the idea is the Totes Eco ‘brella, made almost entirely of recycled and biodegradable materials (not mixed). The canopy is made of 100 percent recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles; while the frame is made of 70 percent recycled aluminum. The umbrella, which costs $30, sports a bamboo handle and a waxed hemp strap, and features a handy auto-open button. Best of all, it folds up small and will fit in a purse, backpack or even a coat pocket.
And, so that you don’t drown in a sea of black umbrellas, the Eco ’brella comes in four colors and features the universal recycling symbol as a reminder of your dedication to the environment.
Wear your Mission
Date: November 11, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Bags, Children, Clothing, Fashion, Men, Shoes, Women, ecoMan
Mission Playground has a cool and comfortable clothing line for men, women and kids, as well as flip flops, belts and bags - made of sustainable materials.
The forest loving Air Freshener tee made of 100 percent organic cotton, available in white or brown, is an ecofab fave. It retails for $24. But if you are feeling extra generous, you might want to buy that special someone a Citizen’s Hoody for around sixty bucks.
Make it your mission to only invest in clothing that lasts long, looks good, and does good in the world!
Recruiting Buffalo Soldiers
Date: November 11, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Bags, Fashion, Intimates, Jewelry, Men, Shoes, Women
The most eco-friendly way to acquire new clothes is to buy them second-hand. But the words “thrift shop” don’t always conjure images of couture, and the idea of sifting though musty racks keeps many people away. But breathing new life into used items is a tenet of green living, which is why everyone seems to be excited that Buffalo Exchange, a hip clothing exchange shop with locations all over the country, is expanding into New York City.
Buffalo Exchange’s first store in Manhattan, at 332 E. 11th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenue), will open in late November. A sustainable company that works to protect the environment by reusing and recycling clothing, it is a choosy shopper’s source for fashionable clothing and accessories. Items are bought, sold and traded directly with store customers, and used garments can be traded for any item in the store, including jewelry and brand-new clothing (beware of these un-eco items, though). The ever-changing inventory includes designer wear, vintage clothing, jeans, leather and one-of-a-kind items.
So march down to the East Village and trade in your old duds for some new (to you!) ones.
The City of Angels Earns Its Wings
Date: October 27, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Bags, Fashion, Intimates, Jewelry, Men, Shoes, Women
The red carpet got striped in green last weekend with the launch of Designers & Agents’ First Annual Green Market Event. Held from October 17th to 19th, D&A played host to more than a thousand leaders in sustainable fashion, design, lifestyle and community, including some of our fav designers, Form & Fauna, Edun, Stewart + Brown and Loomstate, and our friends over at Inhabitat who chatted up visitors in the “Green Room.” Co-hosted by contemporary furnishings guru, FordBrady, the trade show also marked the debut of Coco Eco Magazine by Anna Griffin.
Designers who wished to participate in the event had to demonstrate that at least 60 percent of their product line was made through sustainable practices. To offset the carbon footprint of those traveling from afar, a tree was planted in honor of each registered guest. Green Market Co-founders, Barbara Kramer and Ed Mandelbaum, hope the synergy created from bringing so much talent together under one living roof will inspire more fashion-forward businesses to grow from the root up.
Green Your Fashion Cents
Date: October 27, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Bags, Fashion, Featured, Men, Women
If you have a passion for eco-fashion, but you’re shorter on cash than a hemline, we’re here to tell you about some fantastic deals that will put the fashizzle back in your sizzle!
Just in time for winter, you can enjoy the inimitable designs of Stewart+Brown for up to 25 percent off their entire collection, including animal-friendly Mongolian cashmere. For organic basics, take a trip to Edun, where you can pick through virtual racks of cute jackets, tops and dresses, like the flirty black and white Requiem Dress (shown) plus men’s apparel, all reduced 25 to 30 percent. (more…)
Untouch Me!
Date: October 20, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Fashion, Jewelry, Men, Women
Finally a line of menswear that won’t leave an eco-inclined hipster behind. Untouched World’s men’s collection boasts a line of clothing cool enough to convert even the least conscience guy.
The company’s casual sportswear line caters to both men and women, with the menswear collection significantly smaller, but impressive nonetheless. The eco-conscious fella can choose from a selection of sustainably-designed graphic t-shirts, jeans, knitwear, coats and jackets, made from sustainable materials like felted wool and the company’s trademarked organic Mountainsilk.
Meanwhile, our lovely ladies are of course attended to. We are all wrapped up with their stunning awaroa wrap and a fabulous wrap dress. Untouched World also offers jewelry, accessories, and a yoga collection.
Besides raising awareness about sustainable fashion, textiles such as the highly intriguing Ecopossum, are bound to raise a fair share of eyebrows, especially among vegans. Ecopossum, one of Untouched World’s signature fabrics, blends merino wool with brushtail possum fiber, resulting in a yarn similar in feel to cashmere and boasting the manufacturer’s promise that it will not pill. The patented blend was created by Untouched World’s parent company Snow Peak.
Not to be confused with the North American opossum, apparently the brushtail possum is an enemy of the environment in New Zealand and responsible for devouring 17,000 metric tons of vegetation every single night! Experts believe the possums will kill entire forests through defoliation within the next 20 years if left unchecked.
Get in touch with Untouched World’s arguments and check out their extensive collection.
Buy Your Baubles Responsibly
Date: October 14, 2008 | Category: Accessories, Fashion, Featured, Jewelry
The holidays are fast approaching and – just admit it – you are already scribbling out your Christmas and Hanukkah lists. If you plan to ask Santa (or your parents or S.O.) for some bling this year, check out the eco-friendly designs by Bario-Neal.
Bario-Neal jewelry is handcrafted in Philadelphia using reclaimed precious metals (like the Gale bracelet, above, which retails for $225), ethically-sourced stones from the Tanzania Women Miner Association and low-impact, environmentally conscious practices. And, 1 percent of all Bario-Neal profits is donated to the Association for Responsible Mining, a global initiative to bring transparency and fair trade practices to small-scale mining.
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but girls should be a friend to the miners and mother earth too!
