Home >

Dana Demas is a freelance writer in Chicago, specializing in women's health and sexuality topics. She's the author of Women's Health and Wellness: An Illustrated Guide and she's currently co-writing three books with leading lifestyle experts. Dana hopes to continue including her passion for an organic, conscious lifestyle in more of her writing projects.

Everything is coming up organic! It’s certainly true of fashion. While all-things-green dance in the national spotlight, it’s not just what we eat, how much we recycle and going by foot that makes a difference…it’s also how we dress.

You’ve probably heard about organic cotton, versatile hemp and the eco-fab silk. All well and good, but what to do when you actually need to go shopping? Organic, sustainable duds can be easier said than done. Here’s a little list to get you going. Most items are available at stores in your area or online.

Remember, one small change can make a huge difference for years to come. Why not buy one eco-fashion item this year, for yourself or for a loved one?

Bell-Bottom Blues No More

Jeans are the most beloved members of a wardrobe. Like children, we nurture them, feel comforted by them and lament when they stubbornly refuse to do what we wish (i.e., zip up). We also spend a lot of money on them. These days, most closets contain a small fortune…in denim.

Smart San Francisco-based designer, Tierra Del Forte, has devised the perfect plan for a lifetime of jean love, without the guilt. Her aptly named company, Del Forte Denim, produces jeans that are eco-friendly, made of 100 percent organic cotton, hot and recyclable.

That’s thanks to her Project Rejeaneration program. When you’re ready to get rid of one pair of Del Fortes and buy another, send back your old pair, which will be refashioned and sold again to another jean-worshipping goddess. Plus, you’ll get a 10 percent savings on your new pair.

Because let’s face it, most of us live in our dungarees, and we want to know they’re going to a good home when we say goodbye and send them into the world. (delforte.com)

What’s Your Bag

Remember when canvas bags with The New Yorker printed on front were the province of library enthusiasts and PhDs? Well, now everyone’s invited to the canvas-bag club.

These organic cotton bags are adorable (finally). Updated vintage designs maintain the simple function of a canvas bag, with style. Pick your poison-reducing design, whether it's I'm Organic’s Kiss Me available from the Green Home Environmental Store, or a colorful shopping tote from Trader Joe’s Running around the neighborhood with a trendy, bendy bag is the best way to minimize, if not eliminate, the need for environment-spoiling plastic bags.

For events where a fabric bag might reinforce bad stereotypes about people who dress eco, check out Matt & Nat bags. Colorful, charming synthetic leather looks like the real thing. The stunning bags are all vegan, but you can still take them to a fancy steakhouse. And with style names like the Radiohead and the Dirty Harry, who can resist? (greenhome.com; mattandnat.com)

Sustainable Baubles

Is that a lily leaf around your neck, or are you just happy to see me? Los Angeles-based designer, Gwendolyn Davis, has created a new genre in jewelry. She calls it “sustainable chic.” Davis’ VerdeRocks line of necklaces, bracelets and out-of-this-world (though of the natural world) cuffs are, simply put, gorgeous-and made of vintage, recycled or sustainable materials. This rockin’ line makes it easy to be eco-conscious. Buy a couple of pieces and you’ve got a new wardrobe.

For a calculated indulgence or a gem meant to last forever, Green Karat puts the fun back into jewels, with recycled and cultured diamonds and sapphires, and 100 percent recycled gold or platinum in their designs. They also sell vintage jewelry, making “I do” a commitment to past, present and future.
(gwen-davis.com/verde/; greenkarat.com)

Happy Feet

If animals really could speak off of the big screen, they would probably say, “We love NEUAURA shoes.” This line of heels, wedges and boots somehow uses no animal products of any kind, but offers the most stylish shoes this side of Antarctica. As if by magic, NEUAURA makes shoes that are a world away from clogs and hemp sandals, but just as do-good for the environment. And did we mention they’re beautiful?

They’re not in stores yet (spring ’08 is the projected release date), but you can check out the new Verde line by Taryn Rose if you just can’t wait.
(NEUAURAshoes.com; tarynrose.com/)

Clothes for Nau

Ok, you say, but how about a store that has all organic clothes? No worrying and wondering. No label reading. Somewhere you can go for everyday wear…and try it all on in person.

If you’re a now kind of person, Nau could be just the place for you. This full-service clothing line is opening stores across the country. Nau specializes in custom designs that feel good, look good and perform even better. The materials range from organic wool and cotton to sustainable materials created through partnerships with Teijin and Polartec. You’ll find his and hers clothes from top to bottom, summer to winter…well, you get the idea.

Nau carries only a bare minimum of clothing in-stores, saving the environment by shipping directly to customers-for no charge and a 10 percent discount.
(nau.com)

And remember, going local is always eco-friendly. Choose designers based in your city, who produce their goods in your city. Think of all the trucks, gas and, possibly, low-wage workers who were spared by their good deed.

Producing local, sustainable goods costs more, but they’re worth more. Whether clothing or food, it’s quality not quantity that suits us best.

Return to Table of Contents