Green Options

While eco-friendly fabrics are showing up in more and more designer collections and stores, we often don’t hear enough about the dyeing and finishing processes that accompany them. Conventional dyeing methods often involve toxic chemicals, harmful to the wearer and the environment.

I recently hosted an event at Pivot where Chicago designer Annie Novotny of Frei Designs demonstrated how she naturally dyes some of her garments and accessories with pomegranate juice. First, select a 100% pure juice (no sugars or additives). Pour the juice in a large bowl and add some vinegar and water. The vinegar helps to set the color and also adds brown into the hue.

No matter what your personal sense of style or fashion preferences might be, I believe everyone can work toward a smarter wardrobe.

This is one reason I opened Pivot, a boutique devoted to organic and sustainable fashion in Chicago, last September. Prior to starting Pivot, I was working as a journalist with a fashion focus.

Through my research and reporting I discovered the developing and intriguing world of eco-fashion. I became fascinated with the fabrics and designers who were choosing to create collections that were not only beautiful, but also conscious of the environment. To me, this was simply smart. If you can have both fashion and regard for the earth, then why wouldn’t you?

So, while usually descriptors such as “green,” “eco-friendly,” or “earth-friendly” are used to refer to fabrics such as organic cotton, lyocell, peace silk or bamboo, I prefer to point out that they are just smarter alternatives.