Green Options

Who is king on stinging nettle fabric? Well, Brennels claims to be the only company in the Netherlands to grow stinging nettles on a large scale. Driving forces are sustainability, fabric and fashion.

What’s new is the digestion process to produce lighter and more delicate nettle fibers to spin into fine yarns. The company has around 70 hectares of agricultural farmland in the north of the country dedicated to production with three years of extensive research under their belt.

The Dazzle Dry Nail Polish System is made for the “on the go lifestyle”. The really great thing about the quick drying Dazzle Dry Nail System is that it contains no harmful chemicals. It is free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, and camphor and is also nitrocellulose free (this is the stuff that turns your nails yellow).

The Dazzle Dry formula is also Vegan and Non-Toxic.

Last spring, my best friend got married. Three weeks before her blessed wedding day, a bachelorette party was held. Two days before that, I purchased an American Apparel black dress for the party. It was skin tight, short, and featured a scoop neck in the front as well as the back. I looked good. However…we all know, that American Apparel is NOT eco-friendly, but at this point in my life I was dang poor (being a bridesmaid does that to you) and decided to purchase a new garment at the last minute. So without apology, I tell you openly, I bought a cheap black sexy dress from American Apparel.

Yesterday, while searching on Etsy for “modern clothing” I fatefully came across mydearthing and instantly fell in love. Designer Lauren Jones definitely named her line well- her garments immediately became dear to me. Today, while searching “eco-friendly clothing” on Etsy, I came across mydearthing once again! To my surprise, mydearthing is eco-friendly (apparently I was absent minded yesterday and stared at the photos of the perfect frocks as opposed to reading the fabrics used!) Watch out American Apparel, Lauren has created the perfect organic double v-neck dress that puts my bachelorette piece to downright shame.

Rock Angelina Jolie’s leather look without the guilt by exploring eco-friendly alternatives and how to wear them with sophistication for a sexy fall ensemble.

This event hosted by ecostiletto.com at Environment Furniture looks like a great opportunity to meet our comrades at arms here in the eco blogosphere. I’ll be there for sure. It’s the day before the Opportunity Green conference, so if you’re in town for the conference anyway, be sure to check this out. There will also be a fashion show of vegan clothing modeled by the Project Green Search [...]

Earlier this week I spoke with Jason and Jeff, co-founders of PACT, the most socially and environmentally responsible underwear company on earth, as far as I know. Not only do they use organic cotton, GOTS compliant dyes and otherwise uber-responsible manufacturing, they also donate 10% of sales to charities. This is utterly astounding in an industry where even a 10% profit margin is a miracle. But then, most apparel companies weren’t founded by Haas MBA’s.

Cradle To Cradle For Everything?

Jason and I got to talking about Cradle to Cradle, as it’s an interesting topic, and well, they’re already doing everything else, why not take it a step further? Do I hear a protest? You don’t want someone’s underwear recycled into your t-shirt? But it’s for the cause, man… OK, jokes aside, and even if it wasn’t underwear being discussed, but some other form-fitting cotton garment, Jason did the research. Because he cares that much. The thing is, 100% cotton gets baggy and saggy. So it’s more likely to be thrown out soon. If it happens to be owned by someone who’s passionate enough to find a place to deliver their used cotton underwear, it can be recycled. Jason explained that less than 1% of all cotton is currently recycled, and Jeff pointed out that even pure cotton sometimes contains dyes and chemicals that make it impossible to recycle.

Designers may brace themselves with glee because recycled threads are coming to market!

German thread maker Amann, with the new Lifecycle Threads brand name, distributed press releases to the trade last August.

Linda shows off one of her gorgeous rings.

As Lucille told us in an earlier article, Clary Sage hosted a lovely trunk show with Linda Loudermilk’s collection taking up at least a quarter of the boutique. There were delicious hors d’ouvres, wine and plenty of competition to try on eco-couture. Linda has always been very experimental, and continues to push forward with the most cutting-edge eco textiles. Unusual raw materials like seaweed or milk are woven into clothing as gorgeous as any I’ve seen on the Paris runways.

Linda’s background as a sculptor ensures that the lines she creates within her garments are far more innovative than most. Clary Sage also has a great selection of Loudermilk jewelry, with variations on her famous faucet necklace, as well as some other great pieces. The faucet necklace is something she conceived to draw attention to the water crisis, and a portion of the proceeds go toward the UN’s “water is a human right” campaign. If you can’t make it to Clary Sage to pick one up, they’re also available online at inhabitat.

Get Angelina Jolie’s leather look the eco-conscious way and pull it off right with sophisticated accents that will put a classy twist on your edgy ensemble.

Shown above is eco style maven Linda Loudermilk and one of her stunning designs. Part of her mission as a successful entrepreneur is to educate others on world water issues.

This is a quick reminder to drop by Clary Sage Organics this Thursday to meet Linda Loudermilk.

Below are more of her enchanting designs:

Stewart and Brown is one of our favorite eco clothing brands. They’ve added a “late fall, curtain call” line to their collections. This playfully staged organic collection features softly draping chemise silhouettes and creatively tailored jackets for blustery autumn days.