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.

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Have you been painfully searching for garments that are versatile, comfortable, modern and playful while being extremely eco-friendly? Well, no worries, your search stops here. From the mind of designer Andrea Crouse comes Gaia Conceptions, a line inspired by her months spent in India and Amsterdam. Not only do her well-rounded garments capture all of the above attributes, Andrea’s main goal is to use only the best available fabric including local organic cotton, raw silk and hemp.

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I’m a big believer in the power of collaboration. After all, most of us are pretty talented in certain areas yet equally lame (or more so) in others. My most visible skill deficit rears its ugly head whenever it’s time to dress myself. I just don’t have an eye for fashion. However, Stephanie Green, owner of eco-friendly St. Paul shop Ecotique, most certainly does. So it made all the sense in the world for The Nature of Beauty to pair up with Ecotique in order to offer the ecoconscious consumer a one-stop, head-to-toe, fashion forward shopping experience. It’s like the Mall of America but without, well, everything in the Mall of America. But you get the idea.

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So stop by with Mom in mind, becuse you’re invited to “take a peek at our Spring offerings at Clary Sage Organics. We’re sure you’ll find something for the mom, grandmother, wife, aunt, girlfriend, daughter or sister in your life!”

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“Dressing your child is a fun thing for every mom, grandmother, aunt and family friend,” says Kim Barker. “Dads get into it too -  Who doesn’t want to hear that their child looks adorable or cute?”.    That’s exactly Barker’s goal behind her eco-savvy company Love Bug Clothing Co.

For the eco-conscious parent, the company features trendy organic children’s clothing and recycled vintage rock wear for girls and boys.

In her Vintage Rock section, the online store offers stylish vintage rock concert tees, rock tunics and dresses by diverse designers.

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We have a number of loyal readers of this blog in the green apparel industry and its rapid growth is yielding rewards for ecopreneurs targeting the variety of consumers that I mentioned in my post, The 4 Green Fashion Consumers – Which One For You?

The Living Green consumer, who has embraced the whole concept of the environmental lifestyle

The Core Fashionista, “who is looking to build up the green in her fashion portfolio,”.

The Walking Green consumers, “driven by wanting to belong to a greater community. These are trend followers.”

The Spending Green profile, the shopper who buys green clothes because “that sense of exclusivity and entitlement are important to her.

The green fashion industry is exploding. More and more companies are entering the field every day and still, the consumers’ voracious appetitive for eco fashion seems to be not even close to be satiated.

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Donning the list of Toronto’s Fashion Heroes, named by NOW Magazine, is Natalie Stephenson whose Heart On Your Sleeve boutique in Toronto, Ontario is filled with labels that are only cruelty-free/vegan, sweatshop-free, recycled and/or organic.  Passionate about supporting local designers, she carries only goods from Canadian labels.  You’ll find great eco-brands like Grace & Cello, Passenger Pigeon, deux fm, Sparrow handbags and more.  And if you live or work in Toronto, they have a bike delivery service that costs the same as shipping (if you’re within their bicycle delivery zone). 

Normally Black Friday (11/28) is a huge day for retailers, but HOYS will be closed as they’re  participating in an international event, Buy Nothing Day as “an opportunity to express their ongoing frusteration with rampant, excessive consumption“. 

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Where comfort meets sophistication, the mom-to-be is happy in these great designs.

Kai Kids, a Toronto-based online boutique from parents, Nancy De Hart and Peter Chin, sells eco-friendly clothes, bedding and products aimed at babies, toddlers and pregnant and nursing mothers.

Constantly on the hunt for well-crafted, reasonably-priced organic and non-toxic clothing and accessories, Kai Kids is a great resource for parents who want to dress themselves and their kids in clothing that is healthier for them and the environment.

They are also a member of 1% for the Planet as well as Green Enterprise Toronto.

Since I am learning to sew (better) right now and actually don’t own t-shirts I want to cut up I decided to delve into the saucy project #69 “Cinch City” with some organic cotton scrap fabric. I bought my organic cotton for $2 downtown Asheville NC where the Spiritex warehouse sells off the leftovers from their locally woven organic fabric production. (Major score!) The “Cinch City” skirt truly was easy, although they say to only cut one rectangle to make the tube skirt, I actually had to go back in and make more of an angle to fit my waist. To make this skirt all you need is a swatch of organic or upcycled fabric big enough to wrap around your waist & hip, a ribbon, and the most basic sewing skills. It really inspired me to use more drawstring and cinching in my sewing for decorative effect! You can get super creative with this simple design too by making a longer more sultry skirt, instead of the Vegas style mini- or even adding a drawstring cinch at the waistline too so that you can fluctuate in weight and still sport your skirt, well, forever.

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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.

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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.

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An important part of the Palestinian economy consists of organic cotton manufacturing but the conflict in the Middle East has badly impacted the industry. Neiman signed a deal with the organic cotton manufacturing company in Bethlehem after it had been forced to ax 30% of its workers. Many of the laid off workers returned to the Bethlehem factory after he stepped in. The deal included the creation of a trade union.

“We’ve found a rare piece of common ground — more good jobs for Palestinians on the West Bank will help,” the Boston entrepreneur was quoted as saying in a recent interview. “Economic development is no substitute for a diplomatic settlement but no settlement can survive without a sustainable Palestinian economy,” Neiman added.

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Macy’s newest campaign called “Turn Over A New Leaf,” kicking off April 20 and running through April 27, is “designed to support, educate and inspire sustainability and eco-friendly practices in everyday life,” says the retailer.

This spells opportunity for eco-entrepreneurs. While organic food and natural cleaners have gained some mainstream appeal, as awareness of the benefits of natural living grows, consumers look to use organic and green products in all aspects of their life.

So where is the biggest opportunity? I see a couple of areas in which green entrepreneurs might focus.

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Have you ever thought of dressing green along with living green? Organic clothing is a new option for wearing your favorite t-shirts without harming the environment and your skin. A typical conventional cotton t-shirt uses about 150 grams of acutely toxic pesticides and insecticides; that’s the size of a cup of sugar. Indigo clothing, a UK based company, offers a variety of organic t-shirts, v-nekcs, polo shirts and jerseys from “a number of brands, who manufacture promotional clothing and work wear with a difference; clothing that is made to exacting standards using quality organic cotton.” According to the company, “that means that you have purer, cleaner fabric and a comfortable, durable, well-finished garment.”

Check out their organic clothing product page here but before that, have a look on the story of organic cotton and how organic farming methods benefit farmers and their communities.

Disclaimer: I am not by any means associated or affiliated with Indigo Clothing