So what, exactly, makes a garment “eco-friendly”? Eco-friendly essentially means “treading lightly” on the earth. And “treading lightly” means using fewer chemicals in the production of clothes. It’s that simple. Eco-friendly companies usually care about other things, too: fair-trade labor (labor without sweatshops), sustainable goods (products made locally in order to use less fuel), animal cruelty (no leather or fur) and recycling (reusing materials or making new materials out of things like plastic bottles).
The good news is that you don’t have to look like a tree hugger these days to sport eco-friendly duds. In fact, you can look pretty glam. From hemp thongs to organic-cotton socks, there is no reason why you can’t dress eco-friendly head-to-toe. But which fabrics should you look for? Good question. Here’s the 101.
Silk
A good rule of
thumb is that anything made in nature is eco-friendly, so some silks
are good and some are not. You might have to do some digging to find
out if a brand’s silk is spun slowly in nature or manufactured. Usually
“big business” silks are not OK, unless they are advertised as such, as
Linda Loudermilk does. Her items are “eco tek,” a designation for silk
that indicates eco-industry seal of approval. These fabrics wash clean:
No harmful chemicals will go down the drain with the water.
Hemp
Hemp
fabric is eco-friendly because it doesn’t require pesticides to grow,
plus it’s incredibly durable and therefore wears extremely well.
Designer Deborah Lindquist makes a great hemp pant.
Cashmere
Cashmere
is made from fur shaved from baby animals. This can kill the poor
little guy from chill or too close a shave. Viridis Luxe’s
cashmere-and-hemp blend fabrics use cashmere that is combed — not
shaved — from the underbelly (the softest part) of the goat.
Recycled and vintage fabrics
Recycled
fabric is great because it goes back into the market instead of ending
up at a landfill. Deborah Lindquist does eco-sexy with a cool bustier
made from the scraps from men’s suits. Also, eco-friendly bags made
from recycled leather like Ashley Watson’s are great for creating less
waste. Some people feel it promotes the killing of animals, but the
truth is there are a lot of politics in this industry, and you will
have to do some research to form the opinion that you feel is right for
you.
Organic cotton
Anything
created organically (without the use of chemicals like pesticides or
herbicides) is always a winner. Organic cotton falls nicely into this
category. And you don’t have to sacrifice style: Try the jeans from Del
Forte Denim, nighties from Eberjey, robes from Under the Canopy or
skirts from Nature vs. Future.
Polartec and “pop”
Nature
vs Future makes a fashionista’s dream top out of Polartec and “pop.”
This fleecelike fabric is really a recycled-fiber fabric made out of —
yes — soda pop bottles! It's amazing and feels just like the stuff from
specialty outdoor-goods retailers.
Bamboo
Bamboo
is a super-soft fabric that shouldn’t need pesticides to grow, either.
But because of widespread demand, bamboo-fabric manufacturing could
lead to deforestation. So take some time to check out each company’s
policy before you buy. (Or check out TODAY’s tips here: The wonders of bamboo.)
What you saw on TODAY:
Evening look
Linda Loudermilk black evening dress. price upon request;
lindaloudermilk.com
Charmone shoes in Cinnamon: $350;
charmoneshoes.com
Casual look
Viridis Luxe navy bamboo long sleeve T-shirt: $96-100% bamboo
Viridis luxe hemp-and-cashmere sweater in camel: $638;
viridisluxe.com
Del forte organic cotton Dalia jeans: $190;
delforte.com
Terra Plana shoes;
terraplana.com
Ashley Watson recycled leather “Brant” bag: $250 recycled leather;
ashleywatson.net
Cocktail look
Deborah Lindquist bustier: $663
Deborah Lindquist hemp pant: $338;
deborahlindquist.com
Ashley Watson recycled leather clutch: $125;
ashleywatson.net
Charmone Darjeeling green/brown ankle boot: $269; charmoneshoes.com
Fashionista look
Nature vs Future black polar fleece top: $220
Nature vs Future organic cotton denim skirt: $160;
naturevsfuture.com
Ashley Watson recycled leather Thrush bag: $250; ashleywatson.net
Charmone Gunpowder shoes: $269; charmoneshoes.com
Amanda Shi black and white seed necklace: $180;
avitastyle.com
Sleepwear (all made with organic cotton)
Eberjey O Girl Collection jersey pink cami: $53
Eberjey O Girl Collection pink crop pant: $62;
eberjey.com
Under the Canopy robe: $54
Under the Canopy slippers: $28;
underthecanopy.com
On Danna:
Viridis Luxe sweater: $700; viridisluxe.com
T-neck sweater: Vintage
H & M organic pant: $12.50; hm.com
Ashley Watson recycled leather belt: $100
Hemp underwear: $12; nibusclothing.com
Maggie’s organic socks: $8; maggiesorganics.com
Boots: Vintage
For more tips on how to find the best new products to grow your green gene, visit www.dannaweiss.com.
