Green Clothes

It’s not unusual to hear about celebrities “going green” nowadays. In fact, we regularly mention them here on Greenclothes.org. But it’s refreshing to see one taking it a step farther, as she steps on the red carpet this spring for awards shows. Livia Firth, the lovely bride of British movie star Colin Firth, is a producer in her own right as well as proprietor of a green shop in Chiswick High Road called Eco Age. When she realized how many awards shows and premier events they would be attending this year, she challenged herself to wear only eco-fashion! According to Firth, to qualify as “green”, a garment has to respect “labour rights, repurposing, up-cycling, low waste, low carbon, low impact, sustainable fibres, alternative fibres and some organic fibres” – without sticking out like “a sustainable sore thumb.”

She is blogging about the experience on Vogue.com where she is also encouraging other women to seek more earth-friendly alternatives when dressing up for those special evenings out. I for one look forward to seeing what she can come up. If she can pull it off with the aplomb that I expect, it will give a lot of other women the courage to do the same, that eco-fashion can be just as glamorous as the latest couture from Rodeo Drive!

Technorati Tags: eco fashion, organic, sustainable fabrics

Expectant Moms looking for greener clothing options do actually have an expanding choice when it comes to finding affordable maternity fashions. A growing number of online stores and smaller boutiques carry a wide variety of fashionable maternity clothing at reasonable prices using organic, eco friendly and recycled fabrics.

While there are a lot of these kinds of options, don’t overlook the equally eco-friendly option, wearing used maternity clothes. Almost every town has at least one thrift store these days, and you will more than likely be able to find some great bargains.

But if you need help getting started her are some great resources for finding maternity clothes that will look good and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time;

Euphoria Maternity

Euphoria Maternity makes it simple to find great sustainable maternity outfits and clothing as well as other all natural products for use during pregnancy and even breast feeding through its “Shop Green” link. They also carry great organic cotton tops and yoga pants (very comfy during pregnancy) from a range of designers including Childish and Japanese Weekend. Their Moody Mama collection of babydoll dresses is especially flattering.

Better for Babies

Better for Babies carries a wide selection of green clothing for both the mommy to be and baby. Their maternity wear is simple but stylish and extremely easy to wear. All the clothes are made from organic cottons and wools. For baby there is a huge array of all natural cloth diapers, designed for use with their range of all organic cotton diaper covers.

Jessica Scott

Talented designer Jessica Scott makes her maternity clothed from all natural materials such as Lyocell, which is made of cellulose. One of her best selling and flattering designs which is called “Strapless in Seattle” is a incredibly versatile one piece that can be worn in a number of different ways; a strapless dress, a low slung skirt or an attractive “poncho” style shirt

MollyAnna

MollyAnna is a fun, irreverent designer whose company motto is “Bold, Sassy, and Prego”.

Her fun tee shirt and tank tops are all made from 100% organic cotton and feature such sassy sayings as “Epidural – Yes Please” and “Birth Control is for Sissies” and come in endless variety of colors. Her collection even features green tees for expectant dads too, as well as a collection of eco friendly diaper bags.

Baby Nut

Baby Nut is another online store that offers a great line up of maternity tops and light dresses made from eco friendly and sustainable materials such as organic cotton and hemp. They also have a great collection of all organic baby clothes called Happy Green Bee, which is bright, colorful and tons of fun.

E Mommie

E Mommie touts itself as the “#1 site for used maternity clothes” and proudly offer a wide variety of gently used, eco friendly recycled maternity styles. The stock changes frequently of course, but you can normally find a wide variety of dresses, tops,  jeans,  jackets and more in nice, flattering and up to date styles.

Do you  know of any great brands of green maternity clothes?  We’d love to hear from you!

Technorati Tags: Baby Nut, Better for Babies, childish, E Mommie, eco friendly, eco-friendly diaper bags, eco-friendly maternity clothes, Euphoria Maternity, green clothing, Happy Green Bee, Japanese Weekend, Jessica Scott, maternity clothes, MollyAnna, Moody Mama, organic maternity clothes, recycled maternity, sustainable maternity, thrift store

Sometimes we like to mix it up a little here at Greenclothes.org because you probably get tired of reading all the time. So this week, we’ve attached a little video that features the L.A. Eco clothing store Avita Co-op. Their focus is on green products made using “fair labor” practices. As far as their inventory is concerned, they define green clothing as those made from sustainable fabrics, such as organic cotton, as well as those made from recycled clothes and fibers.

Technorati Tags: green clothing, green products, organic clothing, recycled clothing

For the last few years humans have realized the disastrous effects of plastic bags on the planet. Plastic bags have been stuffed in our lands via landfills, in our animals – plastic bags were found in the stomach of several cows in India and have even managed to form an island – there is a large mass of discarded plastic waste floating in the Pacific Ocean!  Ick.

A lot has been done in an effort to get rid of plastic bags. Many corporate organizations and governments have attempted to them. But at the end of the day it boils down to the individual, not regulations, that will solve this problem (or any other for that matter, but that’s another topic for another day!)   As an individual you have the sole right to choose.  And your decisions can make the difference to the planet, one bag at a time.

So what’s the alternative?  What constitutes an “eco bag”?  Eco bags have always been around in the form of cloth and other sustainable materials that were used in ancient times. In the past, however,  they struggled to be cool.  While everyone would LIKE to do the right thing, not everyone looks good in Birkenstocks, carrying macrame shopping bags!   Fortunately,  a number of hip, fashionable and earth-friendly totes have come on strong to save our lands and oceans without compromising our cool factor.

Here are a few websites we’ve found that sell some trendy bags as well as other great stuff:

• Canby.co.uk – An environmentally focused company that has been selling carbon-neutral bags made from different recyclable materials since 2002. Jute bags are one of the most popular bags on this website. Most jute bags are colorful and come with trendy designs. These jute bags are perfect for users who like to throw their bag around. These rugged bags can carry up to 20 kgs of weight. The other options are cotton bags. Also, if you have a specific design in mind this website caters to custom orders.

• Reusablebags.com – Go to their website and you’ll see a number that keeps increasing, that’s a count of the number of plastic bags used around the world in this year. Since 2002 reusablebags.com has been trying to change the “use and toss” attitude by producing eco bags that can be used over and over again. They sell a variety of shopping bags such as canvas bags, thermal bags, heavy duty bags and a large variety of lunch bags. Apart from bags you can buy reusable water bottles, lunch boxes and home products. They also have a section for eco friendly people looking for a gift for someone.

• Envirosax.com – Envirosax is one of the biggest brand names in the environment friendly market. Started by an Australian couple in 2004 this company has been extremely creative in designing their products and using a number of different recyclable items to make their products. Their graphic series bags are some of the most fashionable ways in which you can help save the planet. These colorfully designed bags are made of lightweight polyester and are waterproof. Other varieties offered by them are organic series bags that are made with bamboo, linen or hemp; kids series bags and greengrocer series bags.

Technorati Tags: canby, eco bags, envirosax, greengrocer, jute, recycle, reusable bags, reusablebags

It seems, after plastic bag and non-recyclable t-shirts, ordinary footwear line is the next in the queue of outdated fashion accessories, as a new line of eco-friendly footwear is launched by Summer Rayne Oakes and Payless. The name of this shoe-line is ‘Zoe & Zac.’ A magnificent blend of creativity and nature care, this footwear line was launched after a clear observation of buying capacity of normal class of the society and its cost is not going to surpass 30$. It is surely a pleasure for people in the present scenario of downturn, as they are able to stay healthy without paying much.

The footwear line was brought jointly by well-known social activist and bold entrepreneur cum writer Summer Rayne Oakes and the well-known shoe company Payless. Also known as the Eco-Model, Summer Rayne Oakes helped payless in creating such wonderful footwear. Payless is appreciated globally for its sustainable stylish collection of shoes and other fashion accessories. The brand new shoe line, launched by Payless on Oakes, will be available on 1,000 outlets of Payless stores in entire United States. If you are staying outside, you can avail these striking shoes by browsing the official site of Payless, which is www.payless.com. Zoe & Zac is an authentic collection of green fashion accessories, which includes great eco friendly shoes, linen, hemp, recycled rubber, jute and water-based glues.

Technorati Tags: budget friendly, earth friendly, eco friendly, hemp, linen, recycled, sustainable shoes, Zoe & Zac

A note from a reader:

“Well, summer is finally upon us!  My favorite time of year.  But I gotta tell you, last summer did not go well for me. Do you know why? Let me tell you, if you do not have fitting summer dresses under your belt to give befitting replies to the scorching summer heat, you are gone! That’s exactly what had happened with me in the last summer. I was having a pair of good brown-colored Miranda tops, exclusively kept for my vacation. But the whole experience proved to be so terrifying, you know and consequently, I became horribly frustrated wearing it. I developed so many rashes on my skin! I don’t know from where the dress was purchased by my dad! I feel pity for him! I can’t blame him. He was actually not aware of the eco friendly clothes that are now days available to take care the young girls, like me!

After experiencing the disastrous dress disturbance, I, along with my father, was then searching for an accommodative eco friendly cloth for me. And then we found this lovely light-orange coloured Miranda Top I am wearing now. It is so nice, so fitting to me, always gives so much of pleasure and comfort that you can’t imagine wearing an ordinary top. And, believe me, after experiencing the beauty of an eco friendly cloth, I will never go back to my old wardrobe full of eco alarming dresses. I suggest you also should not!

The Miranda Top I purchased that day was not the only piece available in the store; but it was definitely a unique piece. Besides, the dress was available under different varied shades and textures. Each one of them was so demanding! I also purchased another piece for my sister. She too joined me in celebrating bringing eco friendly clothes in our household. The salesperson asked only $32.00 for my exquisite Miranda Top manufactured by Ideo, using 100% organic cotton fabric. I don’t think, I will ever get such an economically eco-friendly dress material for me! The dress is machine washable and needs no special care in order to maintain it’s eco friendly nature – what else you want! The top is not only an earth-friendly piece – it is stylish too! When I go out wearing the figure-flattering wrap style Miranda Top, I too look natural!

Thanks for bringing us all the great info about organic cotton and other eco-friendly clothing!!”

Technorati Tags: earth friendly, eco friendly, Ideo, Miranda top, organic cotton

In today’s fashion era, designers all over the world are making a marked statement with Eco-fashion or Green fashion, making clothes that best suit the environment. These 100% organic fabrics are grown without pesticides or herbicides made from synthetic products. Not only this, these 100% organic fabrics are treated without chemical dyes or bleaches. Today clothing made from organic fibers such as organic cotton, hemp, soy silk, or bamboo are largely in fashion and widely used.

Not only this, dresses such as skirts, T-shirts, scarves, and matching accessories made from these organic fabrics are included in almost every fashion show and works of different designers including Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, Jil Sander, and Versace. And one such organic fiber is Hemp.

Used for making hemp curtains, valance, clothing, bags, jewelry, paper, and many more items, the stuff made from hemp material is stronger, durable, insulating and absorbent in nature. Primarily coarse in nature, the fabric was traditionally used for making ropes and canvas. After passing through the technological advancements in breeding the plant, the fabric available these days is much softer and finer and can be weaved into cloth.

Mainly processed in Romania, the European Hemp used for manufacturing home products and clothing is 100% organic in nature and is free from any kind of pesticides or chemicals. What’s more you can even dye in different shades too. You can select from a variety of products including hemp twines, ropes, fiber or fabrics to produce different products made from hemp which are not only comfortable but stylish and durable too.

But why hemp plant only? Well produced without any insecticides, this plant requires very little water to grow. The plant also doesn’t require any artificial fertilizers or synthetic herbs to grow quickly and densely. Not only this, the long and sturdy fibers of the plant make it last much longer and durable in nature.

The organic hemp plant has another characteristic too. It absorbs equal amounts of CO2 during its growing phase that will be released later when the plant is burnt for fuel or other purposes, and does not contribute to the green effect. However, due to organic properties of this plant, it is possible to substitute hemp for other material, thus reducing the effect of water pollution to a large extent. A non-combustible and non-toxic product in nature, hemp if cultivated in large quantities helps in conservation of natural resources.

However, growing of this product has been prohibited in the United States, since the report published by U.S Drug Enforcement Agency where all varieties of hemp have been classified as ‘marijuana’. The product, popularly produced as industrial hemp, is blended with organic cotton.

But this product is grown without any restrictions in other parts of the world, including Russia, England, France, Holland, Hungary, and China. This has led to manifold increase in cultivation of hemp from 50,000 tons in 90,000 tons in just a period of 4 years. However, this non-vegetable fiber is an unpopular product in US which will be grown only after the framers are reassured of not facing any prosecution from the Government’s side.

Technorati Tags: hemp, Jil Sander, Marc Jacobs, organic cotton, organic fabric, sustainable, Verace

Today we all like to use everything 100% natural that constitutes Nature, the source of our essential necessities. Not only this, saving nature and environment is a global initiative and one of the steps to move in this direction is to wear 100% natural or green only. This shift in trend from polyester to conventional cotton clothing has forced the designers to produce stylish garment line from 100% natural and conventional cotton fabric, providing the environmentally conscious shopper with more and more eco-friendly choices.

And one such name is BrooklyNYC a renowned green, eco-friendly brand of clothes selling 100% cotton T-shirts. All the clothes manufactured and sold at BrooklyNYC that was launched in the year 2006, are 100% environment friendly or eco-friendly in nature. Reputed as the first Green Urban Clothing Brand, BrooklyNYC uses only non-PVC water based inks for Printing. These inks are environmentally safe and totally organic in nature. Not only this, the company uses recycled material too, such as the fabric made from soda bottles and a new synthetic material made of corn.

First, let’s understand the concept of eco-friendly in the context of garment industry. Well, this term implies to the garments made from 100% natural textiles such as soy, bamboo and organic cotton grown without the use of insecticides or bug killers. The company also trades in garments made of Lycocell or wood-pulp cellulose, Ingeo, and hump making the fabric extremely soft to touch. Not only this, at BrooklyNYC they believe in crafting fair-trade garments paying workers their reasonable dues.

As already mentioned, at BrooklyNYC all the inks used for printing T-Shirts are non-PVC based plastisol inks. The inks normally used to print most synthetic garments are highly toxic in nature. The PVC ink harm humans, especially babies if they even happen to lick the T-Shirts printed in this ink. Also, if this ink is not disposed off properly, it is equally destructive for the environment too. Because of this reason, it is officially banned in most of the environment-conscious places. However, the use of the T-shirts printed with Normal” PVC Plastisol ink is very common in the US, because they are far-more economical than non-PVC inks. Also, these inks suitable for screen printing can be used for mass production of T-shirts, unlike the clothing printed with non-PVC inks, which cost a lot more, but is gaining popularity with time.

The BrooklyNYC green clothing line makes use of non-toxic water-based ink for printing. It is more expensive, both in terms of resources and time, to produce water-based inks. Not only this, it is pretty difficult using these inks to print T-shirts too, However, these inks along with being soft, can be ironed over too. Therefore, at BrooklyNYC they only use water-based inks to make their line of clothing totally Green in true respect. Their clothing line for both men and women consists of unique creative tops for men and women in eye-pleasing styles and vivid colors, produced organically using safe printing methods.

Technorati Tags: BrooklynNYC, green clothes, non-toxic, organic, plastisol, urban clothing

Last summer Katharine Hamnett, one of Britain’s most popular style gurus, sold denim jeans with a difference. It wasn’t their style that was unique, nor their color. Instead, the uniqueness lay in the fabric – they are manufactured from organic cotton. They cost slightly more than the non-organic variety, but their cost in terms of environmental protection is phenomenal. People, from buyers to distributors alike, flocked to Hamnett’s fashion show, to get a sampling of the variety of environmentally responsible fashion offered by her – and they weren’t disappointed.

Hamnett is one of the first designers in Europe to explore the potential of organic cotton. She has produced an entire range of green fashion, employing un-bleached, un-dyed cotton. Katharine Hamnett is alarmed about the fabrics currently used in the fashion industry and has been keenly developing more environmentally friendly fabrics. She showcased her collection in the ‘Ethical Fashion Show’ in Paris, which offers a platform for environmentally friendly designers from around the world to showcase their clothing and accessories. Katharine Hamnett’s clothing line is made entirely out of cotton, untreated wool or linen, containing no pesticides or other harmful chemicals like conventional clothing does.

The first ‘Ethical Fashion Show’ was held in 2004. Now an annual event, up to 50 designers show to the increasing number of distributors who want to sell designs that are ethically produced and environmentally friendly. Due to such efforts, the textile industry, one of the largest manufacturing industries around, is looking greener these days. There are more and more options available for choosing sustainable clothing that is environmentally responsible. Where earth-friendly clothing was once mild in color and design, today’s designs incorporate bright bold colors with professional and trendy styles that blend in with the other garments strutting down the catwalk.

Clothing is a process that starts with either renewable or non-renewable feedstock, which is treated and woven, dyed, and sewn to produce a piece of clothing. The clothing may have started out as a fossil fuel, or a cotton plant, with many workers and manufacturing and transportation processes along the way. Most synthetic threads like polyester are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource that even during the refining process produces contaminants.

A lot of fashion designers in the contemporary age are turning to green fashion. Edun, a company set up by Bono and Alison Hewson aims to offer a clothing line for people with a social conscience. They use organic fabrics, made up in environmentally friendly factories with ethical working conditions. Other environmentally conscious designers provide their customers a variety of options when it comes to buying and wearing responsible material.

Fashion magazines promote new styles for every season. Everybody needs clothes, but before you purchase that must-have sweater or perfect-fit pair of jeans, consider what goes into the manufacturing of those garments. Fashion can be a dirty business, but choosing clothes that are made with environmentally friendly materials ensures it doesn’t have to be that way.

Technorati Tags: Alison Hewson, Bono, earth friendly, Edun, environmentally friendly, environmentally responsible, ethical fashion show, green fashion, Katherine Hamnett, organic cotton denim, organic fabrics, renewable, unbleached, undyed cotton

Rachel McAdams, the Canadian superstar is campaigning to help the environment in a new way. She has been coaxing women around the world to use lingerie made from bamboo to help save the environment from global warming.

Rachel, who has acted in many movies, became a star after her role in the movie Notebook which was an adaptation of Nicholas Spark’s novel of the same name. She then started using her celebrity status to support environmental issues. She has even launched an environmental website called greenissexy.org. This website, a joint creation of three friends including Rachel, gives you numerous environment friendly tips to use in your daily life to help reduce your carbon footprint.

Bamboo underwear she says is, “a very sexy thing to do”, in addition she says, “They sound quite painful but they’re actually quite soft. I’ve also got soy underwear!”

Bamboo has many different environmental benefits as it is a renewable source and produces more oxygen compared to most trees on our planet. Now, environmentalists and fashion designers have come together to produce bamboo underwear. They are not what you might imagine them to be. Like Rachel says, there are quite soft. In fact, they are as comfortable as any other underwear you’d ever wear. Another benefit of bamboo underwear is that it dries at a faster rate compared to regular cloth underwear. They also allow your body to breathe better, this helps in dealing with odor problems as well and above everything else they are chemical free.

Rachel and her friends have been doing a fantastic job with their website for the past two years. On the eve of the websites second anniversary she said, “We’re coming on our two-year anniversary of GreenIsSexy.org and the environmental community has really opened up online. That’s the amazing thing about the Internet – for all the problems and concerns, the relationships you can develop with people who are on the same wavelength and deeply care about the same things is immediate and it’s vast.”

Technorati Tags: bamboo, eco friendly, environmental, lingerie, organic, rachel mcadams, underwear