Recently in Eco Friendly Category

The Garden Collection by H&M is the frugal retailer's first sustainable collection made entirely from environmentally adapted materials (including organic cotton, organic linen and recycled polyester). The collection is made up of 80 items and 10 accessories and hits their stores March 25th. Fitting given its name, the collection is full of romantic florals (lots of painterly prints and rosettes that make me think of Jason Wu). All the garments have been produced using sustainable materials or using recycled PET bottles or textile waste and follow the debut of H&M's first ever range of skincare products made with certified organic ingredients (the range of everyday essentials includes shower gel, body scrub, body lotion, hand cream and lip balm, all of which are based on natural and organic ingredients and are certified by Ecocert). I haven't seen these pieces in person yet, so I can't attest to their quality, but for frugal Jason Wu you can't go wrong given the cheaper than cheap prices of these pieces compared to the four-figure designer prices. Can't wait for warm weather to sport some florals!

A few weeks ago I went to an Eco Luxe showcase at Rouge Tomate in NYC to learn more about some of the leading eco-minded companies (they had everything from beauty and fashion, to interior design and liquor brands in the showcase). One of the brands that stood-out most from the pack was a new Bay Area lifestyle brand called A Lot To Say. The brand produces the most environmentally progressive line of message apparel and lifestyle products on the market in the US today. Two sisters created the company in an effort to find the most sustainable and attainable eco-friendly methods of producing apparel, lifestyle, and accessory products and their research efforts led them to recycled polyester RPET fabrics and materials, a new waterless dying process called Air Dye, and local manufacturers who could keep 100% of A Lot To Say's products made in the USA. Based in Danville, CA. A Lot To Say now produces tees, hoodies, totes, scarves and umbrellas that are made ENTIRELY from recycled water bottles (how crazy is that!!), reduce production water consumption by 95%, power consumption by 70%, and green house emissions by 86%.

The pieces in the line are super soft and are especially great for lounging/working-out. Learn more here.

Emma Watson recently revealed the fruits of her gap year, the actress has collaborated with People Tree on a range of clothing due to launch in 2010. People Tree, the London-based label that aims to promote sustainable and fair trade fashion, will launch the collection called People Tree Love Emma for February. "It has been the most incredible gap-year project," said Watson, referring to her time off between high school graduation and her first year at Brown University.

People Tree said in lieu of paying Watson, all royalties from the collection will be donated to the People Tree Foundation, which aims to help farmers and artisans benefit from fair trade. There are 26 pieces for women and 15 for men in the collection, including knitwear, cotton T-shirts and jersey dresses, along with home accessories such as embroidered throws. All the pieces are handmade by fair-trade manufacturers in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. The collection will be sold at exclusive stockists in the U.K., Ireland and Japan, and the company is in talks to launch the collection in the U.S., a spokesman for People Tree said. The line will also be sold at peopletree.co.uk.

Part eco-friendly materials and part safari; the "Heritage" collection from Banana Republic (designed by executive VP and Creative Director, Simon Kneen) is hoping for a shiny green start for the mega retailer.

Easy separates and cute little dresses (my fave of the collection is the 48% soy fibers and 52% silk leopard eco-blend one on left- $139) is sure to bode well with eco-conscious fashionista!  The prices are a bit higher than the core BR collection so it remains to be seen how well it will sell.  I'm also wondering how well the fabrics hold up with time.

What about you? Go heritage or stick with your Banana basics?

Check out the Heritage eco-blend leopard dress in Bronzer here.

Toggery by Kate D'Arcy is a contemporary line that you may have seen stars like Kim Raver, Sarah Jessica Parker, Erin from The City, Hayden Panettiere, and Eva Mendes wearing. It's 100% organic and made with sustainable fabrics including organic cotton, bamboo, and modal. Each piece is colored with low impact reactive dyes that use less energy, less chemicals and produce less waste than natural or vegetable dyes. The line has some great staple layering tanks (think alternatives to ADAM or C&C), along with some cute top and dress finds. Best of all however everything from the yarn to the finished garment of the Toggery by Kate D'Arcy collection is produced in a socially compliant and quality certified production facility in Pennsylvania. Plus unlike so many other organic labels with price points from $32 to $160 it's not outrageously priced. What do you think about the line? Would you replace some of your C&C basics with some from Toggery?

This May Foot Petals is launching Flexyfeet a line of flip flops that are 100% vegan and 100% recyclable. They're also said to be lightweight and airy - supposedly "they'll feel better than bare feet on a warm summer day" - sounds like the flip flop version of UGGs, no?! Foot Petals says that each pair has a breathable T-strap and utilizes an anatomic footbed and heel cup to improve posture while a matte insole reduces friction between the bottom of the foot and the shoe. Foot Petals also raised a toe crest on the tip of the sandal to help toes grip and to stop feet from sliding, preventing blisters. Flexyfeet are made with antimicrobial material to resist odor, machine washable and fade-resistant. They come in small, medium, and large and go for $22.95. Definitely not the sexiest flip flops, but they sound unbelievably comfy - will you be sporting these come summer?

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Their Green Living Expert, Alex Kennaugh, was kind enough to provide us with some fashion tips to help us reduce our footprint! Check 'em out below!

· Try organic versions of natural fibers such as cotton, linen and wool. Beware of bamboo, which is not necessarily a "green" fiber because it is sometimes heavily processed with chemicals prior to spinning.

· Seek apparel made with recycled fiber content, such as polypropylene fleece from plastic bottles or recycled polyester. Some cotton items are now appearing with recycled content, similar to what happened with paper many years ago.

· Avoid buying distressed-style denim clothes. They are distressed using chemicals and processes dangerous to workers and harmful to the environment.
More after the jump!

Burning Torch by designer Karyn Craven is an eco-conscious celeb fave because the pieces are made from recycled materials. I first heard about the line when I saw a photo of Jessica Alba in one of their outfits (above!), and I was immediately intrigued. I'm not a big fan of vintage (my mother's old 70s staples yes -- some random person's old clothes -- no..even if they're from a place like Resurrection, I've never been into wearing vintage). So I found this line interesting because they're new, but basically reconstructed garments at the core (ethical materials are also used). Since seeing Jessica Alba in one of their frocks I've found out that the line is a big celeb-fave with Teri Hatcher, Ashley Judd, and Jessica Simpson saying they're fans as well. Burning Torch has wears for women, men, and children. Personally I think there are some great finds in the line (like all the ones pictured above and below), but there are a lot of pieces that are a bit too peasant-top-ish for my taste. What do you think of the line?

 

TOMS Shoes founder, Blake Mycoskie

I'm totally in love with TOMS Shoes! Sure they're not the absolute chicest, but they're great to wear around the house, when you're leaving your place to run a quick errand, or when your feet are killing you after a long night out. They're super comfy and come in an array of styles. Plus they've just come-out with a new line of boot styles! At $98 they're a great deal and all of the styles are vegan, have an elastic wrap extending from the ankle, and a velcro closure. The best part? For each pair purchased, a pair is donated to a child in need. Could you think of a better cause!?? From LA to NYC celebs -- including Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, Benicio Del Toro, Liv Tyler, Keira Knightly, Sophia Bush, Kristen Stewart, and Tobey Maguire -- and common folks like myself have been snapping-up the shoes so I'm excited that they're expanding their offerings! Check-out all their styles online. What do you think of the new TOMS boot styles?

From left: Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Ashley Tisdale

The organic cotton line TROVE is 100% eco-friendly and a big celebrity favorite. Liv Tyler, Kate Hudson, Emmanuelle Chiquri, Jessica Alba, Rachael McAdams, Mena Suvari, and Olivia Wilde (I'm still swooning over her Reem Acra Golden Globes dress..she has the best style!), are just some of the line's fans. The TROVE line is made of 100% organic cotton and its hang-tags, business cards, and lookbooks are all printed on 100% recycled stock. The line includes graphic t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, tank tops, and button down blazers and the signature looks have peace signs, heart graphics or nature images. Check-out the cute looks below and their website and get your eco-groove on!