So you want it all in your eco-fashion — not just eco-friendly materials, but also eco-friendly, low-impact dyes — as well as fair trade and fair labor! And of course, the clothes themselves have to look good, stay in fashion, and generally last a long time –

Then stop by Indigenous Designs, a company that’s been making fair trade, organic fashions since 1994. Here you’ll find great basics — like classic polo shirts and simple button downs — that look good, fit well, and have all the socio-eco-friendly attributes too.
Combining all those do-gooder elements with good fashion isn’t easy to do, as Truly Organic’s demonstrated with its unevenly-dyed crunchy clothes. In fact, I hadn’t shopped much at Indigenous Designs because I used to associate the company with crunchy-wear — some of which, like the “earth” cardigan (below, right), you can still find on the website.
But for the most part, Indigenous Designs has gotten both more stylish and practical, making nice basics for both men and women. I recently got a Pogo Stick Polo shirt (top left), made in Peru with organic cotton and tencel and dyed almond with low-impact dyes. I like the fitted design and the gathers at the neck — details that add a nice modern accent to a classic look.
That shirt costs $72 — which some may consider pricey, but is still less than the popular Lacoste polos that have none of the fair trade, organic attributes. I will say that the pricing at Indigenous Designs does seem odd though. A gorgeous handknit organic cotton pullover (below left) costs just $38, yet the crunchy-as-can-be earth sweater (below right) costs $139. I recommend spending a little time browsing the site to find the good deals.

Indigenous Designs was founded on fair trade principles and is fully committed to fair trade and eco-friendly initiatives. Find out more about the Peruvian artisans who make Indigenous Designs’ clothes — by hand!
Photos via Indigenous Designs




Chinavasion’s making things even worse for lost eco-geeks by insisting that the vest’s perfect to wear to “go cruising for chicks,” who’ll be drawn to the vest “like moths to a light bulb.” Let’s hope that the green guys google for proof of chic-magnetism and find this post before donning the vest and stepping outside.
I have 2 favorite camis — both made of organic cotton. One’s black — and you can see me in it to the right. The other’s white — or used to be white until I washed it with a red shirt…. Now it has a retro pink tie-dye look.
Some may find the 




It’s true — Pasadena does have something Santa Monica does not: 
Recycled fashions make a big comeback in this boutique: vintage ties recrafted into cellphone holders, funky purses made from repurposed fabric, and even cute doggie clothes revamped from old sweaters. This shop prides itself in supporting local crafters and artisans who create everything from handmade jewelry to bamboo T-shirts.
This Edward Gorey-esque book has whimsical drawings of little kids suffering from psychological maladies. U, for example, is for poor little Urian: “Urian’s dream is to be a quality inspector in the factory like his dad. He doesn’t know it comes with the side-effect of Underload Syndrome.” 



