Can fashion nurture nature? Late last month I had the opportunity to attend the Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion show, which showcased some of Los Angeles’ rising fashion stars. There, a noticeable underlying theme was human connection to nature. 

Some of the clothing designs displayed images of nature (though I am not sure how eco-friendly all the fabric was) and some pieces were sourced directly from nature. One accessory designer, Sticks & Stones Accessories, actually used shed deer antlers, gathered by hand in the forests of the US and Canada! The designer’s also known to use fossilized walrus and wooly mammoth ivories, gathered by permit from Alaska, Holland and Siberia.  All of the pieces that incorporate wood, antler, fossil and vegetable ivories are hand carved, sanded and finished at their in-house studio in Portland. 

Gen Art was hosted in part by smart car, which happen to have ultra-low emissions, are 85% recyclable and are produced in a low environmental impact factory in France.  The cars at the event (like the one in the image above) were covered in prints designed by some of the featured fashion designers.

Even Gen Art’s gift bags contained some eco-friendly bonuses — like discounts on vintage clothes from Just Say Native Vintage Studio. While certain aspects of the event — like the plastic cups — could have been much more eco-conscious, this event made it clear that the fashion world, particularly amongst the trendsetters and forward-thinkers, is starting to incorporate more consideration of the human relationship with our environment. To browse through Gen Art’s Fresh Faces in Fashion featured designers, check out the event website.

Victoria’s Secret’s apparently the most popular brand in many cities, according to a fashion site called ShopItToMe.com cited in the Wall Street Journal. Step into one of those chain stores, though, and you’ll find nary an organic item — though I hear a few seasons ago, Victoria’s Secret did debut an organic cotton line — that disappeared when that season ended.

I missed that short-lived line, but that’s because I do most of my shopping for underthings at Faerie’s Dance. These ruched Pants to Povery organic fair trade panties are some of my favorites from the store.

Shopping for eco-friendly lingerie can be frustrating. Better known spots like Patagonia carry only sports bra type options — and even Gaiam or Hessnatur focus on basic and practical, not pretty or sexy. Faerie’s Dance has some of the basics too — but this green online boutique’s stocked with a wide variety of eco-friendly bras and panties, lingerie, and dresses — many from hard-to-find European designers. Here, you can get cute lacy matching organic Charme bra and panty set from France, and pick up a flouncy lavender organic cotton Dream Nightie too. Plus, Faerie’s Dance stocks some of the bigger sizes many boutiques just don’t even carry. The Elegance Enveloping Bra‘s available in 38DD!

The downside? Faerie’s Dance only exists online — so you can’t try the lingerie on before you buy. That is — unless you were in Southern California last weekend. On Sunday, Faerie’s Dance held a Try On Green Organic Bra & Eco-Fashion Event — where green-thinking women could come by an eco-friendly salon in Torrance to try bras, slips, and dresses on for size.

I stopped by and nabbed four new pairs of undies for just $10 each — soon to be reviewed here — plus a free organic T-shirt from Blue Canoe for being one of the first 30 people to RSVP!

Faerie’s Dance owner Adrienne Catone says she’s not sure when the future Try On Green event will be. But to find out, subscribe to the company’s email list. In the meantime, Faerie’s Dance’s website offers descriptive sizing information to help you make an educated guesstimates before you buy.

If you’re like me, you mentally add an extra $15 to $20 or so to the price tag of every pair of pants you buy — because you’ll need to get them hemmed up — and usually taken in at the waist too. Even the pre-loved $15 Hard Tail yoga pants I got at Buffalo Exchange ended up costing me $29 at the end, after a snip-and-sew job at my tailor.

That’s why I got so excited about the Flexure Pant from Horny Toad. These organic cotton pants have legs made for girls like me — with each bottom hem equipped with three overlocked lines that can be cut to a desired length, without fear of unraveling!

I think of Horny Toad as the J. Crew of eco-friendly activewear — since the look’s a casual preppy that’s just shy of uptight. Horny Toad’s designs may hint at curves, but are never figure-hugging or bod show-offy like American Apparel or Hard Tail. I’m not a J. Crew type, but was preppy-curious — so when Horny Toad sent me an organic workout outfit for review, I sharpened my scissors!

I snipped sans fear at the hems of the Flexure Pant — then paired it with the Storm Tank Top and wore my eco-friendly outfit to one of L.A.’s funnest eco-friendly activities of the year, Big Parade L.A. Here I am with Dan Koeppel, the parade organizer, in my Storm Tank Top.

Sadly, I didn’t take very good photos of the pants — though a fellow parader caught me in a stylized photo, below. Beyond the cuttable hems, the Flexure Pant has a lot of cool detailing — like angled yoke seams and a back stash pocket. And the Storm Tank, made with a blend of eco-friendly Tencel, organic cotton and spandex for stretch, also has some simple but unique design elements, like the diagonal pintucks across the chest.

The downside? The outfit isn’t quite made for my body type — and thus isn’t quite as versatile as I’d hoped. See how low the Storm Tank’s neckline is on me? That neckline — combined with the extra stretchy shoulder straps and not-so-deep shelf bra — made for a small fashion faux pas during yoga class, when I ended up revealing a lot more than I intended during upward dog! Luckily, it was a small morning class with just four women. And the Flexure Pant’s also made for a girl less curvy than me. On my body, the piece is a tad too tight at the hips and thighs, a tad too loose at the waist. The outfit may best suit women who have bodies like J. Crew models — small boobs with nearly no ass.

Still, I’ve been wearing the comfy Horny Toad pieces on hikes to Temescal and Runyon, sometimes paired with the extra long Hyde OTM Halter to cover the too-tight-around-hips issue. And I’m grateful to have saved that $15 I usually spend at the tailor.

The Flexure Pant is available for $67 at Horny Toad‘s online store; the Storm Tank for $46. And if you like Horny Toad’s Facebook page, the company will send a $1 to Heal the Bay.

I knew Michael Franti had green leanings, since I saw him perform at a Earth Day festival in L.A. a few years back. But recently I discovered the musician’s become an eco-preneur — combining his love for the environment and yoga by co-creating an organic yoga apparel company.

Called Stay Human, the eco-fashionable company offers stylish yoga clothes and accessories for men and women — all organic, of course. You can get your entire whole outfit here — from a green sports bra to an eco-fleece hoodie to ruched yoga shorts!

Stay Human sent me its Downward Dog Pose racerback tank to try out — and it’s become one of my favorite warm weather tops. The organic cotton piece comes in a great fitted cut, complete with a shelf bra and doggie-illustrated directions for the perfect downward dog pose, in case you need a reminder!

That said, I can’t actually wear this racerback tank to do yoga. To the left, you’ll notice that the scoopneck tank actually falls quite a bit lower on me (and that I have a great farmer’s tan from CicLAvia) than it does on the model on Stay Human’s website. I’ll warn you — If you’re a large B cup or bigger — prepare to pop out as you go from chaturanga to upward dog if you dare wear this top during practice! But the tank’s perfect for a day out on the beach or around town — so it still gets a lot of love from me.

Want to try some of Franti’s yogawear? Stay Human’s having quite the organic yoga gear sale you should check out. From Heart Capri Pants for $39 to Berry Red Halter Tops for $22.75, there are a lot of great organic deals.

Plus, Stay Human also offers yoga-friendly accessories — like stainless steel water bottles and even recycled note cards to send to your favorite yoga teachers. And a full 10 percent of whatever you spend will be sent to the Bumi Sehat Natural Birthing Clinic in Indonesia or Hunters Point Family in San Francisco.

Top photos via Stay Human; middle and bottom photo — of Michael Franti Michael Franti at Wilshire Center Earth Day in Los Angeles, April 2008 — by Siel

Eco-fashionistas in Santa Monica have a new shopping spot. Late last month, a new branch of Buffalo Exchange opened on Main Street on Santa Monica — so I had to stop by and check out the wares last week!

This Buffalo Exchange is a bigger, better version of the old Westwood store, which closed down and relocated to this beachier spot. I browsed the well-organized racks for basics I needed — jeans, yoga pants, and a neutral-colored tank — and found all three!

The green aspects of reusing clothes really appeals to be, but honestly, the prospect of saving green by avoiding retail prices appeals to me even more. My scores this time:

>> A pair of barely-worn Guess jeans: $30
>> A perfectly-fitting pair of Hard Tail yoga pants: $15
>> A basic tank for the summer, great for layering: $5

That brought my total to $50 — lower than the cost of a new pair of Hard Tail yoga pants alone!

Though second hand shopping’s a great way of saving money, I still always recommend going with a shopping list and sticking to it — lest you buy stuff you don’t need and won’t wear. I was a little sad to leave these cute Coach sandals behind — priced at just $35.

I brought a reusable bag for my finds, which meant that the girl at the cash register gave me a little 5-cent token for its “Tokens for Bags” program, which reward shoppers for BYO-bagging by letting them donate a little cash to a good cause. On the way out, I got to pick from three different charities to donate to. I went with the Creative Visions Foundation!

What are the best bargains you’ve found shopping for pre-loved fashions?

Buffalo Exchange. 2449 Main St., Santa Monica. 310.314.7300. Other L.A. locations in Los Angeles and Sherman Oaks

Earlier: Pre-loved fashion shopping in Santa Monica: A Walking guide

Leg-lengthening nude heels are way in this season — so much so that Bergdorf Goodman’s even put together an entire web store section dedicated to them. Want to try some on for size — but seek greener options? Try on a pair of Willa shoes from Naya — a stylish, more sustainable option that’s versatile enough to dress up or down.

Naya sent me a pair of the Willas for review — so I stood an extra 2-3/4 inches tall at the Gather Green party last night, thanks to the sustainable, natural cork heels. Cork was used in the footbed, outsole, and platform wrap too — adding a nice fashion detail while eliminating the need for more dyes and color. Also among the green features is the inner lining fabric — a flashy animal print made with recycle content. The leather upper’s veggie-tanned (though not organic), and has a nice but not-too-distracting leaf detail.

Are these greener heels comfortable? I’d rate them about as comfortable as your average, high-quality near 3-inch heels. The shoes do have extra arch support padding, which helped, but the front of the leather uppers dug into my toes a little bit. I’m not planning to take any long urban hikes in them, but I’m hoping the wide straps will loosen up a bit up front with wear.

The fashion bonus of these shoes for me is that they go with practically everything — and do makes legs look longer. The style’s classic enough to transcends trends — though cork heels are the rage right now.

Willa sandals cost $135 a pair at Shoes.com — expensive for thrift store shoppers, but a steal compared to Yves Saint Laurent’s $675 cork heel sandals. Each pair comes with a reusable bag made with recycled PET — in a box made with 80 percent recycled paper.

Earlier:
>> El Naturalista: Dome shoes take green design to new heights
>> How to shoe shop green while saving green
>> Pocketflops: Recycled flip flops with an eco-fashionable bent

Hyde’s an organic yoga clothing company, and the Kelly Pant’s one of its latest styles. Designed with Kelly Morris, Jivamukti senior teacher and founder of Conquering Lion Yoga, these pants have a comfy, stretchy feel, a tagless design for an irritation-free practice, and a waist band long enough to roll down to the top of your legs.

On the green side, the Kelly Pant’s made with 92 percent organic cotton and 8 percent spandex. Plus, 10 percent of the proceeds from the pants go to a nonprofit called Bent on Learning, which provides yoga and meditation instruction to New York City public school students.

I wore the pants to yoga class last night -and loved the comfy fit, though I generally opt for shorter roll over waistbands. According to Hyde, the long waistband supposedly makes your legs longer. I’m not convinced of this — horizontal lines in general make things look shorter, not taller — but do think the band’s a quick and convenient way of hiding panty lines!

One thing to keep in mind if you’re going for yoga style is that foldover waistbands don’t pair well with long tops that go past the waistband. Why not? The shirt goes over two thick layers of yoga pant fabric, adding a third layer of fabric while hiding the fact that your pants are adding bulk to your hips! Unless you want to add an extra inch to your hip circumference, this is not advised — though in my zeal to wear all the new Hyde clothes I got for review together, I broke that rule yesterday.

Thus, you’re only getting a photo of the top half of me, wearing Hyde’s OTM Halter. OTM stands for Off the Mat, Into the World, a nonprofit that uses yoga to inspire sustainable activism — to which 10 percent of what you spend on this tank goes.

The halter top has a built-in shelf bra, an extra long length that’ll hide pantylines or your butt if your tail is not as hard as you’d like it to be, and ties at the back of the neck. I recommend tying it a bit askew to make plow pose more comfortable. Considering its halter top tie style, I was concerned that the top would lack support and shift during practice — but it was surprisingly comfortable!

In the future I’ll wear the OTM Halter and Kelly Pant separately — and check out some of Hyde’s other organic styles. I know a lot of women like the cover-up type styles, and both of these new Hyde items perform that function quite well — but I’m of the opinion that clothes intended to cover up generally end up making those areas look even bigger and more noticeable. Luckily, Hyde has lots of other styles to pick from — and all eco-friendly too.

Earlier: Manduka Lyrics Cork Block: Give your yoga practice a sustainable boost

Top photo via Hyde

Want recycled, long-reusable, and recyclable flip flops for the summer? Try a pair of Okabashi flip flops.

Forget those cheapo flimsy flip flops that fall apart after a long day at the beach. Okabashi flip flops are made to last — and even come with a 2-year guarantee. I got a pair of the Ocean design for review, and liked the sturdy, comfortable feel. The thick soles and nubbly massage pad in the arch area both make for a comfortable, sturdy fit — rare in a pair of flip flops!

Of course, all flip flops do eventually wear out. As you know from my post yesterday, Old Navy’s collecting flip flops for recycling for a month starting on Earth Day. But Okabashi flip flops will still be good to recycle long after that Old Navy event’s over. Siimply send them back to the Okabashi factory in Buford, Georgia, where they’ll be crushed up to be remade into new products — like other flip flops! In fact, most Okabashi flop flops are made of up to 25 percent recycled materials.

The one downside of the Okabashi Ocean flip flops: They tend to be a tad on the narrow side. My feet tend to be on the wide side — which means the edges of my feet feel uncomfortable, since they hit right against the edges of the flip flops. For the same width reasons, the straps — otherwise flexible, wide, and comfortable — are a bit tight around my feet too.

On the other hand, the length of the size small flip flop is a perfect fit for my 6.5-size feet. And I do love the strong grip of the flip flops — no fear of slipping and falling on slick floors with these shoes. Those with narrower feet than mine will likely find them perfect, as evidenced by the glowing customer reviews left on Okabashi’s website.

All Okabashi shoes are designed and manufactured in Georgia. Each pair costs $9.99 to $14.99 on Okabashi’s website, but right now, you can get 10% off all flip flop purchases by using the code EASTER11 until Sunday.

Earlier:
>> Pocketflops: Recycled flip flops with an eco-fashionable bent
>> Ocean Minded: Cute eco-friendly flip flops and casual footwear

If you saved those flip flops with the great intention of getting them fixed for reuse, I hope you can find a shoe repair person willing to do that on the cheap for you. For those resigned to finally sending no-longer-wearable flip flops to the landfill, I’ve got good news — You can recycle those flip flops, starting on Earth Day!

From April 22 to May 21, simply take your used flip flops to an Old Navy store near you and look for a collection bin that looks like the one to the right. Called Flip Flop Replay, this month-long recycling event comes thanks to a partnership between trash-to-treasure eco company TerraCycle and Old Navy.

What happens to the collected flipflops? They’ll be turned into material for playgrounds. So clean out your closet on Earth Day and give your old shoes a new life. Tomorrow, I’ll post about some great green flip flop options so you can get beach ready, eco-fashionably.

Earlier: Recycle your athletic shoes with Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program

Curious about what’s new in green products and services? Go Green Expo in Los Angeles opens its doors to the public tomorrow and Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. With about 150 booths, the expo seems smaller than past years — but does bring together a wide variety of green businesses, from eco-jewelry to solar panel installation companies to the usual reusable bag and bottle vendors. Here are 10 booths I recommend stopping by:

GREENspotDROPoff. Don’t want to pay the $15 expo admission fee? Just bring some e-waste you don’t want — whether it’s an old laptop, cell phones, or toner cartridges — to be recycled at GREENspotDROPoff’s booth. You’ll both dispose of your unwanted stuff responsibly AND get free admission to the rest of the expo.

Grace & Greene. Need an eco-bikini now that the weather’s getting hot? This new eco-friendly boutique in Redondo Beach has its own line of green bikinis, made with organic fabrics, reclaimed textiles, and recycled nylon — and modeled by local surfers!

Linda Loudermilk. Shop eco-luxe fashion up at the eco-famous designer’s own spacious booth, with many different styles on display — all finely crafted with the highest green standards.

bgreen apparel. Stock up on organic cotton basics at this local eco clothing company. T-shirts, camis, and undies are on sale at special expo discounts. Earlier: Bgreen Apparel: Comfy and cute organic cotton camis and panties.

Fibre Arts Design. Browse cute handbags made in California with eco-friendly materials. For all of 2011, the local company’s sending $1 for every bag sold to Red Cross Tsunami relief.

Farm Fresh to You. Get local, organic certified produce delivered to your doorstep every week with this community supported agriculture (CSA) service. A regular box of fruits and veggies usually costs $31.50, but the company’s offering an expo special of $25 for your first delivered box — no further commitment required. Earlier: Locavoring in a box: Organic CSAs in Los Angeles.

CSA California. Get even more local with this L.A.-based CSA service, if a pick-up location’s available near you. And stop by the booth for a free healthy snack of raisins and fresh oranges! Earlier: CSA California: Local farm in a bag — and a raw deal for SaMo locavores.

Organic Olive Essence. Tired of beauty companies that say their products are organic — when only one or two ingredients can make that eco-claim? Then you’ll be happy to know this company’s got actual USDA certification for its entire green personal care line. Dab on some luscious body butter to see just how good a real organic product makes your skin feel.

Numi Organic Tea. Warm up from the always-too-cold convention hall AC by drinking a cup of delicious organic Rooibos tea from this eco-ethical tea company. Earlier: Numi Organic Puerh Teas: Fruity summery drinks — with extra antioxidants.
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Go Green Expo also features speakers — like Ed Begley Jr. and Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (of Whale Wars fame) who’ll speak and Saturday, and Mariel Hemingway on Sunday. And if you mainly started reading this post because you wanted to find out how to save $15 on expo admission, keep in mind that parking at the L.A. Convention Center costs $12. Go green and bike or take public transit to the Go Green Expo and keep the green in your wallet.