A girl can never have too many summer dresses – they’re chic, easy to throw on in no time, and help you beat the heat. EcoSkin has helped add ‘smart’ to the list of the benefits of wearing dresses – designer Sandy Skinner crafts garments using Tencel and bamboo, both sustainable. EcoSkin’s is Tencel is 100% organic and biodegradable, extracted from wood pulp taken from tree farms that only practice sustainability. The brand’s bamboo is 100% naturally grown, requiring no pesticides, insecticides or fertilizers.

Skinner names the Italian Riviera and the women who work and play there as her influences, which explains the elegant drapery and high design aesthetic of each dress. The Brasenia dress, with its asymmetrical strap and bubble hem, gives off a playful, flirtatious vibe that’s perfect for summer barbecues and rooftop shindigs. Plus, it pairs well with both heels and flats, so you can take it with you to the beach or dress it up for a night on the town. Click here to read more

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Daily Greenz #134

Fashion giant Banana Republic has finally gone green.  They’re launching their eco-collection of 50 stylish pieces to coincide with Earth Day and will be donating 1% of all in-store sales from April 22nd to 27th to Trust for Public Lands.  Their eco-pieces, which are identified by a green elephant icon, are made from a mix of sustainable materials, such as bamboo, organic cotton, and linen.  They’re also making efforts to green all their packaging by using recycled material whenever possible (their shoe boxes and price tags contain at least 50% recycled material) and switching store lighting to energy-efficient halogen bulbs to reduce carbon emissions.

They’re not stopping there.  Having partnered up with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders program, they’re serious about doing their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 11% by the end of the year.  In addition to the lighting switch, they’re also incorporating temperature control and other energy-saving practices in their stores – changes which have already resulted in an overall energy savings of 41% this year.  Their stores are getting an attractive makeover, too, with floors made of certified wood from sustainable forests and restroom tiles made of 15% recycled material.

So the next time you see a Banana Republic billboard, don’t turn your nose up at it.  They’re also being recycled and re-used as roofing material for homes.  While they still have a ways to go before they can be considered bona fide green, we still want to tip our hats to them for taking a step in the right direction.  Check out their new collection at www.bananarepublic.com.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Daily Greenz #78

Nau, which means “welcome” in Maori, is fashioning
a whole new philosophy of eco-friendly style with its clothes and stores, both of which
are made entirely of recycled materials. We’re talking full-cycle
sustainability: from growth to distribution, their
practical yet trendy clothing is created from organic materials (who knew
polyester could be recycled?), which they develop directly with suppliers to
ensure quality control. They’re then
sold in tiny “webfronts,” which are about half the size of conventional
clothing
stores and built out of recycled aluminum and reclaimed hardwood to
ensure energy efficiency. To encourage
even greater eco-friendliness, they offer a 10% discount to customers who buy
directly from webfronts and will also donate 5% of all profits to a nonprofit
organization. Their credo to “Do well by
doing good” is clear in the way they fund carbon-reduction projects and buy
natural power to sustain business operations. So look good and feel good by making your next clothing purchase (like
the burr sweater pictured here for $123.50) at nau.com .

Powered by Bookmarkify™