Green Cotton

February may be cold, snowy and somewhat dreary, but spring fashion is already in stores and fall fashion is already being paraded down the runways. So instead of moping over gray skies, get ready to shine in some new eco-fashion finds. Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, but these sweet styles continue to evoke that romantic feeling for days to come. Here are just a few things we’re loving this month: coats, sweaters, accessories, even makeup! Take a look:

Red is showing up all over the Fall 2010 runway in New York, so get ready to see (and sport!) a lot of this cheery hue. You can get started with Indigenous Design’s adorable little knit dress in ruby, made from organic cotton and Tencel. Keep it subtly sexy by pairing it with opaque tights or leggings and a snuggly sweater coat. We like Indigenous’ red alpaca sweater coat for its bright color and beautiful details. You’ll swoon over the soft, handwoven alpaca wool. This is perfect for a night in or a day out and about.

Not to get all matchy-matchy, but while we’re embracing red, we simply can’t leave out another great knit by Indigenous: the Soho wrap in ruby (pictured below). This organic cotton poncho echoes what we’re seeing on the runway, but it’s functional enough to get you through your day.

As the weather starts to warm up (wishful thinking!), you may want to trade your heavy winter coat for some lighter attire. Even though there’s snow on the ground here in New England, we’ve had some 50 degree days that officially make it sweatshirt weather!

A great piece to have on hand for such days is Prairie Underground’s long cloak hoodie, made from organic cotton jersey. This is the perfect transition piece, and its navy color matches the nautical items you’re likely to encounter in stores’ spring collections. This would look adorable with a Breton striped tee atop leggings or skinny jeans!

Another returning trend for spring is the lightweight scarf. When it’s time to pack your wool ones away, reach for the silk “rose wasabi” ruffled scarf by Sevya (pictured below). Pink and green will be everywhere in a few months, but you can start sporting pastels now with this fair trade, handmade scarf. And even though it’s still cold outside, silk is easy to layer and will keep you warm.

Fair trade Sevya Silk Scarf

Put a little more spring in your step – or on your handbag, hat, sweater, dress – with a hand knit flower pin (pictured above), also by Indigenous. These charming pins are a cute way to add a pop of color and style to your winter wardrobe, while dreaming of real spring blooms…

No ensemble is complete without the shoe, and we’ve scouted some good ones… eco-friendly, vegan boots by NeuAura. Now is the perfect time to go boot shopping, as most winter styles are on sale, and you’ll probably still be wearing boots for a few more months! You can score some sleek, stylish booties or knee-high versions at NeuAura. We like the Kaveri Grey style: the low heel means you’ll be able to rock these all day, but the buckle detail adds intrigue and edge. Also check out the Alre Camel: the 3” heel adds height, but the platform ensures a comfortable stride. And the tan color goes well with winter sweaters and jeans but will really pop with spring’s military-inspired cargos and jackets, paired sweetly with feminine ruffled tops in pink, coral and floral prints. To learn more about NeuAura and its earth-conscious and animal-friendly manufacturing process (and to shop for more awesome shoes!), visit their website.

Give your eco-friendly outfit the perfect finishing touch with some sweet makeup that will have you thinking spring and looking hot. We love Tarte’s Flower Child Natural Cheek Stain. This eco-chic product is made with Tarte’s exclusive T5 Super Fruit Complex, a blend of the five most active superfruits: goji, açaí, maracuja, acerola, and pomegranate. It’s blissfully made without nasty parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes and fragrances and other chemicals that block your glow. Plus it’s the perfect shade of pink that complements every skin tone. Grab a tube at Sephora.com.

Banish dry winter skin with the Body Shop’s new Love, Etc. lotion. Or collect the whole line, including the Eau de Parfum (a blend of jasmine, neroli and bergamot with notes of vanilla and sandalwood) and body wash, currently available at a reduced price. The Body Shop is a great line to support because the company is against animal testing and for sustainability and community trade.

We hope these finds will help you get through the last winter month. Stay tuned for our Fall 2010 runway review, and for more spring fashion finds! And if you have any eco-fashion suggestions, feel free to sound off in the comments below.

By Erin Dale

Emma Cook in London Fashion Week 2008

As we leave 2008 behind and embark on 2009, Green Cotton would like to take this opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been and what we’ve done in the past year. Lets also take a moment to highlight some of our key eco-fashion and sustainable textile posts as a New year’s retrospective (in chronological order).

Fair trade and ethical fashion. Last February, we brought to you one of our first posts on Fair Trade. Identifying this emerging market, we looked at what it means to be Fair Trade and what certification bodies exist (not just one!). Fair trade and ethical fashion are definitely on the rise, and there remains a lot of work to be done with respect to certifying and increasing awareness; however, great strides have already been made too through ethical fashion designers and organizations such as Indigenous Designs who have been producing for over a decade now. World of Good, the relatively new online community on Ebay which supports fair trade fashion and designers from all over the world is also a new milestone worth noting. If you are unsure as to what Fair Trade means, please pass along this blog post so that you too can raise awareness about the positive social effects of Fair Trade and join the growing body of conscientious consumers!

Organic vs. Conventional Cotton. With April showers and the beginning of many agricultural seasons around the world, came our opening piece on the benefits of organic cotton. While ever present in our society, most conventional cotton production processes are very harmful to the environment and often those who produce it. Organic cotton means that the cotton is grown entirely without the use of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and artificial fertilizers. It also means that there are no harsh, toxic chemicals used at any stage in production from combing to finishing and dying. The good news to report here is that organic cotton has been increasing in demand every year for the last five years. The growth has been significant and with new large players such as Wal-Mart Demanding organic cotton for some of their merchandise, this will only increase. And as demand goes up, thankfully too, the price will go down.

Leonardo DiCaprio in the 11th Hour

Eco-Celebrities. Then in May, writer Erin Dale, lit up the eco-Red Carpet focusing on eco-minded starlets who have used their celebrity to make a larger impact on the world around them. Artists such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Hayden Panettiere, Daryl Hannah, Alicia Silverstone and Edward Norton have jumped on the Green wagon, and many in a very serious way, making it fashionable and trendy, proving that just about anyone can and should be more green.

Natural vs. Synthetic Dyes. In the warm summer months of June and July, writer Brit brought an insightful series to Green Cotton by covering the environmental impact of different types of dying processes (a 3-part series). These articles compare the environmental impact of synthetic vs. natural dyes and also look the pros and cons of each from a stylistic, health and environmental perspective. These include: Natural Dyes: Are they a viable alternatives to synthetics?, Synthetic Dyes: A look at Environmental & Human Risks, and Are Eco-Friendly Synthetic Dyes possible?

Fashion Trends. The summer heated up with some hot swimsuit trends. It seems Erin Dale had it right when she stated scarves, sunglasses, floral patterns, bags and what else but the sexy one-piece swimsuit would be in this summer! Luckily, Erin also told us where to find all the Eco-alternatives to the hottest summer trends. Check it out for yourself!

Diane Von Furstenberg, NY Fashion Week Spring 09

Fashion Shows. Green Cotton brought back the limelight with our series on Fashion Week in New York and London. Thanks to Erin Dale who covered both events (Casting a London Eye on Eco-Style, Rock Fashion Week Trends- the Eco-way), we got the inside scoop on both shows from the eco-fashionista perspective. To check our some of last years’ hottest eco-styles, see above-linked posts.

Green Festivals. Green Cotton was also privileged to attend several Green Festivals this year. We shared some of our insights from these events here on our blog with D.C. Green Fest, as one of our favorites. Despite the fact that the economy had already begun spinning downwardly by that time, Green Fest was the perfect antidote to our collective gloominess by revitalizing our commitment to the green movement along with thousands of others in the DC area. Filled with organic food, chocolate, wine, exhibits, speakers, music, books and more, the 2-day event had something for everyone and everything.

Eco-Chic Weekly. Last but not least, starting in November, Green Cotton teamed up with a group of other Eco Chic bloggers to bring together our eco-fashion and lifestyle blogs on the web every week. Check it out last week’s here.

Green Cotton in the News! In 2008, Green Cotton was not only able to discuss some of the hottest Eco-Fashion trends, and fabrics, but has also received some greatly appreciated recognition from the Eco-Fashion community online. Green Cotton was listed in the Top Ten Eco-fashion blogs on Ecoable, in the Top 100 Environmentalism Blogs, and within the Top 50 Environment Blogs on a site called Organicasm. So keep your eyes peeled for Green Cotton in 2009!

Green Cotton would like to thank all of our readers for their support and for taking the time to read our blog. We wish you all a happy 2009! May it be greener, brighter and more vibrant than ’08 and lets remember to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle day in and day out.