The Oko Box Loves Me

THE OKO BOX

And the Oko Box loves you! If you use the coupon code “thegreenset” (that’s me!) you get 10% off all the awesome eco-things they have to sell. Things like cute bathing suits from Kelly B., underwear from Clothing For The American Mind, sweaters from Earth Creations, shirts from Doie…. Just all kinds of good, green stuff. Check out the general awesomeness at:

www.theokobox.com

Turn On The Power

ROBERTA OAKS

For some reason I started to write about this eco-friendly designer out of Hawaii months ago, but never finished- perhaps her stuff wasn't available online at the time? Oh, well. It is now, which is great, because her stuff is very cute. She uses sustainable fabrics like bamboo, which probably grows in her front yard or something, and all her stuff is made locally and sweat-shop free in Hawaii. And her full name is Roberta Oaks Power, which is a pretty awesome name for an eco-friendly artist and fashion designer.

www.robertaoaks.com

power up:

www.robertaoaks.com

www.80spurple.com

In Cool Pursuit

PURSUIT OF HARMONY

When I first went to check out this line at my friend’s showroom a few months ago, I just about died from the cuteness of it all. But then when I saw a little preview of their 2008 fall line I nearly re-died because that stuff might be even cuter, if that’s at all possible. My point? Cuteness can kill, and Pursuit Of Harmony is a brand to watch. Their organic sweaters and knit dresses are sassy. Yeah, that’s right. Sassy.

www.thepursuitofharmony.com

pursue it:

www.thegreenloop.com

The Future Looks Bright, Nature Does Too

NATURE VS. FUTURE

God I love Nature vs. Future. Why wear a straight dress when you can wear an asymmetrical weird fun interesting hot dress from Nature vs. Future? I get all kinds of compliments on my awesome NVF sweater, and I plan on getting even more compliments on my awesome new NVF t-shirt that cost a lot but is totally f-ing worth it because it is so cute, when the weather stops playing with my emotions and switching from ungodly hot to not cute freezing cold (re: 75 degrees in LA= too cold for tees).

Okay, done gushing. Now go out and get yourself your own damn asymmetrical shirt (or dress, or skirt) from this eco-friendly brand, and stop coveting mine.

www.naturevsfuture.com

back your future:

www.naturevsfuture.com

www.thegreenloop.com

Recycling Rules

RETRO RECYCLE ROOM

The best thing you can do to shrink your carbon footprint is to stop buying new stuff, which is hard, because you probably don't want to still wear that Juicy Couture terry cloth jumpsuit you thought was so hot two years ago. There will always be a (giant, insatiable, teenage girl-fueled) market for new clothes, which is is why I write about new clothing lines that are at least making an effort to increase their sustainability and reduce their waste.

But putting the market for new stuff aside for a moment, let's just enjoy the hard work of some of the online vintage boutiques who bring us awesome clothes that not only have zero carbon footprints, but are also just super cool and stylin'. They do the digging for you and find the real-deal terry cloth jumpsuits from the seventies- the ones nobody else has and that will never go out of style.

I'll find new ones each week, but for now here's one of my favorites:

www.ebay.com/retro-reycyle-room

Muuve Over, Mui Mui

MUUMUU HEAVEN

This clothing line out of Hawaii takes the immense expanses of fabric garnered from a single muumuu and makes enough cute skirts and tops to run at least one Forever 21 franchise out of business. Well, maybe not all from one muumuu, but they certainly know how to get the most out old muumuus that might otherwise only be used at Halloween to scare modern children or to impersonate Mrs. Roper. From Three’s Company. Which was a show, with a woman named Mrs. Roper, who wore muumuus. Well, that basically wraps up all that I know about muumuus, except that, in the right hands, they can be turned into pretty sweet pieces of eco-friendly clothing.

www.muumuuheaven.com

get a muuve on:

www.muumuuheaven.com

www.shopequita.com

In A State Of Flux

FLUX NOUVEAU

Flux Nouveau makes really sweet dresses out of recycled trees. Seriously, they’re made out of micro modal, which is made out of wood, and yet they are soft and bendable, like the hearts and minds of the American people. Micro modal is made form beech tree cellulose fibers, and this is better for the environment, and better the general public who might otherwise have to look at you in your hideous non-flux nouveau dresses.

www.fluxnouveau.net

go flux yourself:

www.oliounited.com

www.soliaboutique.com

www.shoprumor.com

Cheap Monday, You Sure Look Fine

SHOP ENVI

Shop Envi is having a spring cleaning sale! This store has always had a really nice colleciton of eco-friendly clothes- brands like Stewart + Brown and Loomstate, along with a few different designers I've never really seen anywhere else, like Skin and Threads. And right now, all their winter stuff is 50% off! But winter is only 75% over, so that means you have a savings to winter ratio of... um... Well, you have three weeks of winter left, so go out with a bang, in some eco-friendly coats from Shop Envi.

www.shopenvi.com

wear your pants half-off:

springgreen08

So You Say You Want An Ecolution

ECOLUTION

Ecolution is one of those eco-brands that makes a lot of different stuff, some of which is kinda maybe not so cute. BUT, some of it is totally cute. So, fine, I’ll go through it and pick out all the best stuff, which is still more than most brands have to offer. Like their cute striped hat, and I’m strangely drawn to this hemp belt and this cute little sailor top and some of their bags are pretty good too. And it’s all really eco-friendly, not just kinda- they are totally dedicated to environmental sustainability.

www.ecolution.com

all things being ecol:

www.ecolution.com

www.utleyvillehemp.com

www.naturalnirvana.com

www.northernsun.com

www.faeriesdance.com

www.lalanatural.com

www.veganessentials.com

www.starstoearth.com

www.biome.com

www.nubiusorganics.com

Cheap Wednesday

OLIO UNITED

This sweet ass online eco-boutique outta Portland is having a sale- just like I said would happen- on all their winter stuff, which includes a nice selection of men's clothes. Men's clothes such as the Preloved sweaters I told y'all about a couple of weeks ago. And I'm sure you were all paying attention, so you will remember how cool these sweaters and jackets made from recycled other sweaters and other jackets are. Now you can scoop them up for cheap and ride out the rest of winter in some Preloved-style.

They also have dresses and the like on sale, for the cross-dressing man in your life. So check them out and save some green on some green clothes.


www.oliounited.com

SubLet It Be

SUBLET

Tara and Inessah- just two girls from the backwoods of New York City, trying to make a living and doin’ the best they can. And the best they can do is an awesome new brand of eco-apparel made from organic cotton and bamboo! They are having a party today, and I was totally invited, because I’m awesome too. But alas, I’m far far away, in the tiny village of Los Angeles, CA. Sigh. Someday we will have to get all these small coastal towns together and form a coalition for something, I don’t know what, but we should have t-shirts. Organic t-shirts.

Anyway, the party is here:

www.subletclothing.com/springvite

and you can RSVP here:

rsvp@subletclothing.com

So go to the party! And tell them that you love thegreenset and that you want thegreenset to be your best friend forevs.

I'm really excited about this brand. Their stuff is very cool, and elegant. Love it.

www.subletclothing.com

get a room:

www.greenrohini.com

www.bohmo.com

www.greenwithglamour.com

www.fashionethic.com

I Just Got Out Of The Pool

POOL TRADESHOW

I just came back from the Pool Tradeshow that had the eco-friendly section I told you guys about. Remember, when I told you guys about that? You don't remember, do you. Well I did. Anyway, all I can say is that it’s getting better and greener out there and it’s a very exciting time to give a damn about the environment.

For instance, Robotguy from Partybots is so eco-friendly, even the soap he uses to wash his robot-hands after cleaning his robot-screens is organic. And the guy behind Prophetik clothing makes Mother Teresa look like kinda a jerk- not only is his line of men and women’s clothing totally organic/sustainable, but he has a collaborative effort with Convoy to make eco-kids clothes, and every time you buy a piece of clothing, you get a pre-addressed stamped box, big enough to fit a t-shirt in, so you can send one of your old shirts to someone in need in a third world country. Not to mention his work spreading the word of fashion design as a means to develop underprivileged kids' self esteem, in countries all over the world. This guy… he really made me feel bad about myself! So I guess he’s not perfect, by being too good. There, the universe is back in balance.

And even non-sustainable brands are making an effort, like Kindred Clothiers, who has recently switched over to water-soluble inks for making their line of t-shirts. A big switch- and one that should be applauded. All they need to do now is is go organic and they'd be as green as the giant frog that sang "It's A Wonderful Life" to me at the Wynn Casino and made me feel like I was really losing my shit.

I'll be writing all about the cool brands and cool new things from brands I've already raved about in the next few weeks. So get ready to be impressed by my dedication in going all the way to Vegas to find out about what's new and green in the world of fashion.

www.partybots.org

www.prophetik.om

www.kindredclothiers.com

Krel-ing Me Softly

KRELWEAR

Krelwear makes fantastic dresses out of recycled yarn. I know that sounds a little unlikely, but I have one of these re-purposed yarn sweater dresses (okay, yes, I’m obsessed with sweater dresses, but it’s fucking cold out there), and me loves it. Maybe it’s because the yarn’s been around the block already, but the garment hangs perfectly, fitted but not so that it shows every nook and cranny, because that’s uncool when clothes do that, and sometimes even a little inappropriate... anyway, their clothes are very cutting edge and refreshingly weird and just very, very cool.

www.krelwear.com

www.myspace.com/krelwear

krelwear it out:

www.smashingdarling.com

www.kaightshop.com

It's So Very Viridis

VIRIDIS LUXE

This brand makes really great, luxurious clothes, out of hemp combined with other sustainable fabrics like bamboo and cashmere. I tell ya, it is a far cry from the snot-colored hemp necklaces sported by many a Phish fan back in the nineties. In fact, I feel dirty even associating the two forms of hemp material! Viridis Luxe is from another hemp planet entirely- one were clothes strive to be beautiful and comfortable, while still being sustainable.

www.viridisluxe.com

luxe out:

www.nordstrom.com

Let's Get Down To Of The Earth

OF THE EARTH

I think eco-friendly and organic clothes are worth the price- the price generally being higher than your average mid-range clothing line. But it is a problem for the eco-clothing movement that the prices are so much more than that of street fashion. Where’s the Forver 21 of eco-fashion? Well, that’s not really possible, because organic and sustainable fabrics take longer to make, and you may think you’re getting clothes for cheap when you shop at Old Navy, but somewhere there are real people paying the price for your $20 blouse- someone in a sweatshop. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN AFFORD TO BE SO CHEAP- so do not delude yourself that “things can’t be that bad”- they are. No free lunch, no cheap clothes without somebody being taken advantage of. That is why fair trade is called “fair” and ethical clothing means sans human rights violations.

That said, not everything eco has to come at lux prices, and thank goodness for Of The Earth, an organic clothing company that offers nice, comfortable, attractive clothes for less than $100, including some jeans at under $80, which really isn’t bad for any pair of jeans, let alone a pair that didn’t contribute to the poisoning of our planet. (OTE actually makes their clothes in China, in an ethically-run factory, without child labor.)

Okay, so some days I sound more bitter and angry than others. But every day, what you wear, and more importantly what you choose to spend your money on, makes a difference, so every day we should be a little mad at the injustices of life, and a little glad about the people working to make it better.

So thanks, Of The Earth.

www.oftheearth.com

Be of this earth:

www.backcountry.com

www.cozytimesbabies.com

www.faeriesdance.com

www.greenstuffconnection.com

www.lotusorganics.com

www.thewhitepebble.com

Earth and Sky go Wild... and Raw

RAW EARTH AND WILD SKY

I have about fifteen items from these girls, and the line hasn’t even been around that long. Each piece is different from the last, and each one gets me lots of compliments, and compliments are how I survive in this crazy mixed world we live in. They just changed their name b/c like, everyone in the world already uses the term earth and sky, so tracking them down on the internet was a pain, plus they were gonna get sued by God or something. I like the new name better anyway, since it really captures the whimsical yet solid design of these organic clothes.

www.earthandskyclothing.com

get raw:

www.btcelements.com

Building Bridger

NICOLE BRIDGER

Nicole Bridger is an eco clothing line from Canadian designer… Nicole Bridger. Using organic materials, Nicole makes interesting and nifty garments, and her new line is all about slouchy stripes and casual coolness. Spring is coming, or so they say (it's so hard to tell these days with the boiling hot autumns and tornadoes in New York...) and these clothes are the perfect segue into warmer weather.

Anyway, I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of this girl's stuff in the future, and I can't wait.

www.nicolebridger.com

cross on over:

www.beklina.com

www.kaightshop.com

www.fashionforwardcanada.com

Style You Can't Ig-Norr

CAMILLA NORRBACK

If Linda Loudermilk joined a cult and decided to only design togas for Tom Cruise or something, then Camilla Norrback would be my new favorite eco-luxury designer.

Made using environment-certified materials (so they’ve been checked for toxic ickyness and bad production mojo), her clothes are beautiful, elegant, cute, different, and all around eco-awesome. So Linda, watch your (Norr)back.

www.camillanorrback.com

Put some Norrback on your back:

L(U.K.)Y bastards:

www.fashion-conscience.com

Sprechen sie whatever language this is?:

www.branten.com

Convoy- Get Escorted In Style

CONVOY

Convoy's “sustainable collective” is a line of elegant yet casual clothing made using organic cottons, post and pre-consumer recycled fabrics, sustainably-grown fibers like hemp and bamboo and low-impact dyes. And of course, they are ethically made using fair trade practices, right here in the US.

Their clothes come with a free corn bag- that is to say that they ship their stuff in biodegradable baggies made of 100% compostable corn, and their boxes are 100% recycled (I really wish more brands/stores did this.)

I have a felt vest from them, and people tell me wearing it makes me cool. Fact.

www.convoyapparel.com

join the convoy:

www.btcelements.com

www.shopolivine.com

Back to the Nature vs. Future

NATURE VS. FUTURE

I’ve been tracking this indie label since before they were really working with organic materials, because the designs are so catchy. And now that they’re working with sustainable materials such as organic cotton, organic wool, hemp, soy, bamboo, seacell® (seaweed), lyocell (wood pulp), Ingeo™ (created from corn), and recycled fabrics such as Polartec® (made from soda pop bottles or industry waste), I can wear their clothes in peace. Somehow the asymmetric designs make me feel just right in this crazy mixed up world. And if I had a job, I would totally wear their stuff to work and be the coolest business lady at the corporate brunch. If I had a job.

www.naturevsfuture.com

get ahead of yourself:

www.naturevsfuture.com

www.fashionethic.com

www.thegreenloop.com

www.organicavenue.com