Curiously, the most esteemed and luxurious material of the past several millennia is one created by caterpillars. It is the fate of these caterpillars, or silkworms, that has animal rights organizations concerned. Many thousands of silkworms are killed in the processing of just one pound of silk; if any two or four-legged creature were involved this would be considered outright cruelty.

Somehow the situation is less clear when it involves the lowly worm – albeit cute worms that eventually become moths and fly freely. Becoming more curious about the origins of …

Tags: animal rights , fair trade , silk

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Canadian designer Jessie May’s self-named line of casual knitwear has been making its way into U.S. boutiques over the past few years and the pieces have become a sleeper-hit among eco-minded notables.

The newest lines feature an increasingly organic selection of bamboo, creamy cotton “cashmere” and modal jersey knitwear. The line is divided into three distinctive categories: “organic tribal glam”, “coastal prairie nostalgia” and “sunny vintage tropics”.

Jessie May had me at ‘”organic” and enticed me with her philosophy of using a “therapeutic color pallet”. An earthy rainbow of …

Tags: clothing , eco fashion , Jessie May , lyocell , modal , organic

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As a Scrabble addict and general bibliophile, I could not resist the recycled typewriter key earrings in Larkyn’s post. So, I decided to seek out more designers using recycled typewriter parts.

The typewriter jewelry by What’s Your Type satisfied my hankering for wearable letters, in a diversity of pieces from earrings and bracelets to cufflinks and watches.

By rescuing these beautiful machine parts from the landfill, Whats Your Type provides a service to eco-minded letter-lovers.

Tags: accessory , art , artisan , fashion , jewelry , recycled

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Urge to Adorn creates exclusive, retro motif, themed belt-buckles. The handmade, antique-finish buckles pop with vintage illustrations inspired by nature, mythology, western motifs and Asian art.

The buckles are crafted of 100% lead-free pewter and covered in 10 layers of toxin-free coating to create a distinctive “weathered” veneer.

Collect a series of buckles to adorn one of the belts that come with each purchase – your choice of a pliable latigo leather belt or a recyled rubber belt made entirely from agricultural tires.

If the collectible buckles don’t …

Tags: accessory , art , design , fashion , vintage

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From the schoolgirl mini to tennis-court chic, the pleated skirt has been a paragon of prettiness for much of the past century. Pleats are the chameleons of eco-fashion, showing up in designs that range from punk to prim-and-proper.

As a wardrobe statement, this structural pleated skirt with is a knockout autumn piece. Camilla Norback modernizes the pleated mini in organic cotton ensuring pesticide-free pleats.

From left to right, below:

To prance with pleats into winter like a sophisticated schoolgirl, try on this pencil-skirt from fair-trade designers Myth and …

Tags: designer , fashion , trend

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Allison recently scouted out some adorable eco booties.

Luckily for those of us who love to cover a little more leg in winter, there is a cozy selection of sustainably manufactured, eco-friendly full-length boots, lined up for the first sign of snow on the ground.

These boots represent the various faces of the full-length green, from downtown dressy to snuggly to casual urban trekker.

For a touch of urban rugged, Patagonia’s Wild Thyme boots are sturdy, streamlined and ready to hike. These beauties have …

Tags: fashion , seasonal , shoes

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Where would you be without your USB?

These ports are used to power an array of gadgets and gizmos.

The USBCELL company’s mission to provide ever-eco-friendlier energy solutions has been bolstered by its line of USB rechargeable batteries. Batteries have been slow to achieve a greener status, giving their disposable nature and a lack of options for recycling. With an estimated 15 billion batteries needlessly discarded each year, the problem looms large.

The solution? Recharge!

USB ports are omnipresent and easily-accessible in our home and work lives, and USBCELL wants to exploit them to conveniently recharge …

Tags: electronics , gadgets , technology

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Alkemie Jewelry is forged from only relcaimed metals, as well as leather from a cattle ranch dedicated to zero waste. 

The USA-made pieces of Alkemie’s current line, “The Maiden Voyage” is a nod to the sophisticated organic contours of the Art Nouveau style, and to nature’s most awesome creatures and their mythical counterparts. The circle-laden necklaces and earrings bring a vintage sensibility to the classic hoop earring and drop-pendant.

Where Art Nouveau and nature meet, for Alkemie, is a ripe intersection of conscious consumerism and artistic collaboration, eschewing the toxic-filled world …

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Sometimes, the complexities of fashion boil down to just one word: fit.
We’ve all seen that gorgeous dress, looming in decadent splendor on the botique floor, only to try it on and – flop. Frei Designs aim to provide unparalleled fit, inspired by deep study of the history of dress. With inspiration from current trends and time-tested construction, the pieces are both high-design and wearable. This shows in their hand-dyed creations and elegant embellishment.
This deep ruby dress from their Fall 2008 collection borrows some elements from 19th century design but adds …

Tags: designer , dress , fashion

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