Donna Karen is the latest in a long list of designers to embrace the concept of the convertible dress with her Infinity Dress.  We’ve long been fans of convertible fashion (see: Mohop, Tia Sandals & Lara Miller) – the idea of an item that can be worn more ways is brilliant. In direct contrast to the trendy disposable garments that fill so many store shelves, these items can be worn so many different ways they are truly timeless. We like to think it would make us a little greener too, buying one dress that can be worn six ways might help keep five dresses out of our closet. Not to mention making packing for trips a breeze!

Here are some of our favorite convertible dresses: Click to continue »

Who: Katharine Hamnett for Yoox – Cleveland, OH

What: “Marlene Dietrich” One-Piece Bathing Costume

Where: Yooxygen – $185

Why We Love It: British designer, Katharine Hamnett, designed this special edition collection of beachwear for YOOXYGEN (YOOX’s eco-line).  Her 14 piece vinatage inspired collection features garments made from organic cotton, recycled polyester and renewable fabrics in an effort to raise awareness about the fragility of our oceans and the critical need to protect them. Perfect timing considering the disaster in the gulf with the BP oil spill threatening to destroy entire ecosystems in the Gulf if they haven’t been destroyed already. Click to continue »

Who: The Hemma Collection – New York, NY

What: Gold Coast Corset

Where: Hemma – $315 in green or purple

Why We Love It: When friends Edna Bisson and Cindy Gaston studied abroad in Ghana, they fell in love with the traditional Kente fabrics that have been handwoven by artisans since the 17th  century and worn by Ghanaian nobility. They were inspired by the vibrant colors, rich textures and intricate patterns and completely reinvented them creating a modern and sophisticated limited edition collection (only making 300 pieces of each style and color in the collection). Click to continue »

Who: naturevsfuture – Brooklyn, NY

What: Classic Cut-Out Dress w/Obi Belt

Where: naturevsvfuture – $278 in plum or indigo & now through June 3oth get 30% off with coupon code NVF/JUNE/30 (If you are in the NYC area you can check the collection out live & shop styles at 30-40% off at Mizu. Click for details.) Click to continue »

Who: LABEL – Toronto, CAN

What: Column Dress

Where: LABEL – $76.20

Why We Love It: Sometimes there is nothing more alluring, or more comfortable, than a black tube dress. This slinky column dress by LABEL is fitted in all the right places and flowy in all the rest making it equally fit for casual spring days and sexy summer nights.

Designers Shawna Robinson and Natalie Sydoruk have a knack for designing clothing that got a funky glamorous vibe that’s comfy and casual. Wherever possible they use organic, renewable or reclaimed fabrics like organic cotton, hemp, lyocell, and in this case a jersey blend of 93% bamboo and 7% spandex.

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Still not fully sure how I feel about H&M’s new ‘green’ collection, the Garden Collection. All of the pieces are made from organic or recycled fabrics, but I keep thinking about the piece in the news about H&M’s organics being not so organic (see Treehugger) and their slashing of the perfectly good unworn clothing instead of donating them (see NY Times), not to mention how the  clothing is actually manufactured… not very green. So, it’s difficult to think about the amount of waste that may have gone into the production of this collection before it reached the stores. Click to continue »

Just got a sneak peak of Elroy’s new Spring/Summer collection. The collection is full of the pleats, tucks and eco-friendly fabrics we’ve come to love from Elroy. But what we were surprised, and delighted to see was a collection filled with original prints (custom designed digitally printed organic cotton featuring manipulated satellite images of Earth like a black and white river labyrinth, a warm desert oasis and the peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro – very cool!). Absolutely love the Bloom Tank and the  Sorrel Print Cardigan, that doubles as a dress for the bold at heart.

And the best news, the entire collection retails for under $120 CAD (that’s $117.60USD) and is made from organic, sustainable fabrics including soft-as silk tencel chambray denim, organic cotton and wild, raw silk – vegan friendly as the silkworms are unharmed in the production of the fabric.  A fun, wearable and flattering collection for summer. Can’t wait!

Shop the SS ’10 collection at http://www.shopelroy.com

Who: Kelly Lane – Pittsburg, PA

What: Rider Coat in Sage

Where: Jute & Jackfruit – On sale for $188

Why We Love It: This wear-everywhere jacket/sweatshirt jumped out at us at the Go Green Expo last week. It is sooo soft and cozy that it was all we could do not to wrap ourselves up in it and curling up with a good book and a cup of tea…

The beauty of this jacket is that it can take you straight from that cup of tea to the office to the playground to dinner out.  It’s got the comfort of a sweatshirt and the refined look of a tailored jacket. The Rider Coat is handmade of a super soft, french terry that’s a blend of soy, organic cotton and lycra – it has almost a silky feel to it.

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Who: FIN – Oslo, Norway

What: Cropped Sleeves Dress

Where: Equita – $220 $160

Why: Love flared skirt, love the slim fit waist, love the neckline and love the ever so slightly puffy sleeves. A simple dress with exquisite lines and the classic look of Audrey Hepburn with just the right amount of sweetness and elegance.

You can feel good about wearing this dress and not just because you look good – this dress is made of 100% organic cotton and is certified Fair Trade by a carbon neutral company (FIN invests in climate credits).

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Who: Mel en Stel – Brooklyn, NY

What: Sundress Silk/Cotton

Where: Mel en Stel – $300 SOLD OUT

Why We Love ‘Em: The last 10 days of blah rain have really got us pining for spring – pining for color, single layers,strappy sandals and this floaty spring dress from Mel en Stel. It takes the hippie out of tie dye and transforms it into an elegant and rich fabric – it almost looks more like a block print than a tie dye. Love the contrast of the blue and white tie dye with the bold red straps.

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