What: Lincoln Jacket

Where: Vaute Couture – $560.00 (special introductory price: $504.00)

Why We Love It: So it got cold, real cold, and we couldn’t stop thinking about wrapping ourselves up in a sleeping bag to brave the chill. Vaute Couture’s Lincoln Jacket achieves the feeling of being cloaked in a snuggly sleeping bag without looking like one.

This fitted, full length jacket can handle snow, wind, and cold with aplomb. Unexpected details like an asymmetrical zip, a cinched belt, and a high collar make this standout from a sea of puffy jackets. Plus it’s vegan and eco-friendly to the core, literally. The core is made from recycled primaloft ECO with an outer made of 100 percent closed loop zero waste recycled satin ripstop fabric hand Quilted locally in New York.

It’s no wonder that these jackets are selling out like crazy – they are already sold out in black and cobalt, but there is still time to preorder one in midnight gridlock.

What: Women’s Kamala Skirt

Where: Altrec.com – $47.19 – $59.00 (free shipping)

Why We Love It: You know how we love a 2-in-1 piece! This versatile garment transforms from a long flowy skirt into a knee-length halter dress and it’s wrinkle-free which makes it an ideal, care-free piece for summer vacations. Love the purple stripes, but this breezy skirt is also available in black, smoke, white stripes, and two floral prints.

It is made of a blend of 55% organic cotton and 45% Tencel® and can be ecycled through Patagonia’s Common Threads Recycling Program. Tencel is an environmentally friendly cellulose based fiber that has natural wicking properties, but because it needs to be mechanically broken down, yields a lower quality fabrics when recycled. Take a look at Patagonia’s Footprint Chronicles for more information on the eco-footprint of this product from waste generated to distance traveled to CO2 emitted. Pretty interesting.

What: Kira Pod Dress

Where: People Tree – £75.00

Why We Love It: Love the standout print on this dress – nothing like it out there. And it’s got a sweet shape  with pleating at the neckline and sleeves and a slightly tulip-shaped mid that would also look great with a belt. And one of a our favorite features – pockets. Nothing makes us happier than skirts and dresses with hidden pockets!

The print is hand block printed in Bangladesh by the Kumudini Welfare Trust, an organization that supports disadvantaged women by providing viable, Fair Trade employment. They handcraft extraordinary garments using traditional craft skills like hand embroidery and hand block printing.

People Tree is an avid supporter of Fair Trade organizations across the globe fostering an environment where talented craftsmen can use their skills and create sustainable business opportunities. Consumers can enjoy quality crafted, non-mass produced items and know that their consumer dollars go to support sustainable communities across the globe.

In addition to supporting Fair Trade businesses, People Tree also aims to minimize their carbon footprint by employing environmental practices whenever possible such as promoting natural and organic cotton farming, avoiding damaging chemicals in production opting for recycled and biodegradable substances instead, as well as recycling materials and water throughout the manufacturing chain.

What: Icebreaker Igloo Zip Jacket

Where: Altrec Outdoors – $175.00 $113.89 in black, $99.69 in purple.

Why We Love It: This jacket has become a staple in our wardrobe. It is the perfect jacket for a New England winter, particularly if you are like us and spend 2 hours a day in an ice rink. It’s been a life saver this winter providing warmth and style all in one slim fitting eco-package

In winter, we wear ours as a base layer with a jacket on over it, but it’s a perfect option for outer wear in the spring. It’s a bit heavier than a North Face fleece because of the tight weave of the superfine merino wool (from free range sheep in New Zealand). The natural fibre ‘breaths’ naturally wicking moisture away so you feel warmer. The design on the jacket is incredibly well thought out, little things like curved textured zippers provide better functionality and an overall high performance design.

Icebreaker runs a green manufacturing process minimizing waste, energy use and packaging along the way. Each garment comes with a unique BaaCode, so you can trace where the fibres came from. The plastic bag that they ship their products in is made of a recycled plastic that contains a compound that assists in oxo-biodegradation so it will breakdown faster if it ends up in a landfill instead of a recycling facility.

Go Green and Save at Altrec Outdoors

What: Gather Round Top

Where: Bhalo – $135, in olive/violet or ivory/lavender

Why We Love It: We are totally entranced by the colors, cut  and print of this 100% Rajshahi Silk top. The billowy, ruched sleeves and the wide boatneck are equally refined and relaxed. The blown-up graphic pattern takes inspiration from the woven bamboo walls of traditional low-cost  homes in rural Bangladesh emoting a cool, yet moden ethnic vibe.

Not only does Bhalo support Bangladesh culture in design, but also in practice. Their collection of cotton dresses, silk tops, and accessories are hand-loomed and hand-embroidered by  Thanapara Swallows, a Fair Trade organization that provides work for over 200 disadvantaged women in rural Bangladesh, providing a viable alternative to inhumane garment factories and empowering women with the opportunity to sell their wares at prices that afford them education, childcare, and healthcare. The profits help cover the costs of the village school for 300 children.

fair trade

Here are some of our favorite convertible dresses:

Donna Karen – The Infinity Dress in refined matte jersey – transforms easily from a capsleeve dress with a twist to a one shoulder dress to a drape halter dress to a crossed halter dress to a strapless dress to cap sleeve dress. Bloomingdale’s – $995.

Butter by Nadia – an entire collection of convertible dresses in stripes and solids, knee length and floor length and they’ve just added a suite of convertible jumpsuits (soo wish we could pull those off!).  The fabric suits the name, buttery…  Average price $250 & up.

Lara Miller – one of the first to really embrace the concept of convertible clothing, she’s made convertible dresses, convertible tops, convertible sweaters and hers are made with eco-friendly fabrics. Donna Dress pictured – $275

Chadwick’s – Looking for a more affordable convertible dress? Chadwick’s has a convertible dress for $49.99 (click to buy) that can be worn four ways, even as a skirt. And for those fearless fashionistas they’ve got a chic convertible jumpsuit for $59.99 (click to buy)

Who:

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.

The sultry one-piece suit made of 100% organic habotai silk and can be worn as bathing suit or as cover up. It’s a nod to 1950′s pinups like its namesake, Marlene Dietrich when suits were more modest but still full of sex appeal. Love all the figure flattering details like the ruching up the sides, the demure neckline, the generous hemline and the cute little shorts to cover up any less than perfect  ‘bits’.  And the zipper up the back just adds to the sex appeal.

If you are looking for other eco-friendly bathing options, BTC Elements has a great collection of eco-friendly swimsuits designed for all bodies of water.

Who:

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).

The corset is definitely our favorite. It is impeccably tailored and is super sexy (see the black lace-up back).  Love the patchwork of black and stripes and the versatility – luxe and casual depending on what you pair it with. We’d want to wear our limited edition corset with everything from jeans to ball gowns. Our 2010 collection is a limited edition and there will only be 300 total garments created with the specific colors, patterns and styles offered.

The Kente fabrics are handwoven as they have been for centuries using natural dyes and virgin cotton without the use of machinery or factories. 5% of all profits are donated to La Yahoushua, the middle school where the designers both taught.

Shop BTC Elements for more eco and ethical clothing options.

Who:

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.)

Why We Love It: We’d expect nothing less from designer Nina Valenti of naturevsnurture than an edgy and modern interpretation on a classic. The slightly asymmetrical hemlime and slits at the neckline and of course, the ‘slashed’ slits in the back, give the basic shift dress a little bit of rock and roll.

The rich plum color is sublime and the dress can be worn with or without the  reversible, and slimming, black & plum obi belt. It is made of a hemp and tencel blend.

Valenti’s garments are made as much as possible from organic, sustainable, renewable, and biodegradable materials. Fabrics include organic cotton, organic wool, hemp, soy, bamboo, seacell® (seaweed), lyocell (wood pulp), Ingeo™ (created from corn) and recycled and technological fabrics such as Polartec® (made from soda pop bottles or industry waste). All of her garments are made locally in New York.

By Stamo – U.K.