Green / Eco-friendly
BTC Elements
Unique and often one-of-a-kind items are the specialty here, from "upcycled" floral appliquéd bobby pins made from vintage blouses to colorful hoop earrings crafted from old skateboards. Our favorites include the cozy striped cardigans from Raw Earth Wild Sky and cute graphic tops by Mika Machida.
Coco's Shoppe
Browse hundreds of earth-friendly pieces—Ananas' recycled handbags, underpinnings from Enamore, Larsen Gray dresses, and more—at this site, which, as a huge bonus, always offers free shipping. And click over to the special Eco Styling section, where experts can help you turn your wardrobe entirely green.
Drugstore.com
The vast naturals section ranges from cheapest of the cheap skincare (like a $2 ayurvedic soap for oily skin) to Physicians Formula organic makeup to Mrs. Meyer's dish soap. And it delivers in record time.
Featured in the April 2009 issue
Featured in the April 2009 issue
Earth Girls Boutique
Earth Girls is a serious resource for wearable, daytime styles like Del Forte and Pine IV, in addition to alluring printed tops from Pamplemosses. Plus, the boutique has a charitable component as well: It donates 1 percent of all its sales to the Sierra Club, the country's oldest grassroots environmental organization.
Eden Home
Here, even the most mundane of home supplies—sponges, cleaners, and staple cookware—feel earthy and luxurious: apple-and-thyme-scented dish soap, all-natural laundry detergents, and handwoven service ware are among the selection. You can save a product for later by adding it to your "wish list," or head over to the Gift Ideas section to find great stuff for friends and family.
Edun
This brand has one of the highest profiles in the eco-conscious clothing market, thanks in no small part to the fact that it's the project of Ali Hewson—wife of Bono. Edun emphasizes using organic materials and creating sustainable trade in developing areas of the world. It has a particular knack for T-shirts: The colors are subtle; the patterns are unexpected and just edgy enough; and they all have a really pretty feel.
Elum Designs
Originally just a resource for letterpress stationery printed with soy-based inks, Elum has expanded into a full-fledged line of artsy wall prints, colorful gift wrap, and fabric-covered journals. Its vibrant paper goods—ranging from boxed sets of stationery to invitations and announcements—can be completely personalized, and best of all, they're all made from tree-free, post-industrial-waste cotton rags.
Embodies
Slinky bamboo dresses from Lara Miller and bright knit hats from Linda Loudermilk are just a few of the options at this well-stocked site, which highlights under-the-radar labels like Les Fées de Bengale (designed in France and produced in a cooperative in India to improve living situations for women there) alongside more familiar names like Habitude and Good Society.
Envi
The online portal of Boston's first green boutique stocks a well-edited array of stylish brands—including slinky party dresses from Larsen Gray and skinny Serfontaine denim—and packs each item's listing with tons of helpful information. Every piece is photographed from a variety of angles and includes icons signifying its green elements: locally sourced, sustainable, fairly traded, and more.
Featured in the April 2009 issue.
Featured in the April 2009 issue.
Gaiam
Gaiam has been turning out alternative health and beauty goods for years, but we love it for its bedding. The line has a host of qualifications: organic, free of pesticides, made with low-impact dyes, etc. And what makes the sets really stand out are the incredible colors and delicate prints.
