Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

My New Teich Bag: Love at First Sight

Allison McGowan (nee Teich) is one of the original leaders in the modern eco accessories design movement. I first became familiar with her work over four years ago when she started AgainNYC, an upcycled handbag collection. She got tons of press for her great designs, but as her own style evolved, so did her bags, which became sleeker, simpler, and more grown-up. Allison then changed the name of her company to her maiden name, Teich (which means “pond” in German) and a whole new era was born.

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Eco Chic Weekly: July 30, 2009

Eco Chic Weekly is a digest that features the best of the best in green fashion and beauty blogging.  If you would like to have your post featured in ECW please send a link to the_q (at) inbox.com.

Ecco*Eco has a collection of inspiring friends and finery to get you through the remainder of Summer 2009.

Eco Fashion World scoops on some fabulous eco fashion sales!

Eco Diva has a  fun giveaway that will keep you cool this summer!

Ethical Style has compiled a list of sexy summer dresses that just happen to be on sale.

Feelgood Style is featuring the Necklush scarf/cowl/necklace…and I’m not really sure how I feel about it.

Green Lashes and Fashion has a wonderful post about the virtues of the maxi dress.

It’s never too early to start thinking about Fall!  Heart of Green has  discovered Ya Living scarves.

How Much Do Women Really Know About Our Energy Crisis?  Check out the survey results on The Green Girls.

Check out the spectacular collection of Eco Handbags from AmazonLife featured on Treehugger.

Sharing, A Truly Radical (and Green) Idea

One of the first lessons we teach kids is to share, so you’d think our grown-up society would be all about give and take. In our super-consumer culture though, we’re all convinced by companies that we each need our own versions of everything. But do we? Maybe sharing is one of the keys to saving our own personal economies- and the planet. Since one of the main tenets of the environmental movement is to consume less, sharing is one way to have it all without giving up quality of life.

When I look around in my neighborhood I see every family has their own mower, multiple cars, and washers, and while some folks probably use these frequently, many don’t. (Hey, I’m guilty as well. I only do laundry twice a month and drive only on the weekends and I use my mower for a few months in the summer three times a month, but I own a washer/dryer, car and mower). After reading about the modern sustainable communities that are springing up around the country I realized that most of them involve collective use of resources in some form or another, from clothes washing centers (with washers, dryers, irons, sinks, etc.) to tool libraries and parent’s centers.

But I live in a turn-of-the-century neighborhood on the Connecticut shore- so how can I incorporate the concept of sharing without moving?

Handbags. Several companies with punny names like Bag, Borrow, or Steal or From Bags to Riches rent or borrow designer handbags so you don’t have to toss another purse just because it’s last season’s look. (To be really environmentally responsible, buy a gorgeous bag in a timeless style that’s made sustainably, and will last for years to come. Buying one thing that will last for years is easier on your wallet and the planet.) But if you’re an inveterate trendmeister, or need a bag for a special event, this makes so much sense.

Office Space. The NY Times covered the newly popular phenomenon of sharing office space a couple months back. In Good Company is an office space that’s set up so that multiple businesses (in this case, women-owned and run) can claim an office, complete with conference rooms, phone lines and meeting areas. E.B. Moss, who rents space from In Good Company says, “It fits in with the green division of my company. I like to keep my footprint small.”

Your Soul. OK, so this one takes the concept of sharing out of the box. At Rentyoursoul you “rent” your soul for a period of time in order to benefit the cause of your choice (a $10 donation). While the concept of the soul might be ineffable, there are people willing to pay to rent yours, and what could be more of a gift than your spirit? Give it away (just for a bit) to do some good and when it comes back to you it will be worth even more.

Books, DVDs and CDs. I predict that CDs and DVDs for sure (and books may be) obsolete in a few years, and I welcome the change. Printing, shipping, and discs and books uses plenty of energy in the form of fossil fuels and after a few listens (or even 50) or a read through, most media ends up gathering dust on a shelf. Downloading music, movies and books is a low-impact solution, but for now, these formats are rife with usage and transferability (not to mention legal) issues.

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Change Handbags

Change Handbags is a small company run by two moms, Meg and Sara, so they know how to make a bag that’s useful and fabulous.

There’s the super-tough shopping/beach/carryall bags that you can have customized for fundraisers or an organization, or just use for shopping or the gym (made from recycled PET fabric with six outside pockets!)

And then there’s the amazing reversible bags which are soft and gorgeous. Literally two bags in one, which is eco-friendly in itself, these are made from low-impact, vegetable-dyed leather. 10% of profits from the bags go to groups that support women’s issues.

Etsy's handmade goodies

A few weeks ago, while strolling through a farmer’s market in Amsterdam, I came upon a stall selling these purses …

I chatted with the seller for a bit and he explained the process his partner went through making these. The idea was simple, really … recycled munitions pouches from the army surplus store were made to look pretty with ’60s and ’70s era material leftover from Scandinavian home goods stores.

I bought one, he handed me his card, and lo and behold – my unique Amsterdam find is also available online at Etsy. At first, I was sad to know that I’m probably not the only one carrying a Katrina Kaye handbag. But then I checked out the Etsy shop and discovered it’s filled with handmade goodies!

Basically, Etsy’s a creative community. Artists from 84 different countries use this platform to sell all sorts of clothing and housewares and just about anything else that can be hand made, including baby clothes, bathing goodies, journals, furniture, and Ts.

In addition to all the unique creations on sale, they’ve also got a group of sellers who call themselves Etsy for Animals and donate part of their profits to various animal rescue charities. It’s all so inspiring. I think I’ve found my ideal place for serious internet shopping.

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