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

These Eco Boots Were Made for Walking; Through Wind, Sleet and Snow

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by Starre Vartan · 12/02/10

Guest post by Kathie Butler.

Winter is upon us. For many of us, this means our delicate strappy sandals are now shoved to the back of the closet, only to be replaced by footwear that resembles something possibly worn in war trenches. But just because it’s cold and damp outside, it doesn’t mean we have to sheath our feet in block of concrete. There are options out there to stay dry and fashionable.

Like what? (She asks, as a friend calls to report snow flurries are falling in Chicago.) Recently, I had the chance to check out a new, eco-friendly boot from Hi-Tec. The Altitude Enviro WP boot provides some serious coverage for our feet. They are made with waterproof vegetan, which is derived from a process that uses less chemicals while tanning. They also contain 50% post-consumer recycled nylon lining. The boots have a recycle metal steel shank for support, while the hiking outsole contains recycled rubber.
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boots, eco, Hiking, leather, Winter

An Ode to My Rock ‘n Roll Skirt: Remake/Remodel from Zachary’s Smile

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by Starre Vartan · 09/13/09

I wore my skirt with my HessNatur tee to see Tori Amos at Radio City Music Hall a few weeks ago.

I got this amazing skirt at Zachary’s Smile (9 Greenwich Ave. at Christopher St) in NYC. This boutique has gotten lots of press, and carries a carefully edited selection of vintage pieces as well as several house lines created by the store’s owners, including Remake/Remodel, which takes advantage of used materials which are then transformed into something completely new.

My skirt above was made from old leather jackets (from the awesome bright green color I would guess from the 80′s). Seems from my inspection that there are at least two different jackets that were put together. The skirt is lined, comfy, and totally rock and roll. Leather is such a great material; long-lasting and durable. I would feel uncomfortable buying a new piece, not only because I’m a vegetarian, but because the tanning and dying process for leather (unless veggie tanned and heavy-metal free dyes) is extremely toxic.

Reusing vintage leather is a great way to get some of that edge in. And designing from older pieces means designers have to be a little creative (and they tend to be one-of-a-kind), a bonus for ecofashionistas.

Check out the Look Book on the Zachary’s Smile website; there you’ll see a number of new pieces made from combinations of conventional, ecofriendly and vintage materials.

leather, NYC, skirt, upcycled

Pedoodles Eco Kicks for Kids

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by Kimberly Jordan Allen · 09/22/08

Pedoodles, a small kids shoe line, has released eco-friendly kicks made from remnant leather. These shoes are really light-weight and they must be comfy, because my little ones keep going to them and bringing them to me saying “shhooose!” and requesting I put them on their feet.

They come in cute colors that are very wearable. I don’t feel my kids need more than one or two pairs of shoes and these are great for Fall. The soles, also made from recycled materials, have a great grip too, which my twenty-month-old toddlers need since they are climbing, running, and deconstructing all day long.

Pedoodles is offering a discount of 20% off to Eco Chick readers. Use the code ecochick at checkout (good thru Oct 31/2008.)

kids, leather, recycled, shoes

Change Handbags

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by Starre Vartan · 11/29/07

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.

bags, boho, car, fabric, farm, handbags, Home, leather, mom, moms, recycle, recycled, Shopping, women, women's

Betty Belts!

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by Starre Vartan · 11/19/07

The Talia belt is made with recycled glass beads, ceramic tiles, and vegan leather

The Selena belt is made from farmed mother-of-pearl and vegan leather

Poking around on the internet for some new eco-friendly accessories recently, I found Betty Belts, which makes the super-gorgeous waist-wrappers above. The designer of Betty Belts, Donna von Hoesslin, is an avid and active surfer, (the company just won a ‘Green Wave’ award) and of course, like all cool chicks, a blogger!

Donna (that’s her above) says:

My goal is to continue down this road using sustainable, reused, recycled, organic and natural materials whenever possible. I am focused on reducing waste to a bare minimum. I consider the impact in every choice I make for my business and my home and always look the most sustainable method, even if it takes a lot more time and effort to find a feasible solution. Efforts like these are the foundational building blocks of hope for a better world. A cleaner, simpler and less wasteful world which we can all work toward step by step.

accessories, business, design, designer, farm, Home, leather, Organic, recycle, recycled, reuse, surfing, sustainable, vegan, waste