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

Ani Phyo’s Healthfully Decadent Raw Coconut Kream Recipe

Dessert has always been my favorite part of any meal (though I do love apps!) and while I’ve managed to tame my sweet tooth in the last few years, I’ve by no means eliminated it. (By tame I mean I can get my sweet-happys from maple syrup, honey, and desserts made with fruit and less sugar.) Frankly, I’d rather carry around an extra five pounds than skip desserts, in all their toothsome glory. But I try to concoct or uncover desserts that are healthy as well as tasty. Just because it’s dessert doesn’t mean that it has to be a nutrition wasteland!

So stumbling upon Ani Phyo’s wonderful raw dessert cookbook (with 85 recipes!) was a coup. As you may already know, raw foods retain all sorts of wonderful enzymes, vitamins and minerals, plus are less ‘predigested’ (I know it’s a bit gross, but that’s basically what cooking is; partial digestion of food before you eat it). That means your body has to work a bit harder to digest, which makes you feel full longer and is actually really good for your gut. All of which means you get more nutrition and eat less when you go raw. While I’m not a raw foodist by any means, I’m going on my 19th year of vegetarianism and love the way whole foods that are minimally processed taste and make me feel. And the more I’ve read about the benefits of raw, the more I try to incorporate it into my diet.
More »

Walk in OMBU Shoes and Reforest Our Planet

I’d wager that you never thought you could purchase a pair of shoes while helping with the world’s reforestation efforts. But it’s true. We now live in an age where more and more consumers recognize the merits of products made responsibly. OMBU is a fresh, young company intent on providing a product that you can feel proud of, with each and every stride.

OMBU shoes is committed to giving back to the planet and helping their customers do the same. The company provides a tree seed with every purchase of their shoes and also plants a tree on the customer’s behalf for one of the Trees for the Future Foundation Projects. To date, the eco-conscious shoe brand has planted thousands of trees around the globe!

But back to the shoes. The Miami-based company gave a traditional Argentinian shoe called “Alpargatas” a complete makeover. OMBU transformed the ugly duckling into a sexy, irresistible flat. They come in a variety of colors and patterns, and shopping their site is like walking through Dylan’s Candy Bar. The shoes look so delicious and enticing, you’ll want everything you see in your size.

And with prices between $35 and $45, you can indulge in a pair or two, guilt-free. Their sequins pattern are perfect for a night on the town while the polka dots and checkers are a bit more playful for day. If you’re feeling bold, go with their camoflouge pattern. And the classic solid will go with everything, I promise. Whichever OMBU shoes you decide on, rest assured they’ll be delivered right to your door in recycled fabric bags rather than wasteful boxes.
More »

Odette New York: Handcrafted Jewelry Inspired by Natural Ephemera

I was lucky enough to receive the gorgeous necklace above from my boyfriend for Christmas this year. Not only is it lovely and interesting, it is made by hand, locally, in NYC (Brooklyn, to be exact) and is one of the many creations that’s part of the modern jewelry line, Odette New York.

I had spotted the necklace at an eco fashion event in Brooklyn during the most recent NYC Fall Fashion Week, and exclaimed over the unique and crafted aesthetic that guides the line. He remembered! The necklace came in a pretty keepsake bag and is part of a line of ocean-themed pieces, called ‘Sea‘.

Jellyfish at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, which inspired the gift!

I’ve always loved jellyfish and can watch them for hours, such simple, singularly graceful beings that seem composed of nothing, yet are alive and sensitive beings perfectly suited to their environment.

More »

Fall Eco Fashion Beats the Chill In Style with Keds, Loomstate and Eileen Fisher Organics!

It’s official. Fall is off to a cool start! The best part about fall is the chance to start anew: new initiatives (turn off that a.c. and switch to eco-bulbs), new motivations (make lunch), and new clothes! You want to look street smart even when it is cold and this new apparel is both warm and eco-chic.

The limited-edition eco-conscious Loomstate poncho!

Since there’s been a chill in the air, there’s never been a better time to sport a cute overlayer. But with the season not quite winter the hustle and bustle of a thick wool coat overwhelms. Eco-Chick has a solution! In mid- October Loomstate, a men’s and women’s eco-conscious brand, presents their limited edition poncho in celebration of Barney’s CO-OP’s 25^th Anniversary.

Pair the chic poncho with organic denim and prepare to be enviable!

The poncho is made from organic cotton canvas and recycled blankets. It’s cute brown and blue colors make it an essential wardrobe piece to pair with the cutest of cotton organic skinny jeans, for they go the best with the sneaks, like these from Eileen Fisher. Not only are these jeans made from cotton grown without pesticides, they are dyed (jean dyes are notoriously polluting) under the Global Organic Textile Standard. And if you’re not into this style, Eileen Fisher offers a whole line of organic denim on their site and in stores.

Made from non-polluting organic cotton canvas, these sneaks are eco-chic.

Sneakers are a must – whether you’re running around, walking home from work, or taking a stroll in a local pumpkin patch. Whatever you’re up to, cute comfortable sneakers are essential! Keds are superclassic and come in various colors – but this month they’re eco-chic too! Introducing Keds Organic Champions, chic footwear made from one-hundred percent organic cotton, stitched eyelets, and tea-stained laces. The sneakers are 55$ and can be purchased at www.keds.com. 

Don’t back down for the fall chill. Beat it. Sport this super cute outfit and be an eco-chick.
More »

Lara Miller: Eco Fashion’s Quick Change Artist

Eco Fashion designer Lara Miller is an Eco Chick fave; her supermodern, often convertible, sensuously romantic, yet travel-friendly designs are deceptively simple but always on point.

Lara says she didn’t plan her designs for the travelling types (though they suit us so well), but that her ideas come from a playful, fun place that happens to result in highly variable separates (think dresses that can be worn three ways, or trousers that have adjustable hems):

I graduated from a very conceptual design program at the School of the Art Institute where I researched Eadweard Muybridge images and architectual theory by Gregg Lynn. I was fascinated with the idea of animation and gestures in every day life, especially when getting dressed. I wanted to give the wearer a relationship to their pieces and allow them to be more individual. As my line and I have grown up, the functionality has really become key.

The Fern Flip wrap in recycled cotton
More »