Seasonless Green Fashion

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"Eco fashion ranges from surf culture to cocktail-party couture, and the choices are growing all the time," says Mike Korchinsky, CEO of Wildlife Works and founder of Catwalk, an annual eco fashion show in San Francisco. There's also a wider range of natural fabrics for designers to use. Soy and bamboo silks are one of the hottest trends, Korchinsky says, "because they provide the beautiful hand of silk and rayon but come from a sustainable source." This should be welcome news for the up to 70 percent of U.S. consumers who are interested in healthier, organic products, according to a 2005 Natural Marketing Institute survey.

When it's made of reused materials, synthetic fabric can also be eco-correct. Malden Mills, the first to make fleece from recycled plastic soda bottles, has a new 100 percent recyclable Polartec Power Dry fleece that has been picked up by Timberland and Patagonia for fall. "The fast-wicking fibers are made of at least 50 percent recycled fabric polyester," says Jen Rapp, Patagonia director of public relations. "Since we launched our take-back recycling program last year, we've collected over 500 pounds of used Capilene to be recycled into new garments," Rapp adds. Patagonia is also debuting a line of chlorine-free wool base layers. And, they continue to donate one percent of profits to environmental groups (see 1% For The Planet box, right).

Timberland is blending Malden's new Polartec with wool in the Mountain Sweater, part of its fall/winter 2006 Earthkeepers line of organic cotton, recycled wool and hemp apparel and footwear, says David Aznavorian, senior global brand manager. So consumers know what they're getting, Timberland labels will provide information about the shoes' materials, manufacturing processes and environmental effects; the footwear packaging is made of 100 percent recycled post-consumer waste (PCW) fiber with soy-based inks and a water-based adhesive.

Part of the lure of green shopping these days is attire made by artisans and worker collectives under safe conditions and for fair wages, (preferably endorsed by the Fair Trade Federation or with Made in USA (unionized) labels). As part of a wilderness conservation project, Wildlife Works is partnering with communities to produce apparel in sub-Saharan Africa. Project Alabama works with "stitchers," veteran seamstresses and women of all ages, to bring back an appreciation for hand-sewn garments. And celebrities such as Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, Kyra Sedgwick, Daryl Hannah, Natalie Portman, Sean Penn and Robin Wright-Penn are wearing—and in some cases manufacturing—eco fashion tied to social and environmental causes.

Given all these choices, what will you wear? It's up to you. No matter how long after Labor Day, you can still go for heat-deflecting white organic cotton and sandals that are free of toxic PVC. Remember: Green is cool and, as Al Gore reminds us in An Inconvenient Truth, no one likes it too hot.

Following are a few new finds for breezing through fall. And, don't forget other green options such as flea markets, thrift stores and swapping clothes with friends.