by Eileen Weber
Spring is in the air! Time to bust out those cute little tops and a nifty pair of open-toed shoes. One place to visit for great designs is a little shop in Fairfield. Lauren DiNardo Boutique, owned and managed by designer Lauren DiNardo, has taken eco-fashion to new heights.
Originally selling her wares to other boutiques, she now has a shop of her own. Her signature style is recycled denim. Skirts, shorts, and halter top dresses for the summer. She even has eco-friendly cowboy boots. Made from recycled denim and recycled leather, these little beauties will keep you doing the two-step.
Her silk tie skirts are a consistent standard. “They can go in any season,” said DiNardo. “You can wear them with leggings and boots in the fall or slip on a pair of flip flops in the summer.”
Many of her skirts and dresses are made from recycled denim and a combination of recycled silk ties and Swarovski crystals. The crystals give it just that little bit of bling she looks for.
“I used to live out in Oregon,” said DiNardo. “I loved that home-grown, raw look. But when I moved to New York City, I added the glitz and glam. I love the embellishment the crystals give.”
Designing the clothes she sells is not the only thing DiNardo gets a kick out of. “I love doing custom work,” she said. “It’s really fun. I love working with antique pieces or just about anything that tells a story.”
DiNardo will often refurbish a favorite pair of jeans for her customers. “You can personalize them for about $50 and it’s like having a new pair of jeans. I can do it for jackets, too. It’s eco-friendly and economical.”
It just goes to show, you don’t have to go too far to find eco-fashion here in Connecticut. PositiviTee boasts their “clothing with meaning.” Owner Heidi Matonis offers organic cotton and bamboo fiber tees that retail for around $40. Ten percent of the proceeds are donated to good causes like Greenpeace, Save the Children, and the Jane Goodall Institute.
“When I started this in 2005, I had three goals in mind,” said Matonis of her business in Greenwich. “A third of my goal was to be a role model to my children. A third of it was because I wanted to support charitable causes that I felt strongly about. And the other third gave me a personal challenge and allowed me to be creative.”
When Matonis first started her company four years ago, she said her initial focus was on the quality of the clothing. By 2007, her focus was green. That’s when she started her line of bamboo T-shirts. Working with a manufacturer in Peru, she is still partial to the organic cotton tees.
“I’ve been so happy with the organic cotton,” she said. “My T-shirts are meant to be stylish. They tend to be feminine and fitted.”
Since she launched the company, Matonis points to one main reason why business has blossomed: good public relations. She has been highlighted in Oprah’s Magazine O, Real Simple, and she even got some business tips from Tommy Hilfiger.
Moondrop Clothiers in Eastford has their own niche in the eco-fashion world. According to their web site, they sell recycled, handmade, brand-new and “gently-used” products. All items are in very good condition. You can find anything from reusable grocery bags to patchwork skirts to funky earrings. If it’s eco-friendly, affordable, and fair trade, they’ve got it.
“Every item at Moondrop Clothiers is hand-chosen for its quality, style, useful nature, and/or unique flair,” it states on their web site. They only purchase “from suppliers who adhere to fair labor practices, including safe and clean working conditions.”
Another shop to take note of is in nearby Boston. Envi, short for environment, is an eco-fashion boutique on Newberry Street. Two former Tufts University roommates, Callie Smith and Ursula Stahl, opened a shop and an online store for eco-friendly fashions. From Edun to Linda Loudermilk, they have grown an extensive selection of designer styles to choose from.
According to their web site, their goal was to provide “all the latest fashions without taking from the world you have to live in.” What started out as just a handful of designers available in their collection turned into hundreds. “Eco-fashion has entered the mainstream, and now style doesn't have to come at such a high cost to our planet.”
So this spring, check out some of the cute duds that are good for the planet and not too shabby on your pocketbook, either.
And scientists concerned about climate change believe it will cause more drought in many areas in the future.
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