With the new interest in green living, the eco-apparel industry has grown by leaps and bounds making it easy to look great and do good at the same time.

Established eco brands like Edun and Loomstate have risen to the demand for trendy eco chic apparel by presenting stylish new lines every season. Helping to expand the industry are new luxurious designers like Perfectly Imperfect and Sworn Virgins.

Love the look but unsure how clothing can be part of a green lifestyle? Read on! Clothing can be green in many ways and for many reasons; below I’ve listed some of the easiest ways you can green your wardrobe.

The greenest garments are those that are already here! Vintage, by its very nature, is green. Buying a great pair of vintage shoes or earrings means that there is no new material, manufacturing, shipping or cost! It does not get any greener then that.

Reused and recycled is not exclusive to the complete garment.

You can find furniture made from recycled and reused materials, like timeless recycled barn wood table. Also, fabulous designers like AgainNYC (a chic handbag company) and annabuilt (a trendy jewelry and fine art design company) are creatively using existing materials to produce new and fabulous pieces. They bring new meaning to the old phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle”!

Looking for this season’s hot new trends, make sure to buy clothing made with organically grown materials. When you are buying clothing made from organically grown cotton, hemp, bamboo or wool you can be confident that no chemicals were put into the Earth in the process to grow the materials for your clothing. Additionally, buying clothes made with highly sustainable materials like bamboo is a great step towards a greener lifestyle.

Lastly, manufacturing is also an important part of the eco apparel industry. Designers of eco apparel use a variety of methods and materials to ensure they are leaving the smallest possible environmental footprint. They also ensure that their products are fairly made and fairly traded.

Once I learned about eco apparel, my business partner and I combined our passions and efforts and launched www.shopmodify.com, a fabulous new eco-friendly online boutique. Modify’s mission is to provide eco-friendly and ethically produced clothing, accessories, beauty products, and home décor. We also carry vintage! Modify is all about truly modifying one’s lifestyle by becoming environmentally conscious and changing one’s overall perception of the world and the care it needs. Check out www.shopmodify.com and start greening your wardrobe today.

Photography by Kristie Lee Krause