Jennifer Berg

Although organic eats pepper the pages of the Star and hybrid cars creep into MTV-movie-award speeches, caring for the earth has yet to enter the fashion realm of celebrity-endorsed trends. So until Nicole Richie declares a war on pesticides, local boutique owners and fashion executives are taking steps to awaken the national conscience on dressing responsibly.

For Julia Knier (co-owner of Public I, 1923 West Division) running a boutique is an opportunity to practice dearly held beliefs. Julia was raised by parents who harbor a tremendous respect for the environment; her mother was so committed to taking care of the earth that she devised a system for keeping ozone-hazardous air from the clothes dryer inside the house.

In her role as Public I proprietor, Julia is every bit her mother's daughter. Knier refuses to compromise her earth-friendly beliefs; and though fashion and the environment don't always go hand-in-hand, Julia lets her conscience weigh in on every business decision she makes: "Who I am at work should be who I am everywhere," she explains. Toward this end, Knier takes actions as small as recycling every cardboard box that's delivered to her store and as large as buying clothes that are crafted through environmentally conscious means. Julia admits to having fought an uphill battle at times to find organic pieces that "have some sense of design and don't look like burlap sacks." But two lines currently in stock at Public I, Eko-ganic and Panda Snack, meet the approval of Julia's discerning eye and adhere to her moral values: Eko-ganic clothing is made with pesticide-free cotton and water-soluble ink, so the dye used to make the clothes dissolves before it has a chance to reach and harm topsoil. Panda Snack tees are made entirely of bamboo, a material that can regenerate an entire forest in only three years. In the fall, Kneir plans to stock 100-percent-organic jeans by Agave.

From local to global, rapidly growing American Apparel is also turning out earth-friendly collections. Matthew Swenson, a publicist for the company, describes this season's organic clothing as: "Form-fitting, cut-and-sew styles made from sustainable fibers and sustainable materials." Swenson notes several benefits that come with sporting the sustainable threads: "Our organic cotton is super soft to the touch and continues to soften after washings," he enthuses, adding that: "many people with skin allergies wear our Sustainable Edition because it is untreated with chemicals."

Start shopping with a green thumb this Saturday, when Nordstrom on Michigan Avenue will launch a new line of bamboo-fiber t-shirts called Bamboo T., designed by Carilyn Vaile; see Style listings for more information.

(2006-06-21)

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