How to Dress Eco-Friendly This Winter (and Look Good Doing It)

As Ned Stark always says, winter is coming – and this year eco-minded fashionistas actually have a good reason to get excited about it. Once completely ignored by designers, eco-friendly winter fashion has taken center this stage this season. All sorts of recycled wool coats and organic cotton are hitting the market, making winter a veritable wonderland for eco-geeks and fashion mavens. So if you’re looking to add some extra pizazz to your wardrobe this season, here’s a rundown of some of the best clothes that will help keep you cozy and carbon-neutral when the temperatures drop.

The Coats

A coat is probably most people’s biggest must-have item for the winter. Check out Grace & Cello’s Lucia coat or NaturevsFuture’s Swerve jacket.  Both coats are made from 100% recycled materials and embody that classic “pea coat” style that’s so hot right now.

What’s great about these coats is that you can wear them everywhere, from art openings to farm shows. Dress them up with heels and jewelry or down with boots and a beanie – it doesn’t matter. They’ll keep you stylish and warm, no matter where you go.

The Dresses

Eco-friendly dresses are being produced in all sorts of styles and shapes this season. At the moment, Prophetik is the company on everyone’s wish list. They offer a wide variety of super-fashionable organic, fair trade dresses that look like they came straight off the runway. For a more affordable selection, peruse the line of organic dresses offered by up-and-comers Future: Standard and Feral Childe.

Finally, if you find yourself in need of a fancy gown for a winter wedding or formal, then check out Jovani’s 2013 collection. The popular high-end gown design house announced that it would be incorporating a number of eco-friendly technologies into its production process this season.

The Shoes

What would a winter walk be without a good pair of boots? Both Timberland and Patagonia offer a line of reliable, recycled-rubber hiking boots that will keep your feet dry no matter how wet it gets outside. However, if you’re looking for something more fashionable, you need to grab yourself a pair of riding boots.

Riding boots are far and away the trendiest footwear of the season. You can find a variety of vegan – that’s right, vegan – riding boots at eco-retailers like Ecouterre and Polyvore.  The production quality on these new boots is so good that you won’t even be able to tell that you’re not wearing real leather.

The Accessories

Once you’ve got the basics of your new eco-friendly winter outfit assembled, you need to finish it off with some awesome accessories.  Given the popularity of primitive-style jewelry and organic materials, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find some awesome new additions to your closet.

For outerwear, check out Mayu’s line of fair trade, alpaca-hair scarves, hats and gloves.  For all things dangly and sparkly, check out the new lineup by Monique Péan . Her designs, which have been featured by Vogue and Oprah, are all made of sustainable materials and in conjunction with several philanthropic organizations. It’s some of the prettiest eco-friendly jewelry money can buy.

Green is definitely going to be the coolest color this winter. With so many eco-friendly designers putting their products on the market, it’s easier than ever before to stock your wardrobe with clothes that look great and are healthy for the environment. So go ahead and indulge yourself in something recycled or organically farmed this season. You deserve it, and so does the planet.

Bio: Kris Williams is a proud vegetarian, confessed fashion addict and lover of all things technological. When she’s not busy being the overindulgent mother to a fussy eight year-old, you can find her blogging at StyleCynics.com