Come Out and Play! Summer Eco-Fashion

On Mark: organic cotton tee by hessnatur, organic cotton jeans by hessnatur, Carwalk sneakers by Simple Shoes. On Dorothée: hemp and organic cotton tank by hessnatur, beylah skirt by sublet, vintage belt, vintage scarf

The first day of summer is next week and we got ready for the season by playing dress-up in organic and eco-friendly clothes from some of our favorite brands including hessnatur, Simple Shoes, sublet and NAU.

The guerrilla photo shoot took place on the unused Bloomingdale rail line that cuts through the Humbolt Park neighborhood of Chicago (for more about plans to convert this elevated track into a multi-use park, check out Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail).

On Dorothée: organic cotton tank by hessnatur, organic cotton scarf by hessnatur, organic cotton skirt by hessnatur, Pinwheel sneakers by Simple Shoes, bullet casing necklace by The MoonTree Boutique

On Mark: organic cotton shirt (Sea Weed Checked) by hessnatur, organic cotton jeans by hessnatur, Carwalk high-top sneakers by Simple Shoes

On Dorothée: silk and organic cotton top by hessnatur, vintage belt

On Dorothée: linen/new wool jacket by hessnatur, beylah skirt by sublet, fluent tote by NAU

On Mark: organic cotton tee by hessnatur, organic cotton jeans by hessnatur, Carwalk sneakers by Simple Shoes. On Dorothée: hemp and organic cotton tank by hessnatur, beylah skirt by sublet, vintage belt, vintage scarf

We wish you a summer filled with sun, outdoor adventures and fabulous eco-fashion!

-Dorothée & Mark

Flip Clip: Organic Cotton Farming in New Mexico

We made it to Tucson, AZ, but we're still thinking about our last video shoot, which took place in La Union, NM (near El Paso, TX). There, we met Dosi Alvarez, one of only two organic cotton farmers in New Mexico, and toured his farm. Dosi works the same land in the Mesilla Valley that his father and grandfather did, and he currently grows organic cotton, pecans, and alfalfa for the race horses his wife Norma breeds.

We've been interested in organic cotton because conventional cotton accounts for an enormous amount of chemical pesticide and fertilizer use in this country and abroad (1/3-pound of pesticides and fertilizers go into each conventional cotton t-shirt), and Dosi has first-hand knowledge of it. He made the transition to organic because he was worried that chemicals from the field would affect the health of his children.

We had a great time with Dosi and Norma, and we hope to make it back to La Union in the fall for the cotton harvest.

-Mark

Announcing the OrganicNation.tv Southwest Tour!

After two successful trips to the East and West coasts, we're very excited to be hitting the road again!

This May, we'll be gathering footage for a fresh season of episodes, filming innovative and passionate organic farmers, food producers, and environmentalists in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and some of the surrounding states. Video themes will include water rights, land management, beekeeping and colony collapse disorder, organic cotton production, and agro-biodiversity in the desert.

In addition to the those episodes, we'll be posting Flip clips from the road -- shorter video correspondences, shot with at Flip camera -- to the OrganicNation Facebook fan page.

During the trip, we will be test-driving a Ford Fusion Hybrid and we're thrilled to be sponsored by Motel 6, where we will rest our heads each night. We're also very excited about the fabulous eco-friendly brands that are sponsoring the tour by keeping us fed, clothed and looking pretty!

Any suggestions for places to go and people to meet? Leave 'em in the comments section. Here's a map of some of the stops we'll be making:

Organic Pick of the Week: PACT

Happy Earth Day everyone! Now that eco-friendly fashion is becoming more mainstream, more people are realizing that even their undergarments should be green. Organic cotton underwear to the rescue!

PACT offers design-driven, responsibly manufactured, premium organic cotton underwear connected to powerful social and environmental causes like ForestEthics and Oceana. 

This Earth Week, PACT is partnering with The Green Belt Movement to plant a forest. They've launched a special Green Belt print and from April 16th - 25th each purchase will give 100% of the proceeds to plant 10,000 trees. Who knew your choice of underwear could do so much?

Here are some links to make spreading the word really simple:

• Share on Facebook
• Retweet this

-Dorothee

Full Disclosure: PACT is one of the fabulous eco-fashion brands that have partnered with us for the  upcoming Southwest Tour.