Due to numerous stigmas surrounding the herb marijuana, hemp fabric has been a tough sell in the fashion market until just recently. Though “industrial hemp” is legal to use in the US, growing it is not. Hemp fabric is generally imported to the US by China, Hungary, Thailand, Romania and Chile. The farming of hemp requires no pesticides or herbicides, requires little water, and actually helps clear soil of toxins by a process called “phytoremediation,” making it far superior to cotton production. As sustainability struts to the forefront of fashion, designers have started taking note of this fiber, once thought of as the type of material found in flour sacks, not Sak’s Fifth Avenue.

During the California Gold Rush of the 1850′s, this extremely durable fabric was used for the very first pair of jeans by Levi Strauss. Even with all the cultivation challenges, hemp still makes its way into plenty of American closets today. Simple, Adidas, and New Balance are using this strong, biodegradable material for their super fly sneaker styles. Eco fashion lines like Habitude and Mountains Of The Moon have sexy,

sophisticated dresses and tops of hemp and silk blends. Recent collections by fashion giants Armani and Dolce & Gabbana have featured fiercely taylored hemp suits. Green bag designers Helen E. Riegle and GreenOne utilize this fabric for their handbags and totes, and emerging brands like Hoodlamb are using uber warm hemp-based fake fur in their urban wear.

Though the DEA may still find the use of industrial hemp controversial, the eco fashion world has embraced it for its durability, not its smokability.

“Despite our race, religious and political differences, we’re all the same underneath.” As a person of mixed heritage, Ryan Christensen understands intimately the concept that, beyond cultural details- people are people. This philosophy of Christensen’s is the drive behind his eco clothing label Sameunderneath. He teamed up with his wife Amy and their friend Jamal Qutub to launch the label in the late 90′s, while all three of the entrepreneuers were still attending Portland State University. The brand made its debut out of the back of Ryan’s trunk, selling the shirts at school and music venues around town.

Since then, the Samunderneath brand has grown exponentially. The Christensens now sell their expansive line of urban chic ready-to-wear in two of their own stores in Portland, as well as boutiques from Decatur, Georgia to Anchorage, Alaska. The bamboo and cashmere garments are sold internationally as well, as far away as Iceland and Australia. As it turns out, there’s no place on earth that this label’s message doesn’t fit right in.

The Battalion is definitely a new force in fashion; sacrificing style for sustainability is just not an option. Sisters Linda and Chrys Wong have zeroed in on the sweet spot of modern fashion: impeccable attention to sustainable manufacturing, comfortable design for on-the-go women, and the creation of absolutely runway-ready ensembles. The Battalion’s super chic designs are not only unbelievably sexy, they also offer a high level of sophistication. Their edgy pret-a-porter is definitely made for the city dweller, be it the slick professional or the professional shopper.

Clearly affected by Chrys’s stint in Paris, the aesthetic of the line is unmatched in the eco fashion world. The originality of design and world-class tailoring make for an ethically-produced brand that can stand proudly next to Prada, L.A.M.B., or Marc Jacobs. While this brand of “Eco Conscious Couture” leads with style, The Battalion backs it up with sustainability on multiple levels. Here’s what they had to say about their sustainable methods of production; get ready, because these ladies have their green practices down to a science…literally.

We only use fabric that is made from the fiber of organic crops. The manufacturing process is not 100% organic, but we use N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide, which is a process less toxic than the conventional hydrolysis alkalization for breaking down cellulose in bamboo. The chemical manufacturing process we adopt is also closed-loop, so 99.5% of the chemicals used are captured, and recycled. As a result, only a trace amount escapes into the atmosphere.

In addition, 95% of the raw material used in production – bamboo and organic cotton are certified by Oeko-Tex. Oeko-tex is an independent and reliable certification company in the organic world for apparel. Currently, the Oeko-Tex label is the most comprehensive label for insuring that the garment is healthy for consumers.

We also manage our shipping process efficiently to minimize our carbon footprint. The Battalion’s raw material supplier is located in Suzhou, China. We contracted the sewing facility in the same city to eliminate long distance shipping. All communications with our contractors in China including designs and patterns are accomplished digitally. The shipments of production goods are shipped twice a year in large shipping crates along with other cargo to our warehouse in Los Angeles. The t-shirts bags utilized to ship merchandise are made from biodegradable plastic, which helps to further reduce the environmental impact. Finally, The Battalion is the proud member of One Percent for the Planet, Arbor Day, and Nature Conservancy.

I must say, I am thoroughly impressed with this line, where the designers are as rigorous with their own design ethic as they are with their design aesthetic. I certainly hope my closet is in The Battalion’s line of fire soon.

Shirin Azad and Mitra Sanai have created a gorgeous lingerie line that is both ecologically and socially righteous. This dynamic duo out of Venice, CA launched their SheandMe collection of chic and sexy separates made of organic cotton, silk, and modal last year, and the lingerie world has been buzzing about them ever since. Not only do Shirin and Mitra work as often as possible with female-owned and operated manufacturers, they also donate a portion of sales to Tahirih Justice Center, which provides free legal services to female immigrants and refugees fleeing human rights abuses in their home countries.

Both the SheandMe loungewear and intimates are designed to be comfortable and coquettish all at the same time, leaving behind the old paradigm that your sexiest lingerie has to be slightly irritating to wear (though that is a good way to make sure it comes off fast, if that’s what you’re looking for). If you do indeed like to take your time, SheandMe empowers the women who wear it and well as the ones who make it…Wow, I just made myself blush.

June is officially upon us…Here comes barbecues, vacations, bikinis and (perhaps most daunting fashion-wise) weddings…lots of ‘em. For that smoking hot man who cares about a cool planet, check out some of the more sustainable options for men’s formal wear this wedding season.

Rawganique was started on Denman Island in Canada. They are one of the few strictly sustainable lines manufacturers of formal wear for men. Their Eco Couture Collection has a good range of ethical suits, jackets, slacks, shirts and accessories for the eco-conscious wedding goer. Rawganique also has a great wedding registry!

If you’re looking for men’s formal separates, Downbound has some blazers and slacks to choose from. For affordable classic organic cotton oxfords, try Boll Organic and Greenloop, of course. Always remember too, that the most eco-conscious choice for men’s formalwear is probably vintage.

Now you brothers out there have no excuse not to make an eco fashion statement this wedding season!

As Hillary, Barack, and John pose for cameras, raise more cash and try to convince the disenchanted citizens of America to vote for them, eco fashion is taking its own stance. It seems, sadly, that none of the three candidates seem like they have their environmental positioning totally on point. McCain seems to think nuclear energy is the most viable strategy for fulfilling our growing energy demands-darn that toxic nuclear waste with a million year half life! Barack flip flops regularly on coal, depending on who he’s talking to, even though coal is made up of about 60-80% carbon and guess what is produced when you burn it? Carbon dioxide! Hillary gets incredible scores from The League of Conservation Voters, but she’s in on the “clean coal” smokescreen as well. The environmental politics of the winning candidate will make a massive difference in the survival of America’s wildlife and natural beauty, as well as the health of our citizenry. How do we make sense of these candidates’ policies on the environment?

Sameunderneath is one eco fashion brand that reminds us that, regardless of who our political party is, we must take the entire planet into consideration at the polls: Vote Global. This bamboo t-shirt is super soft and definitely crosses the aisle when it comes to the environment.