Simple spring eco-dresses under $30

Recycled Fabric Dress, $19.95, hm.com.

Another money-saving shopping adventure! After heavy rain for the past few days, perhaps weeks, the sunshine broke through the clouds and brought spring. 

With recycled, organic, and biodegradable fabrics spun into eco-dresses, try some affordable finds this spring that are still fashionable and eco-friendly.

Stores like H+M and American Apparel that can be found in any major metropolitan area have trendy eco-dresses with a wonderful price tag attached.

Organic Fine Jersey Pillowcase Dress, $26, americanapparel.net.

Floral Print Draped Neck Dress, $24.80, forever21.com.

Faded Glory Women's Organic Cotton Maxi Dress, $14, walmart.com.

Skinny eco-jeans on sale $80 and under

Though pants with flared bottoms are making a comeback (the post is coming soon), skinny jeans are still a must wear.

Blank Skinnie Classique, $47, swayandcake.com.

Across the web, skinny jeans from Blank NYC are on sale. They used a little more than 20% of the biodegradable fabric, tencel, in these jeans that are conveniently under $80.

Thank You Super Stretch Ankle Skinny, $62, karmaloop.com.

The price of many eco-jeans creep up to $100 and over, so if you find a pair of jeans that uses a portion of an eco-friendly fabric like organic cotton or recycled spandex, it's still good to support clothing that's heading in a sustainable direction.

Blank Denim Spray On Skinny, $76, revolveclothing.com.

Eco-fashion inspired by African design

ASOS Africa Woven Mix T-Shirt,
$50.20, asos.com. 

The patterns and fabrics used across the globe continue to be intermixed in the eco-fashion industry, and African design is no exception.

Usually colorful, carefree attire, African-inspired clothes are created for the warm weather, therefore it's perfect for spring and summer.

Lalesso Paka African Print Dress, $108, fashion-conscience.com.

Fair Trade African Ruche Skirt, $63, fashion-conscience.com.

Hand Dyed Scarf No. 1, $30, oseiduro.bigcartel.com.

Leopard prints make spring fun

Always returning to the fashion scene, leopard print seems to be one of the styles destined to make a splash this spring. 

And there are some eco-fashion pieces available that display leopard print in a fun, tasteful way.

Gen Love Dolman Leopard Burn Out Top, $88, generationloveclothing.com.

Killah Top by Yoox, $59, yoox.com.

Shumaq Lavender-Printed Georgette Paz, $114.29, bluefly.com.

Norma Kamali Organic Cotton Printed Tee, $10, walmart.com.

Eco prom dresses

As prom season sneaks up on us, many eco-consumers will soon realize there's not a wide selection of eco-friendly prom dresses. 

While eco-bridal wear gets all the attention, women looking for an evening gown with a gentle carbon footprint will learn the shopping venture is rough.

Three major fabrics dominate prom dresses: taffeta, organza, and chiffon.

Taffeta is a crisp, woven fabric made from silk and/or synthetic fabrics such as nylon. 

Organza is a sheer fabric, and like taffeta, originally made from silk and mostly now from synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon. 

Chiffon is a sheer fabric somewhat like organza and can consist of cotton, silk, and/or synthetic fabrics.  

Though silk is a popular soft, light fabric, it's not considered eco-friendly since it disrupts the life cycles of silkworms. Eco-silk is called peace or ahimsa silk since silkworms finish their life cycles before the silk is taken.

Synthetic fabrics are man-made, not natural and not easily biodegradable. Textile waste accounts for 10 billion pounds of waste every year, so clothes don't easily disappear from landfills. There's a widely used, man-made eco-fabric by the name of tencel or lyocell, which is produced to biodegrade.

An eco-fashion alternative for prom shopping is vintage. A vintage prom dress is a surefire way to make sure nobody has the same dress as you at the big event. Recycle and reuse are the two factors in true vintage wear.

There are virtual and actual vintage boutiques, consignment shops, and thrift stores that can supply an extensive variety of prom dresses. 

Double check for stains, rips, and other malfunctions before purchasing the dress. Of course, most of the time, the clothes are inspected for these mishaps before being displayed for sale. 

Online, vintage clothing websites usually tell customers the problems associated with the dress and if those problems are fixable.

Some helpful vintage prom dress websites: 

• vintageous.com
• etsy.com 
• shopgoodwill.com

Hi-Def Strapless Dress in Magenta (tencel), $41, lulus.com.

Rooftop Party Dress in True Black (tencel), $88, madewell.com.

Appliqued Violet Tulle 1950s Prom Dress (vintage), $275, vintageous.com.

Eco-trend: silver miniskirts

While perusing online shops for the hottest eco-fashion, I came across two sparkly or glossy silver miniskirts with flairs. 

Juicy Couture Metallic Print
Gauze Shirred Skirt, $69, zappos.com.

They must be in fashion, and they have the power to complement anything from a vintage T-shirt to a silky blouse. Mix and match accordingly. 

Iris Skirt, $49.60, anniegreenabelle.com.

Make it a colorful spring with eco-skirts

Welcome a forthcoming spring with a radiant skirt. Solid color skirts are appropriate for any occasion. Though white was proclaimed as the 'it' color for spring, match white tops and blouses with these eco-fashion choices.

Adele Skirt, $22, peopletree.co.uk.

Dorrie Skirt,$75, jcrew.com.

Crepe Pencil Skirt in Mint, $78, outnet.com.

Tie-front Shantung Skirt, $88.50, outnet.com.

Sustainable High Waist Skirt, $79, fashion-conscience.com.

Argan and hemp seed oils act as natural bronzers

Argan Face +Body Oil, $24,
sheaterraorganics.com.

Bronzers add color and sparkle to our cheekbones, but like many cosmetic products, they wallow in things like aluminum starch octenylsuccinate, which are usually nature-based ingredients, but they can be harsh on some complexions.

For alternatives, 100% oils can make skin more supple and soft as well as do the trick of bronzing. Hemp seed oil and argan oil are two popular choices for natural bronzers.

Equipped with essential omega-3 fatty acids and proteins, hemp seed oil is known to heal and rejuvenate skin while adding color and shine. A side note: the hemp seed comes from a certain type of cannabis plant in which there are 400 varieties.  

Hempz Natural Bronzer
Tan Maximizer, $18.49,
sunlessliquidators.com.

From the argan tree native to Morocco, argan oil is also rich in fatty acids and shows the same effects. A side note: the Morrocan government has reserved the argan oil production business for women only.

Both oils are dietary supplements, so ingestion may lead to the same results. But both tend to be expensive, so compare price with size and check ingredient lists.

Most and all of the oil in the product is ideal because some manufacturers may add other natural ingredients in the mix.

Black & charcoal gray business skirts

A staple for the bottom half of many business outfits, the black or charcoal gray skirt can be very versatile.

Pair with a colorful blazer or silky blouse to emphasize the shape and flair of the individual skirt. Below are several examples of how the classic skirt can be eco-fashionable.

Poppy Skirt, $60, us.topshop.com.

Fair True Slouch Skirt, $63, fashion-conscience.com.

Chinti and Parker Cotton-Jersey Miniskirt, $65, outnet.com.

Bow-embellished Hemp Pencil Skirt, $236, outnet.com.

Made in America: finding US products

One of the major principles of environmental sustainability is supporting your local economy. For the past two weeks, ABC News has reported on the phenomenon of so many products from abroad overwhelming the inventories of stores across the country.

With clothing articles from U.S.-owned companies made in countries like the Philippines and India, it's difficult to find fashion authentically manufactured here from the cloth to the thread. Even a lot of the best eco-fashion pieces available are from the U.K. or Canada. 

Though fair trade is also a principle related to environmentalism, local economies across the country can benefit from the increase in jobs if we produce more items here.

Black girl organic tees

In the era of having design tees with an authentic message about your personality, I thought I could get a black girl tee. 

Just Act Natural, $25.99, skreened.com.

When I was younger, these were practically nonexistent. Like I made the idea up in my head that I could have a tee with a message about being a cute black girl in suburbia. It was one of those times I assumed I had to become a fashion designer to get what I want because my visions were too extreme.

Don't Tell Me To Relax! Tee, $25.99, skreened.com.

But those days are thankfully gone now since there are these adorable tees that come with the organic cotton or recycled cotton choice on the eco-friendly tee website, Skreened. The site acts as a megastore for different tee designers, so it's easy to find something you'd like.

Black Girls Rock 2, $25.99, skreened.com.

Popular companies launch eco-fashion initiative

Wal-Mart, Target, H+M, Gap Inc., and countless other companies and environmental organizations like the EPA announced today the launch of Sustainable Apparel Coalition to address the environmental and social challenges in the clothing and footwear industry.

Minimizing energy and waste and reducing the use of chemicals and hazardous materials are some of the goals the coalition plans to conquer in the near future. 

The extensive partnership may lead to more eco-fashion pieces available at everyday stores at reasonable prices.