Classic Neutrals, all made in USA: Suno, $595; Milly, $425; Vera Wang, $1750
Not sure what to wear to the DC Ecowomen Gala? Something eco-friendly, of course! The #1 most eco-friendly place you can shop is, of course, your own closet, but if you realllllly can’t find anything that gets you excited, then donate or consign those dresses you’re not digging, and start the hunt for a new one.
One of my favorite ways to shop sustainably is by shopping for secondhand and vintage dresses. For vintage, Etsy is one of the easiest stops with the widest variety of sizes and eras, and for secondhand dresses, you can check out Ebay if you’re looking for something specific, or head to a consignment site like Mode Marteau or Snobswap to get a more edited, on trend selection.
Last but not least, don’t forget to hit up the local consignment stores that are right here in DC! These are all small businesses, so you can feel good about supporting them, recycling an article of clothing, and undoubtedly finding a beautiful dress you’ll wear for years. Each of the stores below has well-edited, quality stock that changes almost daily, so you never know what you’ll find:
If you’re looking for something brand-spanking new, that’s cool, too. There are so many on-trend brands out there that (thankfully) use organic materials, manufacture their dresses here in the USA, or use fair trade labor, and I’ve put together a few of my favorites in the images above and below.
Spring florals:
Last but not least, one more eco-friendly way to dress to impress is to rent a dress via Rent the Runway. You choose dresses priced at $1500 and spend $50 to rent them for one evening, empowering several other women to wear it after you. It’s kind of like Zipcar or Car2go for dresses, and I think it’s the bees knees.
If you’d like to see dozens more ethical dress options like the ones above, click over to my ever-growing Pinterest collection of eco-friendly party dresses, and follow along with me on My Fair Vanity. And, of course, don’t forget to grab your tickets for the Gala!
Rachel Mlinarchik blogs about sustainable style that is kind to the earth and the people on it at My Fair Vanity.