GREEN PIECE: Clothing company follows green path

We’d all like to live a little greener, and often it can be overwhelming to decide what direction to take to protect the environment. An easy way to help our planet is to look for environmentally friendly clothing. Nowadays eco-friendly clothes are not only made from sustainable and organic materials, but they’re also fashionable.

I recently caught up with Melissa Baswell, president and designer for Mountains of the Moon, an eco-friendly fashion company based in Chicago.

“I would describe Mountains of the Moon as a vintage-inspired, chic but very wearable contemporary women’s wear label that focuses on sustainability,” said Baswell.

Mountains of the Moon started in late 1999 when Baswell started making original, one-of-a-kind pieces and selling them herself at craft fairs and music festivals. The company that exists now started in 2005.

“I have always been an environmentalist, thanks to my parents, and I developed an interest in fashion at a young age,” explained Baswell. “The fashion industry as a whole tends to be very unsustainable, and over the years I’ve done a great deal of research on how stylish clothing can be produced in a way that is beneficial, rather than harmful to the earth and its inhabitants.”

If you’re looking to buy eco-friendly clothing, it’s important to know what your clothes are made of. Mountains of the Moon has used eco-friendly materials since the beginning.

“We use mainly hemp, organic cotton and Tencel fabrics, all of which are much less harmful to the environment than conventional fabrics. Each is grown and then processed into fabrics using sustainable methods,” said Baswell.

The clothing from Mountains of the Moon is made in a small family-owned facility in Chicago where the workers are paid fair wages.

“When we’re creating designs, we try to create the smallest amount of waste possible, in both the patterns and the construction,” said Baswell. “Any leftover fabric is collected by us and reused.”

Mountains of the Moon includes a variety of styles, from casual to designer, and every piece is designed with the environment in mind. From pants and tops to skirts and dresses, Mountains of the Moon has classic pieces with a beautiful edge that will keep the eco-friendly shopper looking elegantly stylish and green.

“Each piece is designed with consideration for the fact that truly sustainable fashion must be timeless and can’t be ‘out of style’ in one season,” explained Baswell.

Protecting our environment is more important than ever. Companies like Mountains of the Moon set an example to not only look good but to also look good with a sense of integrity.

“We are proud to be part of a very important movement in the fashion industry (sustainable fashion) and feel good that having an eco-friendly focus has been our goal since day one,” said Baswell.

For more information on Mountains of the Moon visit www.mountainsofthemoon.com.

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