Green Is the New Black

In case you hadn’t noticed all the shop windows, we’re approaching that season where festive parties and gatherings with friends and family are a-plenty. And it goes without saying that we have absolutely nothing to wear.

Lucky for us there’s a new store in town, and it has knocked our (organic) cotton socks off. Finally, we don’t have to sacrifice style in order to be a good global citizen in Ottawa anymore.

Green Tree Eco Fashion in Westboro is all about environmentally-friendly clothing that doesn’t look all—how shall we say—granola. These are beautiful clothes that just happen to be good for the rest of the world, too.

Featured fabrics include organic cotton, bamboo, soy, wool and recycled polyester, and Green Tree features clothing by 45 different designers (with new arrivals every week).

Owner Sarah Barr is a fashion superstar with a great eye for design and a refreshing outlook on beauty and fashion. She helped us find exactly what we were looking for and acted as both guide and personal shopper. Most importantly she reminded us that comfort is key. (Who wants to be tugging at an itchy collar all night? Or invest in a dress we’ll only wear once?)

We were struck by how comfortable the clothes were. No holiday-style rustle and lacy old bustle here. You will be tempted to hug the clothing racks, or at the very least, walk back and forth while running your hands over them (and over and over them, again). The fabrics are incredibly soft and this season’s black/grey/cranberry/brown palette is flattering for many skin tones, and many of this season’s picks can be dressed up or down depending your footwear and the bling you choose to wear with it.

We were smitten by a knitted tunic-style dress created by Indigenous Designs. It’s made out of organic cotton by artisan co-ops in some of the poorest regions of South America.

So no more holiday guilt while shopping for a little something for yourself this year.

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