A few pairs of old jeans are probably taking up some of your precious closet space right now. They don’t fit, they’re out of style, and you haven’t worn them in years. But don’t be so quick to throw them out! And stop spending all that extra money on overpriced new ones! Jeans are the easiest clothing items to update. Here are some ideas:

1. Turn them into shorts or a skirt. This DIY project is actually pretty easy, especially if you know how to use (and have access to) a sewing machine. If not, enlist the help of a friend who has such talents. To turn jeans into shorts, you just have to cut them to the appropriate length and then sew a new hem (then pair them with the perfect accessories for an adorable summer outfit!). Making a skirt can be a little more complicated, but still do-able. For step-by-step instructions, visit this site.

2. Roll ‘em up. Possibly the easiest option out of these three, cuffing your denim is a simple way to solve the problem of jeans that are too short. To avoid looking overly casual, pair this look with heels. Wear a long, slim fitting top to balance it out.

Shoes & Top – Charlotte Russe
Jeans – Express

3. Rip ‘em up! Don’t you hate when jeans get an awkward hole in them? One that is totally, obviously not really supposed to be there? Well, solve that issue by just ripping a few more holes! This is another DIY project that is totally easy – anyone can do it! Plus, your parents won’t be able to harass you about spending $50 on ripped up pants. Click here for step-by-step instructions.

These ripped Acne jeans are $375 at net-a-porter.com. Rip them yourself for free!

[Main photo courtesy of  The New York Times]

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Yes, this dress is hot and totally earth-friendly!

The earth friendly movement is sweeping the nation – cars, homes, even an entire TV station, everything is getting the green makeover, and fashion is no exception.

What does Green mean, in terms of fashion?  Well, organic fabrics, recycled fibers, and green production processes that have a low impact on the planet, for starters. Ethically sourced fabrics are also a high priority, crafted by artisans from around the world who are paid a fair wage. In addition, sustainable materials like organic cotton and wool from humanely raised animals are sought out. Essentially, Green clothing companies have to take both environmental and ethical factors into consideration.

Sounds like a lot, but there are tons of earth-friendly designers out there doing just that. And doing it well.

Here’s a look at some of the finest fashion finds around, from designers and companies committed to making a difference with their super-stylish AND eco-friendly products. If you aren’t a Green Girl yet, these green goods may just sway you!

1. Terra Plana shoes. This company makes killer footwear.  The range is huuuuuge: flats, sandals, boots and sneakers, and my favorite amazing heels, all of them cute! Any leather they use is vegetable tanned, and they use a lot of recycled fabrics. They also invented a material they call E-leather, which is a blend of leather and textile fibers ‘re-woven’ to make it indistinguishable from real leather – and using far less water and chemicals than regular production.

2. Adili.com is an awesome eco-clothing website, a sort of clearinghouse for smaller Green designers, and let me tell you, there are some AMAZING things on here. This adorable be-pocketed dress? Made from bamboo, a totally sustainable resource!

3. Fashion megastore H&M is venturing into the Green arena with its line of clothing made from organic cotton.  A tiny bit more expensive than their normal line, but with H&M prices, it’s definitely still swing-able.

4. Stylewillsaveus.com: probably the best resource on the web for all things sustainable AND stylish. Go there. ‘Nuff said.

5. greenKarat is a line of eco-friendly jewelry that uses recycled gold in its designs. People underestimate the impact of extracting gems and precious metals from the earth, and greenKarat is working to reduce that impact. They do wedding rings, custom pieces, and fashion jewelry that they call “responsible indulgences.”

6. Peopletree.co.uk almost kills me with how lovely it is. They design gorgeous clothing, like this unbelievably sweet and chic tucked shirt dress, but that isn’t even half the loveliness. I love it so much I have to quote directly from their website: “In order to ensure People Tree fashion meets the Fair Trade principles set out by IFAT (International Fair Trade Association), we work closely with 50 Fair Trade groups in 15 countries. That way, we can bring benefits to people and the planet at as many steps of the production process as possible – growing cotton, weaving, dyeing, embroidery, stitching etc. – helping alleviate poverty in the world’s most marginalised communities.” I couldn’t have said anything better than that.

7. Stella McCartney. This woman has been slogging on the front lines of sustainability for years now. From organic cotton jeans and underoos, to vegan footwear, she goes the extra mile to keep the high end consumer (don’t forget, she is a high fashion designer) in ethically conscious duds. It might not be the affordable way for us youngsters to go at the moment, but we can always dream, right?

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, many of these lines or designers are smaller and mostly available online, and that is a big part of the Green game right now. It’s much more likely that things are really being ethically produced by smaller operations. It’s true that mass-production and earth-friendliness are no longer completely mutually exclusive (as we’ve seen with H&M’s new eco-line), but they certainly have a long way to go.

And beware: not all Green is created equal. There is no official regulation on what can be labeled “green” yet, so a company that uses recycled paper for it’s clothing tags can claim to be as Green as one that uses all locally produced materials and offsets the carbon emissions from all its delivery trucks.  A little research will go a long way, but I hope you’re convinced that there are some Cute (notice the capital C) clothes out there that can have you looking both fashion and earth-conscious before you know it!

I adore vintage stuff. Nothing makes me squeal quite like walking into a vintage boutique and running my hands along the delicate lace dresses and feather trimmed hats. The fact that all vintage shops have such adorably cleaver names just endear them to me more (Hello, Again Boutique? Another Man’s Treasure? *squeal!).

Sigh. Too bad they’re all too damn expensive to shop from. Ever since vintage became fashionable, the prices have skyrocketed. Eighty bucks for a blouse? That’s like, eighty times what it sold for in the seventies! When it comes down to it, I’m not willing to pay that much for a brand new shirt, let alone an old, used one. And don’t get me started on Goodwill – trust me, you don’t want to set foot into the one by me. Not only do they lack anything remotely cute, but the place is pretty gross, smells funny and houses some sketchy people. Ever get hit on by creepy homeless men while digging through a barrel of old nighties? No? Well you can take my word for it – it’s not fun.

Anyway, back to my point. In an act of sheer desperation born from an utter lack of cash, I went rifling through the only other place I knew that could possibly cater to my vintage needs: my 78 year old grandmother’s closet. Oh yeah, I went there… and to my surprise, I actually snagged some great finds!

It turns out you can find a lot of great stuff that, while it may not look so hot on your aged grandmother, will look pretty darn fashionable on you. It’s all about how you rock it – add a belt to an oversized dress to make it fit better, hem the skirt if it’s too long. Hell, while you’re at it, turn it into a mini and make your grandma really squirm.

If sharing outfits with your granny is too much for you, dig through her old jewelry box (with permission of course; you wouldn’t want to lose the diamond heirloom passed down for generations at some club). With luck, you might score some awesome costume jewelry: chunky necklaces, cocktail rings, and pearl-encrusted brooches maybe? Have fun with it. I did. And the best part of it all? I didn’t spend a dime.

So go for it, dear readers, and make sure you leave a comment to tell me about your awesome finds! Just do me a favor and stay away from the granny panties (literally)!

NBC did an entire week of prime time programming that incorporated green story lines, green facts, and tips for going green. Even I learned tons of new information and ways to reduce my carbon footprint a little more.

Also on last week was a small part of The Sundance channel’s large series called, Big Ideas for a Small Planet, “a documentary series presenting the forward-thinking designers, products and processes that are on the leading edge of a new green world.” The episode I caught covered clothing and the ways new earth friendly designers are creating products that help – not harm – our planet, while still being totally hot.

One fantastic Green company is Patagonia. Did you know their soft and furry jackets are made from recycled pop bottles? In fact, making Patagonia products actually keeps 2.5 billion pop bottles out of landfills each year! (And my Diet Coke obsession is not helping things…)

Even better, when your Patagonia jackets/shirts/anything get worn out and old, you can bring them back to any Patagonia retailer to be recycled. The material can be broken down and recycled into new products an infinite number of times! Think about all those materials you are saving.

Other Green clothing designers like Linda Loudermilk are making an easy change by using more earth friendly materials. For example, adopting organic cotton instead of the regular stuff. Why? Maybe because over 25% of the world’s pesticides are used in cotton. Ew! Not only is that bad for the environment, but who knows what it is doing to us?

Organic cotton doesn’t use pesticides. Sure, it is more expensive, but that is because more needs to be grown to get as much as its non organic counterpart. The good news is that the more people buy it the more the price will come down. And that will do wonders for the earth and our health.

Other materials making their way into the fashion world: hemp satin, bamboo denim, milk, seacell cotton and many more. The clothes look exactly the same, but work with the planet instead of against it.

Finally, we never think about it, but fashion is always changing. Like Heidi Klum says, one day it is in and the next it is out. And what do we do? Throw our old stuff away…65 pounds of it a year! That is a whole lotta trash. One way to keep our clothes out of the dumpster is a brilliant new trend sweeping the nation: the Swap O’ Rama Rama. People bring in old and unfashionable clothes and designers/seamstresses make it into something awesome. Skirts into drapes. Drapes into dresses. You are literally taking your own trash and making it into a new treasure: something new, something different, and something that you can feel totally good about.

This new fashion movement is yet more evidence that it is possible (and so easy!) to live a more green lifestyle. Bring on the milk pants!