Retail Therapy
Getting to One Green Street and staying in the Loop
Staying in fashion on the eco front just got a lot easier to do in Houston. Forget granola Web sites selling flowing, tie-dyed all-natural clothing and chunky brown shoes, One Green Street on Buffalo Speedway is a modern, fresh boutique with a green view.
Owner Sherry Eichberger is passionate without being pushy and she gets the need for fashionable apparel, jewelry and accessories that are environmentally conscious. One Green Street’s collection of designers is small, but growing.
Eichberger doesn’t buy anything she wouldn’t wear and her taste is reflected in the California-based Stewart + Brown line of stylish clothing for women made from renewable fibers cultivated without the use of herbicides and pesticides. There’s also a selection of upcycled pieces like Nicole DePonte's collection of Lillian Asterfield’s men’s ties-turned-ascots and Mandinka Designs purses constructed from recycled men’s suits.
And while formerly worn men’s clothing is brought to life in new forms for women, Eichberger has also found eco-friendly fashion for men, such as Loomstate apparel and Randi Tannenbaum’s license plate belt buckle belts. The reasonable prices are another surprise. Even with the high quality products, nothing will turn the budget red.
Browsing through the bright boutique, shoppers get an education on the newest eco-friendly buzz words. Hear the word "upcycled" and know the item in your hands could have been thrown away and headed for a landfill; instead it was transformed into something with a greater use and purpose. Items at One Green Street are labeled for shoppers so there’s no question if that T-shirt really is organic or if that shampoo is paraben-free. Look for the store’s mascot: Blonde-haired and bespectacled Dot (Do One Thing) for explanations of products throughout the store.
“The items create value and inspire change. If we all vote with our dollars we can make changes and live healthier,” Eichberger said. One Green Street is about the body inside and out, so the store also carries the EcoSmart Fire Products, Plover organic sheet sets, pet products, cosmetics and snacks like the to-die-for chocolate-covered banana bites.
Shopping is just a part of the One Green Street philosophy. Eichberger hosts a monthly events such as the Chicks with Sticks Knitting Society and Magazine Mixer which gives people a chance to swap out magazines over coffee before sending then to the recycle bin. The next event is Feb 13 and Eichberger calls it “A Lot to Say on Valentine’s Day.” The party is from 2- 7 p.m. with cocktails, chocolates, shopping discounts and a suggested $5 donation to Pink Ribbons Project.
Staying in the Loop and we don't mean 610
During a recent stroll through Rice Village on a gorgeous day, I came across Loop, a shoe and accessory boutique in the space formerly occupied by Brown Eyes Blue. Shoes steal the show at Loop with styles from Houston-based Bernardo's and the feel good Toms, including sparkly metallic slip-on which are definitely a hot commodity. Raspberry Rose owner Carrie Schwartzenburg opened the boutique in October 2009 and has added clothing lines such as the colorful and easy-to-wear Flying Tomato collection of dresses and the super soft and splurge-worthy Olive & Olivia line of T-shirts, which sell for around $60. Heels, boots and sandals line the floor-to-ceiling shoe shelves, but the prices are anything but high. With the exception of a few embellished pairs of shoes, most everything in the store is under $100 and new spring lines are popping up weekly.
Fashion Food for Thought
Nothing says Valentine's Day like champagne and chocolates. Combine them with a beautiful setting and a good cause and it's enough to put anybody in a Valentine's day mood. Tootsies is hosting the In Love with Fashion shopping night benefiting Recipe for SuccessFeb. 10 from 6-9 p.m..Jeweler Joan Hornig will donate 100 percent of her sales to Recipe for Success and Tootsies will host a fashion show at 8 p.m. Tickets are $100 and admits you and a friend.