Eco-friendly dress optionsPosted by Sarah, on April 30th, 2010

Yes, the wedding you always dream of. Prince Charming, doves, champagne… The whole deal coming to fruition after years of anticipation. And surely you can’t forget the bamboo dress… Right?

Step away from the silk and harness changes in wedding fashion. Being an eco-bride is becoming increasingly common. But if your local bridal shop doesn’t carry these conscious creations several eco-couture bridal designers have online stores that’ll help bring you closer to your dress of your dreams.

Originally published as Green gowns for your big day from ecoki.com.

Conscious Clothing uses sustainable and biodegradable hemp fabrics. They’ve been developing hemp clothing since 1995, and gowns since 1999. Their gowns start at a comfortable $700. They also feature hemp suits for men (at $1,200), bridesmaids wear (at $175+), and flower girl dresses ($275). (getconscious.com)

Deborah Lindquist is one of LA’s favourites, with her creations flowing on the svelte bodies of many stars, including Gwen Stefani, Demi Moore, and Paris Hilton. She combines repurposed fabrics with sustainable choices in her designs, developing her own kind of conscious clothing. Her pieces start modestly priced ($300 to $3000), often in separates to fit any size, and available at many bridal shops throughout the US. (deborahlindquist.com)

Tara Lynn has been designing  hemp gowns since 1999. Made of 100% hemp, or hemp/cotton and hemp/silk blends, and custom tailors them for you. She ships internationally, and mails your fittings to get pinned by a seamstress in order to get the job most efficiently done. She also makes suits, shirts, and pants for the groom. Contact for pricing. (taralynnstudio.com)

Chris Kole introduced his line The Cotton Bride in 2007, a couture bridal collection focusing on cotton and linen combined with other natural fabrics. Each hand-sewn gown is adorned with accents of beadwork and trim, merging simplicity with grace and style. Contact for pricing.
(chriskole.com and thecottonbride.com)

Threadhead Creations have been beautifying brides since 1999, with natural fibres such as hemp, bamboo, peace silk and organic cotton. They offer three choices – those who to prefer to buy off-the-rack, those who opt to design their own dressed based on a blanket Threadhead creation, or those who would like to work closely with the creators for a custom option. Off-the-rack choices range from $700 to $1295, design your dress begins at an easy $545, and custom dresses start at $1000. Some of the most eclectic and cost-efficient choices are available at this green dress guru. (threadheadcreations.com)

Morgan Boszilkov’s Natural Bridal Colllection hasn’t been around as long as some of the others, but her products are right up to speed. “Handcrafted with love”, each dress uses sustainable fabrics combined with an elegance that doesn’t sacrifice style. Some of the dresses include a detachable bottom skirt, perfect for the reception or wants to reuse the pieces for a later outfit. 5% of all profits are donated to eco-causes. Hemp, organic cotton, peace silk, and bamboo are among the materials used to develop her line.  Contact for pricing. (naturalbridals.com)

Annatarian is run by designer Anna  Mkhitarian, who develops products that are better for the environment, preserve the artisan craft, and strive for eco-effectiveness. Designed from vintage and remnant fabrics, along with others such as bamboo, organic cotton, peace silk, she combines  reduce, reuse, recycle in a one-of-a-kind dress. She  also can incorporate your own items – for example, your mother’s mother’s mother’s tiara, to develop the dress and accessories of your dreams. (annatarian.com)

If you live in the UK, try Wholly Jo’s. Designer Joanne uses organic, fair-trade, and recycled materials to deliver her dresses. Created from organic cotton, hemp, and peace silk, Joanne also ensures that ethical practices are in place, such as not copying other designer’s creations. Dresses range from £500-£550. (wholly-jo.co.uk)

Simple, sustainable, and by far the most cost-efficient is Rawganique’s Eco-Couture hemp dresses and suits. The whole wedding party can be outfitted with their line of hemp and linen designed clothing  The hemp is organic and fair-trade, and start at $329 for suits and $349 for dresses. Footwear and accessories are also available, combining materials such as hemp and flax, and are also 100% vegan. (rawganique.com)