Here’s a Portland, Oregon based husband & wife indie artist team who work from their home studio creating fashionable fare for their Hill N Tree gallery and Etsy shop.

While traipsing through the forest (yes, that’s how it’s done in Portland), they stumbled upon some Manzanita wood in a burn pile — took it home, give it a heavy dose of TLC, and created some exotic looking buttons as an accent to a hand crocheted headwrap. A nice alternative to either a hat or earmuffs. Stay toasty and stylish without breaking the bank – $17 Juicy Green Apple Headwrap. Now back to another episode of Portlandia…

Related: more eco-fashion on The Alternative Consumer.

Our friends at PlanetShoes were kind enough to provide us a stylish pair of OeTZI3300 shoes to test out. The OTZ-300GMS canvas shoes are ideal for casual knocking around – think yoga class, not rock climbing. I wore them for a couple of days, which included trips to the beach and a long trek to the store and they proved very comfortable. The CORKlite anti-microbial footbed actually got more comfortable over time as it conformed to my narrow feet.

The shoes look fashionably crunchy-granola – definitely not for the Brooks Bro’s set – with their coarse Italian linen uppers, thin, flat sole and slipper-like silhouette. The sole of the shoe, which is stitched directly to the uppers, provides a modicum of traction, though I wouldn’t recommend jogging, walking in the rain, or exercising in these casual babies…but for tooling around the pool, patio, or bachelor pad they’re magnifique.

Note: The company states that the cork footbed promotes healthy posture and prevents the always dreaded sockless foot odor.

These nifty shoes come in four handsome colors and retail for $75 @ planetshoes.com

Related: more eco-friendly shoes featured on The Alternative Consumer

Handmade, vintage and one of a kind – what’s not to like? This lovely handmade necklace (pictured above) from Authentique Design features a collection of vintage brass and copper flowers, up to 100 years old. The metal flowers are combined with and beautifully and accented by, turquoise stones. To create this one of a kind piece, a turquoise ring of stones was handmade and added just off the center. The total length of this piece is 18 inches.

Lithuanian style – these “Ecological handmade felt slippers” (pictured above and below) are made of Skudden sheep wool and Lithuanian linen. The wool is said to massage one’s feet whilst stimulating blood circulation in a manner much like acupuncture, improving, both your skin, and neural system. The insulating wool fibers will warm your feet on a cold day and cool them on a hot one. The slippers are offered with either cork or natural latex soles and can be worn indoors and outdoors.

Green note from the shoemaker: This felting is a long and earth-friendly process, whereby wool is felt to a solid structure using just clean water, soap and a dose of  warm, good energy and intentions. All work is done by hand, using local resources. During carding process, the wool is washed and cleaned without chemical treatment; (not carbonized), it’s un-bleached, un-dyed natural fleece. Handmade by Inga Samusiene in Lithuania. $75 @ the ingOOte Etsy shop.

(photo above) Let’s talk alpaca: warm, luxurious, renewable alpaca. The stylish Kanvas Coat from Kuna is 60% alpaca and 40% wool. On sale for $336.99 @ alpacacollections.com

You may already be aware of fabulous eco-jewelry by Alex and Ani – if not – here’s an introduction. The designers’ Caravan Set of 6 bracelets come in various combinations in Russian gold and silver. As with all Alex and Ani pieces, the bracelets are made in the USA from recycled metals and scraps from local mills. Visit Alex and Ani.

Related: more eco fashion on The Alternative Consumer

Rebecca Thoms Hanley of BananaSaurus Rex is a fresh, frugal and feisty crafter who magically remakes vintage fabrics into eco-friendly personal and home accessories.

Okay, not magically. She works her tail off and has a boatload of blazing-hot wit and talent to boot, so what you get is a collection of top-of-the- line redesigned Earth-honoring textiles and treasures. From charming HankyBlankies and hip VintageBibage to a kaleidoscope of Wine Totes and stacks of colorful sachets, sacks and bags, Rebecca preserves a piece of someone’s history and transforms it into a beautiful and useful piece that will gather a chapter of your own new and vibrant history. Grab the Adventure Bag if you’re headed down to Baja, up to the Ranch or out to the Sound for a last-minute runaway weekend…

Fill up an Every Day Bag at the farmers’ market, the neighborhood library or on an afternoon antique run. Christen a Wine Tote with a Two Buck Chuck and a note to “Pass the Bag On” to launch its life as a re-giftable wrap that could form a chain from wine lover to wine lover. Tuck in a bouquet of flowers for Valentine’s Day, or carry your bundle of artist’s brushes to the shore for a quiet day of painting. The gist of it is that each of Rebecca’s pieces, rescued and recycled, will prevent the need for a paper bag or plastic sack, and will provide a lifetime or two as a tried and truly cool sidekick in your home or out on the road.

Find more more eco-friendly bags, totes and sacks @ the BananaSaurus Rex Etsy shop.

This post was provided by Nik, our newest contributor and self-described metalsmith-gemologist-designer and artist.

Related: more eco fashion finds on The Alternative Consumer

Everyone plays Scrabble more often in winter than summer, right? Seems like every winter I circle back to Etsy’s SanDiego-based, HomeStudio, to survey their latest collection of handmade recycled Scrabble tile pendants. They’re a sweet little way to make a fashionable eco statement … so lightweight (and inexpensive) – the perfect accessory to pack when traveling. $8.95/each. Silver chains are sold separately, or simply provide your own.

Related: more eco fashion finds on The Alternative Consumer

Time to accessorize. This 3-strand woven necklace is made with opulently gold upcycled remnant wood beads and flex wire. Color and water-sealed – the necklace is approximately 21″ in length, with a 2″ extender chain. (more…)

Because it’s cold outside…look playfully cute and keep those hands warm with this pullover’s front access kangeroo pockets. The polar bear image is a 2-color print on eco-fleece oatmeal. Made with organic cotton, recycled polyester, and naturally occurring rayon. find @ Poketo $58

related: more eco-fashion on The Alternative Consumer

As any seeker of a more sustainable lifestyle knows, you can create great new fashionable looks with found or pre-loved materials. Our latest survey of the landscape reveals a few new standouts to add a little edge to your new year:

(above) U.K. jewelry designer Poppie Jasper creates beautiful jewelry – in this case the lovely Eirwen charm necklace – from the recycled, discarded, broken loveliness she discovers in her travels. The Eirwen charm necklace is a collection of talismans that include a large spike of recycled red coral, a white baroque pearl, an antique silver crucifix charm, a fine silver Crusaders’ Cross and a tiny silver and resin Catholic relic that finishes the cluster. All of the charms float freely along a hand-linked Labrodorite chain.

featured @ the Poppie Jasper Cargoh shop.

(above) You can find upcycled bags, bags and more bags at Ridgewood, Long Island, New York-based, Vaya Bags – handbags, messenger bags, laptop bags, backpacks, cell phone / iPod pouches  and a few other accessories – all created from recycled bike tubes, sailboat awnings, old vinyl banners and other reclaimed materials. Founder Tianna Meilinger uses no new materials to hand manufacture these stylish bags. As a former bike messenger, she designs each stylish bag with the biker in mind: utilizing waterproof material inside and out; easy access pockets; comfy shoulder straps with adjustments and releases; extra padding; and available with custom sizing and colorways. Line is affordable, too. A great way to cart stuff around, and keep perfectly good materials out of our landfills and never-ending wastestream.

(above) Totally kooky, we know … really had to dig to uncover this homage to prehistoric times – a Green Upcycled Dino Hoodie, resplendant in spikes, tails and all … one of a kind, natch $55 @ KendallMade on Etsy.

(above) From the eco-fashion style setters at Nau, this cute down blazer will keep you both warm and fashion-forward. The stylish little jacket is ultra-light, super toasty (850-fill goose down), water-resistant and, last but not least – the shell is made of 100% recycled poly. now on sale for $150.50 @ nau.com

(above) Add a touch of international flair to your body adornment while supporting Fair Trade handmade jewelry by artisans all over the world – gaiam.com

I recently received a Boulder Linen Scarf (Glade Stripes) from SLOWCOLOR for the purposes of  an honest, first-hand review; here goes…

(photo above) I adore this lovely scarf. So comfy, lightweight and easy to pack. This particular colorway (pale sky blue and mellow yellow) is subtle and refined. Made of linen, it adds just the right touch of style, for either casual or more elegant occasions. I’ve worn it just about everywhere – while traveling (car, plane and train); running around town in a simple turtleneck & jeans; with tunic, boots & tights; draped over a cute little black dress; and I especially love it as a little extra layer of warmth while at the overly air-conditioned movies.

The gauze weave is made of 100 percent premium European linen handloomed by artisans, which is pretty neat – creating a fine clothing item made without the use of electricity. Colors of the fabric are naturally derived from plants. To keep the process kind to earth, no artificial process was used to soften the fabric. You can tell that a lot of heart and soul went into its making. At first, it felt a touch stiff but the fabric becomes softer with just a little use and age.

It’s nice and long ( 24″ x 72″). I’ve worn it about six different ways, even as a short stole. Which reminds me, for shawl lovers, there’s also the Dakota Ridge – a line of wrap / shawls that measure 34″ x 96″ — providing shoulder-warming year-round.

SlowColor is a Boulder, Colorado-based company featuring Fair Trade, naturally dyed clothing  handmade by handloom weavers in India. Their 4 lines include: linen scarves, linen wrap/shawls, linen accent scarves and linen throws. psst: use code: for conscious comfort at checkout and receive 10% off.

Related: more Tried and True Green Product Reviews on The Alternative Consumer