Over on Tesco’s U.K. website, The O.C. actress Mischa Barton is promoting 10 bags reportedly of her making.

However, we can’t help but notice the similarities between one of her bags and a design by a favorite eco-designer of ours, Novella Royale.

A key difference between the Mischa Barton Oversized Bowler (£45, or $70.25 in USD, pictured on the left) and the Novella Royale Mister Stud Bowler ($584, on the right) is that while Novella Royale prides itself on its high-quality recycled leather and organic cotton lining, the Tesco bag is made from polyurethane in Asian factories. Boo.

What do you think, E.S. readers? Is the similarity a coincidence or suspicious to you?

High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens looks totally adorable in boyfriend Zac Efron’s plaid shirt, and with a few easy DIY tips courtesy of the Prom Mafia, you too could be rocking the feminized version of the classic men’s button-down.

All you’ll need is an old shirt from your dad, brother, boyfriend, or BFF, some simple tailoring to emphasize the waist, and easy alterations to the sleeves. (Follow along with the visual aids here.)

Wear it as a minidress with espadrilles like Vanessa, or with leggings or jeans if you’re less daring about bare legs. The men’s detailing means you have license to go hog wild with jewelry and accessories, so have at it!

But what we didn’t know is that Ellen is also a big-time greenie, and that just makes us love her even more.

Ecorazzi.com has the proof: She has studied permaculture while shoveling manure in Eugene, Ore., for a month after filming Juno; she was snapped by the paparazzi looking at sustainably-built condos in Los Angeles; she drives a Smart Car; she says she and Leonardo DiCaprio talked “about the ecological situation” while filming Inception; and she appears in the environmental documentary 2012: Time for a Change.

Could showing some love for eco-designers on her next red carpet be next? We certainly hope so!

And he’s not happy about it.

On the July cover of Outside magazine, the cyclist poses in a tee-shirt that reads “38. BFD.” (That is to say, he is 38 years old and is still a big freakin’ deal.) Only problem is, the shirt he really wore was blank; the editors added in the copy in post-production.

Annoyed at the revisionist history, Mr. Armstrong used his Twitter account to call the retouching job “lame” and “weak.”

And if he was really unaware that he’d be depicted wearing something with an arrogant slogan, we’re inclined to agree.

The deliciousness of a three-day weekend looms just within reach, and the writers at E.S. wish you all a happy Independence Day.

On that note, want more inspirational stories on free-thinking designers showing serious moxie? We’ve got you covered for reading material:

• Indie rocker Morrissey offers his candid reasons for why he makes allowances for leather shoes, even though he’s a vegan.
• These small businesses are sticking to their ideals and succeeding at every turn.
• Help silk weavers in Thailand achieve financial independence by buying one of these fair-trade silk shirts and scarves by Kohtrad. Part of the proceeds support microfinance programs overseas through Kiva.org.
• Want to know what you’re really getting when you buy organic? Independent third-party certification is the way to go.
• Maggie Gyllenhaal, our favorite independent movie star, also shows serious commitment to eco-ideals in fashion.

Enjoy the break, and we’ll be back at you on Tuesday.

We love Christina Hendricks for so many reasons, but now we have a new one: She has enough body confidence that she doesn’t let the fashion critics get her down with insensitive, body-shaming comments.

The 35-year-old star of Mad Men tells the July/August issue of Health magazine:

“I made the grave mistake after one awards show of reading comments online about what I wore, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, people are so mean!’” Hendricks reveals. “I still remember all those negative comments, despite all the wonderful positivity. That’s why we’re all in therapy!”

Because of the criticism, the newlywed admits she’s surprised to learn she’s often cited as one of the most desirable bodies in Hollywood.

“Really? They dont say Jessica Alba? ‘Cause that’s what I say!” she laughs. “It’s such a compliment, because of all those times I had agents who were like, “You have to lose some weight,” and all of a sudden, people are celebrating it.”

We understand why she doesn’t read blog comments about her looks anymore, but we hope she wouldn’t mind ours. We are big fans of any intelligent, confident actress who is willing to stand up and say she’s healthy and proud of her body, damn the torpedoes.

This week, he spoke to New York Magazine about why his preference for fur is an informed choice, and what we can expect to see from him fashion-wise in the future:

You encountered a spot of trouble earlier this year for wearing a bit of fur on one of your skating outfits. Do you own a lot of fur?
I do have a lot of fur. I’m a big fan of fur. I’m not a fan of nutria or fake fur and I’ve taken a lot of flack for that, but it’s just a choice that I make. I travel a lot to Russia and it’s usually in winter when I’m in Russia, so you can’t walk around in a plastic coat and plastic boots when it’s minus 40 degrees. I’m from the country, I’ve gone hunting, so I know what happens. I know everything there is to know about the fur industry and I choose to wear fur.

He also reports he has a men’s clothing line in the works, about which he says: “I want Chanel quality, of course — a different price point, but of course Chanel quality.” Love him or hate him, you have to give it to him that he knows what he wants and where he stands on fashion ethics.

Emma Watson, the cherubic star of the Harry Potter movies, can add a new credit to her résumé: love interest in her musician boyfriend’s music video, “Say You Don’t Want It.”

In it, the fair-trade–loving starlet wears a short fur jacket that boasts a vintage vibe as they traipse through New York.

Ms. Watson has been outspoken in her support for People Tree, even collaborating on a fair-trade fashion collection for teens with the British label. So we find it interesting that she’s also showing love for vintage in this music video, presumably over which she had some creative control in the wardrobe department.

Keep on rockin’ in the free world, Emma.

However, it’s not a clear-cut example copyright infringement, since the Twilight costume designer has said that she bought that same BB Dakota hoodie at Nordstrom Rack to fill an urgent wardrobe need during the filming of the first movie. Meaning it was a commercially available product long before Twilight hit the big screen.

However, now BB Dakota includes a Twilight hang tag on every “Bella” hoodie featuring an unlicensed image of Kristen Stewart. Therein lies the problem.

Summit is asking that BB Dakota not only pony up all the profits from the jacket’s sales, but also surrender all remaining “Bella” hoodies for destruction. We understand both sides of this conflict, but really, creating all of this unnecessary waste seems far too extreme a way to protect profits.

What do you think?

The “Joy” satchel, co-designed with actress Joy Bryant (who is pictured here with her gorgeous bag and Ms. Botkier), features lovely pleating in rich tobacco brown leather and a detachable cross-body strap.

Best of all, a full 50 percent of the retail price has been pledged to fight hunger through Oxfam International’s foundation. As far as product-based charitable donations go, this is a pretty generous offer.

You may also remember the bag Michelle Trachtenberg made for the effort last fall — it’s just as beautiful, both inside and out.

Botkier “Joy” Satchel, $575 at Shopbop.com.