(Courtesy of Zappos.com)

Shoes are a tricky territory for eco-fashion lovers. If you avoid leather for environmental reasons, finding stylish, walkable shoes proves a recurring problem. But wearing pleather is neither comfortable nor ecologically sound.

So maybe that’s why we’re particularly drawn to Naya Shoes. Featuring chrome-free leather and suede, nickel-free hardware, biodegradable latex foam footbeds, and recycled elastic, these shoes take a holistic approach to eco-design.

In addition to its commitment to carefully considered materials, the company manages to stay on-trend. Rock the hot clog look with the Irina slip-ons. Try a T-strap on for size with the Timpa sandals. But our favorite? The pleated peep-toe Ana booties. Yum.

There’s a bunch of styles on sale at Zappos, so you can stock up on next summer’s sandals right now. (And with free overnight shipping, you can have them just in time for Labor Day festivities.)

Naya Shoes “Ana” Booties, $149 at Zappos.com.

(Courtesy of Jezebel.com)

Jezebel is really on the ball lately when it comes to spotting photoshop disasters in fashion advertising. The latest offender: London Fog, which recently hired Mad Men‘s curvaceous Christina Hendricks to star in its fall ad campaign.

The trouble is, her famous curves are way less recognizable after London Fog’s photo retouchers overzealously took the Liquefy filter to her waist, hips, and even her wrists. The proof is in these photos — candids from the shoot compared with the finished product. There’s really no question that she’s been digitally slimmed down.

Why any brand would go to the trouble to hire Christina Hendricks — the proud poster child for curvy girls — and then change her proportions in post-production is beyond us. Talk about missing the forest for the trees.

The train of thought behind the proliferation of knockoffs in modern fashion seems to say there really is nothing new under the sun.

(Courtesy of LoveAndCasinoWar.com)

Whereas every decade of the 20th century had its signature looks — flower children and mod in the ’60s, disco and glam rock in the ’70s, neon and Flashdance in the ’80s, grunge and heroin chic in the ’90s — the first decade of the new millennium has proven a bit harder to peg. It doesn’t even have a name that is universally used (the “two-thousands,” we guess?). How is it supposed to have a definitive style?

The ’00s was the era of bling and recession chic, of smoky eyes and smoke-free bars, of Bennifer and Brangelina. It was a bridge between centuries, both in the timeline and in its mish-mash blends of style. And brands knocking each other off — even at the top of the couture food chain — have become de rigeur in the fashion industry.

No big. Or is it?

As fashion’s heaviest hitters duke it out over intellectual property and design copyrights, fast fashion and streamlined manufacturing in Asia have made it easier than ever to translate trends into retail in record time. Sometimes it’s legal, sometimes it’s not. But in any case, is it ethical?

In this issue, we take a look at the reasons counterfeit goods have gone mainstream and when you should just say no to knockoffs.

Evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller makes the case that we are biologically hardwired to seek out status symbols — and whether they are authentic is besides the point. With that in mind, we review his well-researched book Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior.

In the same vein, you may wonder — is buying fake every ethically warranted? Madison explores the problems and benefits of buying into trends.

If you’re a dedicated online shopper, you want to make sure you’re not getting ripped off by knockoffs. But how? This handy guide to avoiding fakes will steer you in the right direction.

And as always, check out Seam Ripper for more news and developments on the fakery front.

(Courtesy of Bloomingdales.com)

It happens once a year, but it’s today: Save 15 percent on your purchase at Bloomingdales.com during its Fashionable Fundraiser to support amFAR’s AIDS research.

Bloomies is making a $75,000 donation to amFAR and discounting thousands of items 25 to 40 percent as part of the Fashionable Fundraiser sale.

To get 15 percent off (or 20 percent off if you’re a Bloomies cardholder and you spend more than $300), just enter code FFSAVE at checkout. But hurry, because the code expires at midnight.

BCBGMaxAzria “Graphic Waves” Side Shirred Dress, $118.50 at Bloomingdales.com.

(Courtesy of Samantha Thavasa)

The feds who track the import of counterfeit goods have their work cut out: During this recessionary economy, when consumers are foraging for deals, fake fashion is enjoying an unprecedented surge in demand.

The New York Times describes how it’s not just high-end purses that are now being knocked off:

“If there is demand, there will be supply,” said John Spink, associate director of the Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection Program at Michigan State University. In China, he said, “It’s all of a sudden them saying, ‘We have low capacity. What can we make?’ ”

The answer is increasingly knockoffs of lesser-known brands, which are easy to sell on the Internet, can be priced higher than obvious fakes, and avoid the aggressive programs by the big luxury brands to protect their labels, retail companies and customs enforcement officials say.

The results: Faux Samantha Thavasa bags for $113 and Ed Hardy hoodie sweatshirts for $82.50. And, bizarrely, imitations that are more expensive than the real ones: In 2007, Anya Hindmarch sold canvas totes that said “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” for $15. Now fakes are available on the Web for $99.

The internet has revolutionized the fakery business — especially sites like eBay. Ethical consumers need to be on their guard for deals that are too good to be true on goods that are anything but the real deal.

(Courtesy of CovetShop.com)

Perhaps some serious fashion lovers just cleaned out their closets, or maybe collectors are trading in their prized possessions for cash. No matter what the reason, our favorite used clothing and consignment boutiques on the web are stocked right now. Want to see our choicest picks and the best deals? Click on.

• We’re hopelessly in love with CovetShop’s peacock-themed silk sweater tunic by Temperley of London ($237). It’s brand new with tags and priced at almost 80 percent off (the tag says it retailed for $1,035). If you’re a size 8, snatch this one up!
• Still looking for the perfect military jacket? How ’bout this green twill oversize topper by Isabel Marant ($400), for sale at Decades Two?
• At FashionPhile.com, there are a number of authentic vintage Hermès silk scarves up for sale right now. We particularly the L’Armée Imperiale Russe pattern ($195), and it’s almost half the price of a new neckwarmer from the storied French fashion house.
• ConsignmentChic.com has a pair of sexy black silk Bruno Magli peeptoe pumps ($74.98) in seemingly perfect condition. If I were a size 8, you better believe these would be in my closet.
• And the pièce de resistance: Portero has a jaw-dropping Louis Vuitton “Alma” satchel in black Epi leather ($675). This bag retails for over $1,300 and it’s listed in very good condition, with only mild wear on the corners.

(Courtesy of the Andean Collection)

Anthropologie is known for gleaning its inspiration from handmade and artisan-made goods found in bazaars and flea markets around the world, but most of the time the products the retailer sells are replicas. Until now, when E.S. favorite the Andean Collection scored a big gig producing its fair-trade tagua bib necklace for Anthropologie shoppers.

The Andean Collection hires artisans in Ecuador to produce its line of jewelry, enabling them to earn a decent living without having to leave their families behind to find better job opportunities in the U.S. Most of the line’s jewelry incorporate nuts and seeds native to South America. Tagua, also known as “vegetable ivory,” was once the most commonly used material for buttons until plastic went mainstream in the 1920s.

For more about the Andean Collection’s mission, check out this essay written for us by the line’s founder and designer, Amanda Judge, and browse more fair-trade pieces in the company’s collection here.

“Perfect Skippers” Necklace, $68 at Anthropologie.com.

(Courtesy of Kmart.com)

By now you’ve probably heard of the J Brand “Houlihan” phenomenon. The company’s skinny cargo pants (which are sadly not part of the line’s awesome organic Green Label) are flying off the shelves this summer, and everyone wants a piece of the action.

Enter Kmart. In the span of just a couple of months, design execs at the discount retailer (or more precisely, its overseas factories) have whipped up a pretty close copy of the Houlihan for its Kmart Design collection.

The jeans, which are being promoted in the September issue of Vogue, will reportedly retail for less than $100 on Kmart.com, as compared to the $230 price tag on the real deal.

But what about protecting designer creativity? As far as we can tell, Kmart hasn’t ripped off the J Brand label or pocket detail, but every other element of the pants are copied down to the last stitch.

What do you think: Is this a fair appropriation of a trendy new style, or an intellectual property grey area?

(via Denimology)

Celebrities like singer Beth Ditto show that style doesn't have a size. (Courtesy of Love Magazine)

In Britain, researchers have learned that four in ten women wear a U.K. size 18 (equal to a U.S. size 14) or larger. And we have to imagine that the data would hold true for Americans as well. Yet in spite of recent development like Marc Jacobs announcing a plus-size line, women of size overwhelmingly feel fashionable choices are extremely scarce in the apparel industry.

Grazia magazine reports:

However, larger women have told researchers Mintel that more still needs to be done. Four in ten women size 18 and over say plus-size clothes tend to be less fashionable.

‘Rising levels of obesity mean that plus-size consumers are increasing and these shoppers are looking for improved choice,’ said Mintel fashion analyst Tamara Sender, ‘Given the numbers of not just plus-size women, but also men, these consumers can no longer be considered a minority or niche sector and retailers need to wake up to the potential of this market.’

If finding fashionable plus-size clothing is hard, ethical plus-size clothing is basically an endangered species. But luckily for our readers of size, it’s not totally extinct. Check out this guide to stylish eco-friendly clothing that comes in size XL and up.

(Courtesy of FlynetPictures.com)

Ever wonder what makes $500 sunglasses from Bergdorf better than $10 specs from the drug store? The Wall Street Journal recently set out to learn just that.

It turns out almost all brand-name sunglasses have a lot in common:

Do you prefer the “quality” of Ray-Ban to Oakley? Do you think Bulgari is better than Dolce & Gabbana, or Salvatore Ferragamo is better than Prada? Wake up. They’re all made by one company, Italian manufacturer Luxottica–one of the biggest consumer companies that consumers have never heard of. Luxottica also makes sunglasses branded Burberry, Chanel, Polo Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Stella McCartney, Tiffany, Versace, Vogue, Persol, Miu Miu, Tory Burch and Donna Karan.

“We manufacture about 70% of those brands in our factories in Italy, and the balance in America and China,” says Luxottica spokesman Luca Biondolillo. “We do the design, the manufacturing, and the marketing,” he adds. The company makes most of those brands under license, working closely with designers at the relevant fashion houses. But it owns several brands itself, including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Oliver Peoples and REVO. …

Luxottica also owns LensCrafters, Pearle Vision and Sunglass Hut.

The bottom line: Quality-wise, there’s nothing that those $450 Oliver Peoples Aero 57s can offer you that a cheapo pair of aviators from Sunglass Hut can’t.