(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 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.

(M.J. Prest/EthicalStyle.com)

Earlier this summer, I became a thrifting convert. I was aware of the budgetary and environmental benefits of snapping up gently used clothing, but I always viewed the thrift-store scene as too much work for too little payoff.

That was before I figured out how to play the game. And so was born the “Goodwill Hunting” guide to successful thrifting.

The best part? Today I realized every last thing I was wearing (aside from undergarments and shoes) was thrifted. These items have become just that integrated into my closet. The striped sailor tee set me back only $3. My $5 vintage cross-body purse is genuine, thick Italian leather in the richest buttered rum color. The Salt Works bootcut jeans? Originally retailing for $175, I paid a mere $6.

All that means I managed to put together a reasonably presentable and totally recycled outfit for $14. And that’s not counting the $10 Seven for All Mankind black jeans, the $4 Michael Stars long-sleeve tee, the $4 cashmere-blend cable cardigan, and the many $3 real leather belts I’ve also adopted into my wardrobe over the past month.

My secret is threefold: patience, pickiness, and perseverance. I flip through every item on the rack, and I never go into the store unless I have at least half an hour to browse. For every 20 things I pick up, I try on maybe one and from those, I like maybe one out of every three items I bring into the dressing room.

And ultimately, with finds this cheap, I almost never have to choose between one item and another. If I like it, I will buy it without putting a serious crimp in my shopping budget. Because the one thing I can’t afford when it comes to blink-and-it’s-gone clothing is non-buyer’s remorse.

Give & Get has become a summer tradition at the Gap line of stores, and 2010 is no exception.

From August 26-29, you can save 30 percent off your purchase at the Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and their respective outlets — plus Gap will donate 5 percent of the purchase price to one of six sponsored charities. And you get to pick where the money goes!

This year, the lucky beneficiaries are Big Brothers Big Sisters, Feeding America, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria/Project RED, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Teach for America, and the World Wildlife Fund. We’ve had our issues with the Gap’s manufacturing policies overseas recently, but if you’re a charity-starts-at-home type, this promotion will generate thousands of dollars for American nonprofit groups.

Here’s how you participate: Visit the Give & Get website and select the charity you want to support. Then you can print your coupon and use it in stores (unfortunately, it’s not valid online). You can also refer your friends to the website so they can share in the love and great discount.

It comes just in time for back-to-school and stocking up on fall fashion!

Banana Republic Faux Wrap Dress, $98 at BananaRepublic.com.

(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.

Navy TOMS are a classic ethical purchase, and today you can get them half price from KaightShop.com, courtesy of Lucky magazine.

That’s just $24 for a comfortable pair of kicks in versatile navy that the company will match with a shoe donation to a child in need. Wear yours with jeans, skirts, khakis, shorts — you name it.

Just click here, add to your cart, and enter code LUCKYDAILY2 at checkout for the discounted price.

Swiss luxury jeweler Cartier has filed suit against members-only shopping website HauteLook.com for allegedly selling counterfeit, damaged, and secondhand jewelry bearing the Cartier name.

Cartier reportedly bought five watches from Hautelook to check them for quality, and the inspection resulted in the lawsuit. In it, Cartier says Hautelook never “partnered with Cartier and is not an authorized dealer of Cartier’s merchandise.”

According to Reuters:

HauteLook is “causing immediate and irreparable harm to the Cartier brand and trademark,” Cartier said in its 36-page complaint filed on Tuesday evening in Manhattan federal court.

Cartier claimed that HauteLook has sold used Cartier watches despite maintaining on its website that it “never” sells “secondhand merchandise, ever.”

It also said HauteLook has also sold Cartier goods that were damaged, were shipped in the wrong packaging, or carried defaced authenticity certificates, and sometimes included a Cartier warranty booklet though the warranty did not apply.

Cartier is rumored to be asking for more than $2-million in compensatory damages. At best, this is an “oops” of major proportions; at worst, it’s fraud.

Want to see how others have creatively treated recycled fashion? Feast your eyes on the following from the Behind the Seams blog.

• Inspiration for the “Electric Love” rings must have struck Seattle-area jewelry company Grain like lightning, as the first version was the absent-minded result of being bored in an art studio filled with junk electrical wire.
• American Apparel’s upcycled vintage collection, California Select, is full of flirtatious ’50s-era dresses with a modern twist for fall.
• Speaking of dresses, we still love the form-fitting silhouettes of Tesco’s recycled-textile dresses in collaboration with From Somewhere.
• Poland made a bid to become the recycled-fashion capital of the world this spring with the second-annual RE-ACT Trashion Show, featuring exclusively upcycled and dead-stock designs.
• Here’s something for the men: Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale has Timberland boots with a recycled rubber sole and a lining made from recycled PET mesh and organic cotton. Prices go up August 2, so buy now to get 30 percent off these sexy eco-shoes.

We’re not sure how Philanthropist Boutique stays in business, but for the moment we don’t care. The San Francisco shop offers hot items from popular contemporary labels — among them 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alice + Olivia, Catherine Malandrino, Derek Lam, Issa, Marc by Marc Jacobs,  Marchesa, Rebecca Minkoff, Splendid, and Thakoon. So far, so good, but lots of boutiques sell these brands.

The twist? All of the profits are donated to Bay Area charities. That would be 100 percent. Wow!

The lucky beneficiary changes every three months, taking online votes into account. Currently it’s the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center, a nonprofit group that offers pro bono legal counsel to those in need.

Be sure to check out the online sale rack, currently packed with summer sundresses and pretty blouses.

Philanthropist Boutique, 3571 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, Calif. (415) 441-1750.

(via GOOP)

Fellas, know that we love you, we just have such a hard time finding well-priced eco-fashion for the men. But today, success!

Timberland’s “Chelsea” boots from its Earthkeepers collection are about to go on sale during Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale, starting Friday. (See Page 79 of the online catalogue.)

Timberland’s website describes the eco-features so nicely, we want them to come in women’s sizes too:

Our Earthkeepers™ range features tough, rugged footwear made with the environment in mind. Thanks to moisture-wicking linings made from recycled materials, organic cotton content, rugged outsoles made with Green Rubber™ material and the all-day softness of leather from a silver-rated tannery, they’re durable, lightweight and always a talking point. This is laid-back comfort — with a conscience.

What all that means is a sole made from 42 percent recycled rubber and an organic cotton canvas lining that also incorporates 100 percent recycled PET mesh fabric. And more urban-rugged style than you can shake a stick at.

Timberland Earthkeepers “Chelsea” Boots, $99.90 at Nordstrom.com (starting July 16).