Tis the season to be gorgeously green.

November 9, 2:20 PMLA Green Life ExaminerVicki Godal

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Its the season for little black dresses, elegance and all that glitters with gold. Holidays also mean gifts, so this year why not go green and give green? You can use your green backs to purchase green, clean, sustainable eco-gifts and fashions.The holidays are absolutely the time to get with the newest sustainable trends. Before you step into some trendy new style, lets talk sustainability.  To grow and process the raw materials used to make that hot holiday number, a toxic load of pesticides, herbicides and chemicals are required plus a lot of water. Sustainable shoppers know that and consequently look for holiday apparel thats organic, natural, recycled, uses natural or low impact dyes, is unbleached and has not been treated to be wrinkle-free. For the perfect drop dead entrance maker, be on the prowl not only for eco-friendly fabrics and designs, also look for Fair Trade Certification, where it was made (local)  and who made it.  The philosophy of sustainable clothing goes quite nicely with the  generous spirit of the season. Fair trade promotes good will towards men. Earth friendly raw materials and production create peace on Earth.  Sustainable purchasing choices protect the planet, and that makes you a very good boy or girl.

Sustainable fashion isn't a new concept. For hundreds of years, seamstresses and tailors routinely took blouses or skirts apart at the seams, added bows or took off sleeves to update styles. This reconstructing of clothes is perhaps the most sustainable thing in fashion going. Its called upcycling. To upcycle clothes into second and third generation garments is a creative challenge but most of the fabrics are generally durable cottons, recycled polyesters, silks, wools, denims and leathers.  Sustainable designers use their creativity to make stunning new fashion statements.  These second generation new looks are achieved by changing buttons, collars, sleeves and hems, for instance. Environmentally, the energy used to produce an upcycled design is significantly lower because the designers are modifying a previously manufactured item so the production and energy used in the fabric, pattern and basic garment is already bought and paid for.

For a great guide to green, sustainable and eco-conscious designers as well as for living and shopping in LA, look no further than The Urban Dwellers Guide to Green Living Los Angeles. Produced by Greenopia, this is the go-to green guide for Los Angeles. Green Living Los Angeles is not only  a guide book Angelenos can rely on, it also makes a super, eco-cool holiday gift in and of itself. Plus companies cannot pay to be in Green Living, they must meet stringent standards to be included.

For our sustainable fashion shopping needs, the Green Living guide nails it. Under the category, "Getting Goods," browse the extensive "Clothing and Shoes," list. When searching for the perfect holiday outfit, check out eco-designers like Stella McCartney who creates the perfect green jeans, and where you can also pick up gift sets of her organic skin products. Eco-shops like Tianello use Tencel fibers for their mens' and womens' clothing while VitalHemptations uses...well, hemp. Fred Segel Fun for men and women designs with organic cotton and bamboo. Menemsha specializes in sustainable accessories,clothing and shoes. Wolf designs men's wear of organic cotton, hemp and recycled polyester. For darling children's holiday wear or fun play clothes, shops like Ivy Greene for Kids offers sweet bamboo, organic cotton and hemp outfits as do Petit Ami and Papillon Baby. For holiday babies,  shops that design gentle sustainable gifts and clothes for baby include Green for Baby and Green Cradle.For outdoor enthusiasts' gifts, Patagonia and REI have some of the coolest gear in the outdoor recreation industry. For cute, green pet gifts,look in the Green Living guide under "Caring for Critters," for green pet suppliers like Animal Crackers, or Bark Williams.

So this holiday season, in the spirit of the season, be a green consumer. When we think about the future and making your rNew Years' resolutions, resolve to live lighter. Make earth intelligent decisions and purchases. Make gift giving an exercise in eco-consciousness. Spread the word while you're spreading the green.