So you've bought yourself a transit pass, sworn off farmed salmon, and replaced all your tungsten lights with those weird twisty bulbs. The next target? Your closet. But don't panic; as evidenced by the local designers who'll be part of the Sustainability Festival happening today (October 11) at SFU's Convocation Hall, taking an eco-conscious approach to your wardrobe doesn't have to be a study in dressing like a Bikram's devotee or a burned-out folk-fest diehard.

Leanne McElroy, 24, a recent graduate of the Helen Lefeaux School of Fashion Design, launched Elroy Apparel ( www.elroyapparel.com/ ) with her fall '07/'08 collection. She uses only organic fabrics, but don't let that give you the wrong impression.

"I found there was this missing niche”¦that just wasn't available out there," she says, explaining the impetus behind her clothing line, available at a variety of Lower Mainland stores, including Main Street's Twigg & Hottie. "There was yoga wear and the elastic pants and elastic tank tops. It just wasn't stuff I was looking for." McElroy's pieces–which retail from $46 for a shirt to $255 for a jacket–are all made from organic cotton. And there's nothing workout-ish about her designs.

"I'm really drawn to Asian minimalism," she says, "and the style of the '40s and '50s. I have a couple of jackets that are definitely inspired by an Audrey Hepburn–type look. I try to make structured and tailored pieces that really fit a woman's body."

And when it comes to women's bodies, today's young, sustainability-minded designers are taking a stand against the emaciated anorexic-chic models strutting the runways of Europe. As Chloí« Angus, who launched Chloí« Angus Design ( www.chloeangus.com/ ) three years ago, explains, promoting a healthy body image is just another facet of living in sync with the environment.

"If we waste away, what's the point? That's not sustainable," says the 32-year-old. Her promotional material features women aged 18 to 65, she says, and all measure at least a size 6.

Though Angus tries, wherever possible, to use natural or sustainable fabrics such as wool, cotton, and bamboo, or newer textiles such as lyocell (derived from wood fibres), she admits it's not always easy to do so.

"I can never find a company that's ready to do organic or sustainable lining," she confesses. "We just have to try and do what we can. Being too strict about it can sometimes not support it, because of the price tag attached to it." Every year, though, she's finding more earth-friendly materials and companies to work with. "We just found a green zipper company," she says, clearly chuffed.

Angus's collection, available at the Bay, focuses on tailored items, from $100 camisoles and $400 jackets to $2,000 gowns. Everything is designed and produced locally. While she says the West Coast has welcomed the green trend in clothing, Angus is less impressed with the fashion industry at large.

"Vogue will write an article about eco or green businesses, or green homes or offices, yet they'll have a model in a polyester business suit," she notes with disappointment. "I'm surprised fashion is taking so long to get on the bandwagon."

Perhaps the Donatella Versaces and Tom Fords out there would benefit from McElroy's observation on taking an environmentally conscious approach to living: "You don't have to be eating granola and sitting cross-legged singing 'Kumbaya'."