Planet-friendly fashion doesn’t have to mean sack dresses, as Lav & Kush’s flirty, sustainable-linen-blend summer jumper (available at body politic) proves.

A few years ago, Nicole Ritchie-Oseen was thinking about what kind of clothing store she wanted to open. While the young entrepreneur was brainstorming different ideas with friends and family, her mom laid down a challenge: make it as eco-conscious as you possibly can. As Ritchie-Oseen recalls, she wasn’t exactly thrilled at the thought of limiting her stock to environmentally friendly designs.

“When she presented that to me, I sort of rolled my eyes and thought, ”˜Oh great, here we go,’ but I’m glad I looked into it because I was really impressed with what I was seeing,” says Ritchie-Oseen. “But yeah, I did have those same beliefs that it was just going to be baggy T-shirts and everything in shades of beige.”

Once she got past her preconceived notions of ecowear being shapeless, colourless hippie garb, it was game on. She took hold of her mom’s green gauntlet and opened body politic (208 East 12th Avenue) in December of 2008. The modest SoMa boutique only carries North American designers who work with sustainable materials—whether it be organic or reclaimed.

While her mom’s goad played a big part in Ritchie-Oseen’s awakening, her real a-ha moment happened after she took a long hard look at her own wardrobe.

“I was looking at my closet and it was stuffed, but with junk, really—things that were either so trendy that you wear them twice and you’re done with them or they’re literally falling off your body as you’re wearing them,” says the now tastefully tailored clothier, who recently sat down with the Straight at her warm and welcoming mid-scale indie store. “I don’t get a thrill from buying things like that any more. I really do look for quality.”

Which is great—for those who have the income to support locally manufactured, limited-edition pieces in the $200 range. But there are many fashionistas with restrictive clothing budgets who would rather pick up 10 H&M dresses for the same price as one ecofriendly, handmade frock. And it’s not that Ritchie-Oseen doesn’t get that—it’s just that she personally no longer buys into it.

“I think it is just where your values lie and what’s most important to you,” says the thoughtful and sweet Ritchie-Oseen before adding, “At the same time, it doesn’t have to be so serious: you’re gonna leave here with a fabulous dress that you’re going to get loads of compliments on and not everyone in this city is going to have it.”

A great example of one such worthy get-up is Lara Miller’s organza Hudson dress ($239), a sexy, strapless cocktail frock with a sheer black overlay and an exposed gold zipper on the side. Planet schmanet, this Chicago-made LBD is one hot number.

“I call this one our ultimate party dress,” says Ritchie-Oseen with a laugh. “The fabric is actually a vegan silk, so basically cruelty-free silk. That means the silkworms are allowed to emerge from their cocoons before whatever it is they do [harvest the silk]. But again, it’s really cute and flirty and fun and you’d never look at it and say, ”˜That’s an eco-sack.’?”

Nor would you say that about the Lav & Kush summer jumper ($150). This locally designed and made, indigo strapless one-piece with a smocking waist, ruffled bust detail and ties that cinch in each pant leg is not only one of the cutest easy-to-wear outfits on the market these days, but it’s also made from a sustainable linen blend. Then there’s Feral Childe’s funky fitted hemp blazer ($297), which boasts a quirky black-and-white, hand-drawn pencil-sketch print—very Manhattan art scene in a nouveau John Lennon sort of way.

And with so many North American labels like New York’s Feral Childe offering greener solutions to fast fashion, the selection of stylin’ eco pieces increases with each passing season—something that makes Ritchie-Oseen’s job a little bit easier as time goes on.

“I love it,” she says, adding she looks forward to every shipment of new inventory she receives. “It’s like Christmas. I’m never disappointed.”