TrendThrift is a weekly column, brought to you by our resident fashionista, Kate McChesney, as a review of boutiques in and around the Los Angeles area.

Every day is Earth Day, so why not wear it on your sleeve? No longer restricted to birkenstocks and hemp necklaces, the fashion industry has branched out from bland eco-friendly fashion to glitzy eco-couture. A leading designer in eco-couture is the LA-based fashion designer Linda Loudermilk. Before getting into Linda Loudermilk's incredible designs, I'd first like to brief the kiddies on exactly what eco-friendly fashion encompasses.

Eco-friendly fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment, the health of consumers, and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry. Typically, eco-friendly clothing is made by using organic raw materials, such as cotton grown without pesticides and silk made by worms fed on organic trees. The process of eco-friendly fashion does not involve the use of harmful chemicals and bleach to color fabrics and are often made from recycled and reused textiles. Many high-quality garments can be made from second-hand clothes and even recycled plastic bottles. Eco-friendly clothing typically supports fair trade and are made to last so that people keep them for longer.

More on the eco-friendly clothing line, Loudermilk, after the jump...

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