More Noon Solar bags are in! We love the new Oakley Tote – it’s roomy enough for all the things we drag around and has great outside pockets that are perfect for a water bottles or your rolled up newspaper of choice. The two-tone Cortland bag makes a striking statement – yes, green and gorgeous do in fact go together. And then we’ve got the Logan Satchel in all black.

It seems only natural to look for a significant other who has the same interests and values as you, right? Well fortunately now there’s an acceptable term to label those of us who are eco-conscious and looking for someone who gets it. “Ecosexual” to the rescue. So for all the ecosexuals out there…ten Chicago date ideas. Of course the beginning of any great green date is picking a smashing outfit from Pivot.

1. Visit a farmer’s market and pick out ingredients to cook a meal.

2. Take part in an environmental movement together … like observing Earth Hour.

3. Attend a green function or meetup. Green Drinks is a good option.

4. Enjoy the Chicago sunset via kayak on Sunday nights.

5. Dine at a restaurant that supports local and organic farmers – Lula Cafe and Crust are just a couple options.

6. Share a volunteer experience, such as Stewardship Workdays for the Chicago Park District nature areas.

7. Ride bikes to a movie in the park.

8. Check out the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry or Lawn Nation at The Notebaert Nature Museum.

9. Sign up for a workshop on green homes with the Chicago Architecture Foundation and Chicago Center for Green Technology.

10. Rent Who Killed the Electric Car? and then ponder how you can save the world together…

You met Kaelyn a couple posts ago, she’s been working at Pivot since November, now meet Bridget – our amazing summer intern.

Bridget is going to be a junior this fall at Miami University in Ohio and she’s excited to be living in a city for the first time. She is majoring in journalism and has created a course of study that focuses on sustainable fashion. (How fantastic, right?!) Bridget hopes we can all become more conscious consumers and feels that fashion is an easy and fun first step.

She’s embraced Chicago as a city of bikers and is currently obsessed with her “new” 1970s Schwinn Suburban. Bridget loves DIY projects, new music and accessories – she knows that a scarf can solve any outfit dilemma.

Bridget’s New Year’s Resolution was to stop buying bottled water and she hasn’t spent a dime on it since.

Pivot is continually hosting great events to feature designers and other eco-smart ideas. Check in to see what’s going on – or sign up for our e-mail list so you’re always up to date.

If you are looking for a unique event space for a gathering of friends, co-workers or organization and are interested in Pivot, please call us at 312.243.4754 or email pivot@pivotboutique.com.

DECEMBER

Thursday, December 4

5:30 to 9 p.m.

Pivot’s Holiday Party

Pivot’s “Local Holiday Market Week” begins! We’ll be featuring eight local designers, all with great affordable gift options for the holiday season. Join us for the party on December 4th, or if you can’t make it then a selection of the gifts will be available at Pivot through December 10th.

Designers

Mayu – alpaca scarves, hats, shawls and capelets

Chapter One Organics – baby gift sets

Leaves of Glass – necklaces, earrings & bracelets made with vintage glass beads

Danny Volk – unique carryall tote bags made with vintage, reclaimed fabric

Lee Tracy – printed t-shirts by Chicago artist Lee Tracy

Five Accessories – handbags & jewelry made with fair trade labor and recycled materials

Sighn – handcut bamboo ITSOKs

Art School Girl – whimsical holiday cards to complete your gifts

Artwork by Chad Kouri

Wednesday, December 10

5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Benefit event for the Academy for Global Citizenship

Join us for a shopping night to benefit this new Chicago Public Contract School that is empowering its students to positively impact their community and world beyond. A percentage of the evening’s sales will be donated to the school to support initiatives such as their organic garden, nutrition education and organic lunches.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking at the press conference for Fashion Focus Chicago 2008. The conference was led by Mayor Richard M. Daley with Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, Alex Sanchez – National Makeup Artist for Lancome, and myself announcing our additions to the week long celebration this October 1- 8.

Pivot will be creating an exhibition titled MoSS: Museum of Sustainable Style. The museum will be set up in a studio space around the corner from Pivot and will include local designers who are using sustainable materials and processes to create clothing, jewelry, accessories, furniture and design objects. I’ll keep you posted on more developments with MoSS throughout the summer.

When you don’t find me at Pivot, you’ll find one of my wonderful staff members to help you. I’m lucky to have found such great people who are passionate about eco-fashion and living more sustainable lives. Today, meet Kaelyn…

Kaelyn is a senior at Columbia College Chicago majoring in Fashion Design with a minor in Art History. She loves knitwear, making vintage hats, going to flea markets and traveling to new places. Kaelyn enjoys working at Pivot because of the exposure to designers who are creating for a more sustainable world through the design process of fashion. She hopes to one day be able to have her own line that uses all sustainable and organic materials as well!

One green thing Kaelyn does every day? She turns the water off while brushing her teeth.

We’ve been loving the Eileen top from Lara Miller for a while now. And so was everyone else, so we sold out of it – but now that we’ve got some more in stock, we feel like we can brag about it some more. The open back is super sexy and flattering, yet the delicate cap sleeve and high neckline adds elegant class.

The long ties provide endless ways for you to style this top, without fuss. Trust us, it’s easy. We tied up our favorite table mannequin, so you can see some variations. We have the Eileen in cream, hazelnut and black. Bamboo/organic cotton jersey blend. $176.

Last night the 4th Annual Guerrilla Truck Show took over the corner of Fulton Market & Aberdeen. Organized by Fulton Market veteran Morlen Sinoway, the event featured independent furniture designers and artisans in a unique setting. Artists bring moving trucks, back them up to the loading docks around our corner, and then create mini gallery spaces inside. Our friends Roscoe Jackson had one of several truck spaces and Joshua Height at Brickermade opened up his studio. There was even a marching band (of sorts). For real.

We love our neighborhood…

On Friday we took our first Pivot staff field trip.  We piled into an I-GO car and headed south to the Englewood neighborhood where Growing Home’s newest urban farm site is located. Growing Home’s mission is to provide job training and create employment opportunities for homeless and low-income people in Chicago, within the context of a non-profit organic agriculture business. Before opening Pivot I chose to work closely with Growing Home through donating part of Pivot’s profits as well as promoting their work and sharing their story with the boutique’s audience.

Growing Home has three farm sites: a 10-acre certified organic farm in LaSalle County, IL, an urban garden at Su Casa Catholic Worker on the south side of Chicago and now an urban farm in Englewood. Growing Home sells their produce at Green City Market in Lincoln Park every Saturday, they offer a CSA subscription program every year and they supply several Chicago restaurants with produce.

At the Englewood site we visited, there are several hoop houses, which allow for year-round growing. Big plans are in the works for further development of the site, and we’re very excited at Pivot to support them in any way we can. Please let us know if you have any questions about Growing Home or how you can support their mission.