Birch: a style-conscientious shop
Ellen Gavin has turned an obsession with finding organic clothes into a new career. In May, Gavin and her friend Marti Markus opened Birch Clothing, a southwest-Minneapolis boutique featuring clothes at the forefront of the next wave in green chic.
While working as a lawyer specializing in utility regulation, Gavin's increasing environmental awareness led her on a search for organically made clothing that was fashionable and office-appropriate.
"It was difficult to locate anything that was both stylish and of good quality," she said. "I wanted more rich colors and interesting textures, and a little more tailoring."
The store's emphasis is on women's fashion, but Gavin also stocks organic men's shirts, pants and sweaters. Recent fall arrivals include a knee-length swingy, brown-corduroy skirt ($116), sailor pants in squash-dyed hemp ($84) and V-neck half- sleeve top in olive or marine ($38), a blue-striped belted sweater coat with hoodie of silk and cotton ($124), a long-sleeved hemp/cotton blend scoop-neck T-shirt in maize ($30), and a cotton/hemp men's crewneck sweater in green, blue, red or gray ($50). The store carries colorful handbags made from recycled silk Nepalese saris ($21) and black evening bags made out of recycled rubber tires ($74).
"A lot of my customers are not on an environmental mission," Gavin said. "They just like the look and feel of the clothes."
KRISTIN TILLOTSON, Star Tribune
