By this point we've all heard how important it is to buy eco-friendly products, and that includes fashion. But is it all just hype? Just another marketing gimmick employed by corporate America to try and get us to spend more dollars but feel less guilty about doing it? Many companies have been accused of greenwashing, and it's certainly true that buy buy buy is not the way to help our environment.

No matter what though, people will always want to dress in a way that makes them feel good about the way they look. We shouldn't have to compromise style in our quest to save the planet. Sure, we need to adjust our habits, but that doesn't mean that we'll all end up looking like a bunch of dirty hippies. Here's our list of the top 5 ways to really green up your wardrobe.

The following is part of an ongoing segment I call Indie Designer Interviews.

Tell me a little about yourself and your company. I'm Wendy, the owner, operator, designer, model, seamstress, copy editor, accountant, ad rep, pin pusher, house keeper, material sourcing researcher, etc. of Moop. Moop is a small company (myself and my husband) devoted to well designed and fabricated handmade bags. We're working really hard to grow Moop into something that will last a long long time. I feel like I'm in a unique position to take advantage of the attention and energy surrounding Moop to keep this going with a focus on sustainability (80% of every bag comes from up-cycled materials left over from major manufacturers and fabric wholesalers) and fair labor (as we grow we're committed to keeping things here in house, not outsourcing to fabricators).

How did you get started as a designer? I started this business before I knew it would even be a business. I was a teenage single mom looking for a way to make clothes for my kid that didn't look like every other kid on the block, so I bought a sewing machine and taught myself to make things. 10 years later, armed with two degrees (a BFA and an MFA), a husband, a lovely 10 year old girl, a cat named Mouse and a really big sewing machine, I started Moop with one pretty alright bag. That bag has since become a really great bag..refined, honed, modern, understated and really well made.

Who are your favorite designers? I love Built by Wendy (there's no relation). Last season she had this cotton ripstop shift dress that I was completely in love with. I finally decided to order one, only to find they were sold out in my size and every size close to it. I've been thinking of it ever since. So, maybe in a weird way, that dress influenced some bags. I work a lot with ripstop. I love the subtlety of the grid.