G=9.8
G=9.8. Lenpur pine-tree-fiber stockings
Why It's Good:
Don't tiptoe into winter: Stride or slink with confidence in these soft, silky stockings. In colors like dusty blue and deep plum—so great with this season's sophisticated neutrals and tailored skirts—these thigh-highs will stay put as you launch into the busiest time of year.
Why It's Green:
Made of recycled pine tree fiber, the result of spinning fiber from dough made of decomposing white-pine prunings, these must-have accessories are the surprisingly elegant result of … extra mulch. A great alternative to cotton, which even when organically grown can deplete water supplies, the stockings' dyes and finishes are non-toxic (no formaldehyde or heavy metals) and non-allergenic (important to the designer Sophie Young, whose child is asthmatic). Finally, the packaging is made from leftover fabric that can also be re-used.
Where To Get It:
$18.00
Available at Setchi Ecoboutique at 1614 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, D.C. Call (202) 333-5570 or email fashion@shopsetchi.com to place an order and they will ship it to you.
The Right Tights
Unlike friends who mourn summer's end and remain in denial by going bare-legged into November, I welcome chilly weather. That's when stockings become as necessary to me as underwear (and on rare occasions of extreme laundry procrastination, replacing them), insulating and adding color to any outfit with a skirt. For years, Donna Karan stockings were the golden standard—those babies, especially the ribbed ones, are like stretchy steel, and can stay run-free for nearly a decade. Then came Maggie's Tights, which I loved for being organic, and for having a certain nostalgically schoolgirl sturdiness to them. Now with G=9.8 pine stockings, available in dusty blue and deep plum, you can be both a virtuous consumer and a naughty sophisti-cat (also a geo geek: G=9.8 is an equation describing the earth's gravitational pull). Smooth as silk and cozy as cashmere, the stockings’ pine tree fiber is made from recycling white-pine prunings, and is a lot lighter and stronger than you'd expect (wash them and see). As thigh-highs, they hold up surprisingly well and don’t leave bumps and lumps. This fall, think slink!