A Stone’s Throw

Lose the Hippie Look and go Eco-chic with The White Pebble

Cynthia Lewis / 994 Magazine

Most know that buying locally grown, organic food is best for the earth and beneficial to the body. Yet what one wears on the outside may be just as important as what he or she puts on the inside. Now even shopaholics can make green-conscious decisions when scoping stores and sites for new threads. The new San Diego-based online store, The White Pebble, sells everyday wear for women, men, and babies using eco-friendly materials, and also incorporating an environmentally friendly production process.

Jeremy Whisnant, 33, and wife Nolana, 31 considered themselves to be green-conscious consumers when they wed in 2005. They practiced composting and organic gardening, bought chemical-free house cleaning products and brought reusable bags to the grocery store. However, when they wanted to start buying organic and natural material clothing, they couldn’t seem to find attire that suited their style. They felt the options were fairly limited to “hippie stuff” and hemp-woven ponchos, so they had the idea to launch a Web site where they could sell fashionable, green clothes as well as create their own brand of environmental wear. Thus, The White Pebble was born.

“[One's] clothing style equals identity so it’s hard to convince people why they should wear clothes that benefit the environment,” Jeremy says.

Aside from having cute clothing options like a charcoal grey, knee-length fairy skirt ($63), high-rise denim jeans ($130) and super-soft, 100-percent organic cotton tees, The White Pebble carries a large selection of hip baby clothes and toys for parents who want to protect the sensitive skin of their little ones, but still have them look stylish and hip. The company uses natural, toxic-free ink on its tees and outsources to a screen-printing service that operates machinery off solar power. The couple also makes sure all clothing tags and shipping boxes are made from recycled material.

The White Pebble is also concerned with ethical business practice concerning workers. All vendors are certified under Fair Trade, which means all the employees who contribute to the creation of the products are paid a livable wage and are of legal age to work in the factories. The company is also protected from the industrial chemical exposure that kills many factory workers a year.

The Whisnants believe that as people increasingly demand organic clothing, farmers will grow more chemical-free raw materials that will contribute to making the planet a better place to live. “My individual perspective is that we’re living in a time when it’s important to do things to help the environment,” Jeremy says. “I also believe you have to make it easy for consumers to make that choice.”

Master the eco-chic look at www.thewhitepebble.com