Bethenny Frankel, shown here with her Skinnygirl Solutions shapewear for Macy's at the Renaissance Times Square, wanted to come up with shapewear that's sexy and affordable.

We were a bit surprised to hear that reality star Bethenny Frankel has a new line of shapewear. After all, the entrepreneur behind the Skinnygirl brand, which includes cosmetics, drink mixes, on-the-go nutrition bars and fitness DVDs, looked enviably toned in person at a recent New York City launch of Skinnygirl Solutions collection, currently available at select Macy’s locations.

But Frankel was inspired to get into compression garments when she noted that many of the women she spoke to were unhappy with shapewear that rolls up, pinches or doesn’t look sexy. “I take pride in listening to women,” says Frankel, 41.

And don’t be thrown by the Skinnygirl name. “It’s not about what size you are,” Frankel says. “It’s all about solutions for women.” In fact, for the Real Woman campaign, Frankel enlisted women in her life — such as makeup artist Sonia Rodriguez and former personal assistant Julie Plake — to model items. (Frankel also has a Smoothers n’ Shapers collection available online.)

We think the power mesh fabric in items such as the black/nude Lace Shaping Bodysuit ($48, from the Smoothers n’ Shapers line) is surprisingly soft for shapewear. The Lace Shaping Brief ($24) and Boyleg ($26) promise no panty lines and a waist-cinching band for tummy control. Fans of Bethenny Ever After might recognize the Booty Booster ($20), with foam pads and shaping microfiber, from a recent episode of the reality show.

While plenty of items, such as the Luxurious Shaping Slip ($42) have built-in support, there’s also the Wear Your Own Bra Cami ($30) based on feedback Frankel had heard from women who want to pair their own bras with shapewear. Others, such as the Alluring Lace Shape Cami ($38) from the Macy’s Skinnygirl Solutions collection, provides coverage but no cups or underwires, so it’s at the discretion of the wearer whether to add a bra underneath or not. The sexy designs address another concern women voiced to Frankel: What if you’re not the only one who’s going to see your shapewear? (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.)

Frankel calls the items “lazy lingerie” and notes not only are all the pieces under $50, but they’re also “very user-friendly.” The tags even helpfully remind, “Remember: Always step into your shapewear.” Of course, we neglected to follow this pointer until it was too late and we were briefly entangled in our Alluring Lace Shape Cami. (On the bright side, if romance is involved, someone will be there to extricate you.)

What’s the most important factor for you when buying shapewear?

Photo credit: Michael Simon

In her new book, clinical psychologist Jennifer Baumgartner gets to the issues underlying wardrobe woes such as overshopping, hanging on to old clothes and hiding in unflattering clothing.

Like many women, our closets are full of unloved items that go unworn, and we find ourselves thinking, “Why did we ever buy that?” We wear the same familiar pieces over and over, yet our wardrobe never feels complete. In the new book You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Reveal About You (Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2012), Jennifer Baumgartner, Psy.D., argues that our fashion woes are actually tied to deeper emotional issues. (Our plans to spring clean our closet suddenly got more interesting!)

A practicing clinical psychologist who also runs her own wardrobe consulting business, InsideOut, Baumgartner says that the key to perfecting your style is to understand this connection and make changes accordingly. Part style guide, part psychological examination, the book is divided into nine chapters, in which Baumgartner diagnoses nine distinct shopping complaints and wardrobe mistakes. These include overshopping, having a stagnant closet, baring too much skin, failing to dress your age, living in “mom jeans” and avoiding mirrors.

In each chapter, Baumgartner shares a real-life case study. For example, Ricki hides her body in clothes two sizes too big and Tessa, a compulsive shopper, has fallen deep into debt paying for a closet full of clothes she barely wears. Baumgartner then provides an analysis of each issue from both a stylistic and psychological perspective. Ricki has been taught to be ashamed of her body since her first child was born, while Tessa turns to shopping when she experiences emotional highs and lows in the same way overeaters turn to food.

Finally, Baumgartner discusses treatments for both her patients and readers. Ricki, for example, needs to choose clothes based on what makes her feel sexy and confident. Tessa must learn to find effective alternatives to shopping that will not burn a hole in her pocket when she experiences a range of emotions.

Fashion remedies include complementing a neutral wardrobe with seasonal colors and adding one statement piece to every outfit, while the author also asks you to examine the message your wardrobe sends to others and to determine and accentuate the attribute you love most about yourself.

You Are What You Wear inspired us to examine what our clothes tell us about ourselves. After some self-reflection, we’re ready for a little upgrading to perfect our own style. What do you think your clothes say about you?

Those who purchase these robin's-egg Gianna Rose soaps from Gifts That Give designate $9.60 of the price to a charity of their choice.

Still stumped on what to get Mom this year? We’ve got some online ideas that will make gifting on May 13 easier — and charitable at the same time.

Gifts That Give offers fabulous finds from more than 100 top brands and donates $1 of every $5 you spend to the charity of your choice. Select a cause, such as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or American Red Cross, then shop by category or brand. Each item shows how many dollars will go to the charity you’ve selected. You’ll find everything from Fornash boa scarves ($38 each), Gianna Rose robin’s-egg soaps nested in an apothecary jar ($48), Lily Pulitzer iPad covers ($30 each), a Michael Aram apple honey pot with an arrow spoon ($79), a Monica Rich Kosann Sterling Silver Signature Round Floral Locket ($525) and Simon Pearce Windham bud vases ($155–$325), all conveniently collected under the Mother’s Day tab. We also loved the nifty Present Time photo clock ($130).

If you’re looking for something distinctive, we recently discovered unusual and affordable jewelry and home accessories from Gone Rural boMake, a nonprofit that supports health, education and social infrastructure in Swaziland. A collective of 760 women artisans in the African nation make items from sustainable, renewable or recycled materials, such as beads, dyed grasses, remnant fabrics and recycled plastic bags. You’ll recognize some of the items from stores like Cost Plus World Market and Anthropologie, but you can also purchase the items from websites such as Bridge for Africa and Shopping for a Change. Our favorite items include a gift set of coasters, napkins and napkin rings ($35), a woven table runner ($35), coil baskets woven from local lutindzi grass ($30) and woven baskets from fabric scraps ($46).

If Mom has a favorite cause — and like so many moms, insists she doesn’t need anything — you can make a donation in her name or purchase an item from a charity’s website, like the cute panda T-shirts, watches, umbrellas, totes, beach towels and other items available for a $50 donation to the World Wildlife Fund. The American Red Cross offers practical items like a first aid kits ($16.95–$24.95) and emergency radios ($34.95–$80). Purchase Tanzanian Gombe Reserve Coffee ($15) at JaneGoodall.org, which supports the primatologist’s efforts to protect chimpanzees. Virtually adopt an environment for your mother for a $50 donation to the Nature Conservancy or a sea creature ($30–$250) at Oceana.org, some of which come with animal-themed greeting cards, cookie cutter sets or plush toys.

Or donate to a health cause in her name, such as the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Association, American Diabetes Association or Lupus Foundation of America. Check out Charity Navigator to make sure your donation being spent wisely.

Around the holiday season, we also shared our favorite beauty and jewelry gifts that give back, such as Kahina Giving Beauty argan oil products that benefit cooperatives in Morocco, Same Sky jewelry that helps to empower HIV-positive African women and Altruette gold and silver charms that correspond with various causes, from environmental issues to human rights initiatives.

Don’t forget to share why your mom is the absolute best in 15 words or less and upload of a photo of you and your mom to enter the Zinio Mom’s Day Contest. The winner, selected after the May 10 deadline, will receive a bouquet for his or her mother valued at $200, plus a digital magazine subscription. And every entry receives a free lifetime subscription to VIVmag, so in our opinion, everyone wins!

What do you think is the best way to show your appreciation for your mom this coming Sunday?

Gilt founders Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson share the highs and lows of creating a billion-dollar business in their new book.

It seems like it was only yesterday when we told you about a new shopping site called Gilt, an invitation-only site that would allow members access to online 36-hour sample sales of clothing and accessories from high-end designers. Since 2007, founders Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson have turned Gilt Groupe into a business valued at $1 billion and have expanded sales to include items for men, children and the home — and launched deal sites that encompass travel (jetsetter.com), food and drink (gilttaste.com) and city-specific offers (giltcity.com). The successful businesswomen set out to answer the question that they’re most often asked — “How did you do it?” — in their new book By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop (Portfolio, 2012) out today.

The two met as Harvard undergrads and reconnected there while obtaining their MBAs, becoming fast friends. They launched Gilt when they were “barely thirty,” as they note in the preface of the book, starting with a Zac Posen sale, a cramped office and a tiny warehouse. Written in the royal “we” (with exceptions to provide background info), the book provides an inside look at the creation and expansion of Gilt.

While it may seem like Gilt had a quick, easy rise to success, the pair also shares some of their low points and hard-learned lessons. “Despite how composed we may appear, launching and growing a start-up has sometimes felt like trying to climb into the driver’s seat of a car that’s speeding down the highway at a hundred miles per hour: if we’re lucky, we’re barely hanging on to the tailpipes,” they note in the book. “We’ve taken wrong turns and been punched in the gut by the airbag more times than we’d like to recall.” Readers also see the hard work and careful planning that have made the business a success — and some of the lessons from previous business experiences that were applied to Gilt, such as those Maybank learned from a failed start-up. (The lesson: “In start-ups, the execution is much more important than the idea.”)

Interspersed with the pair’s compelling story are helpful lists of questions that entrepreneurs should ask themselves, such as “Is This Risk a Good Risk?” “How Do I Know If I Have the Right Idea for the Right Time?” and “Rules for Growing and Maintaining Your Network.” From the latter checklist, tips include: Remember faces and names, be a doer and befriend other doers and don’t ask for favors all the time. The book is filled with valuable business tips on securing investors, viral marketing, hiring and maintaining top engineers (or the best in any field) and lessons from Maybank’s and Wilson’s Gilt experience, including why naysayers proved that Gilt was a smart risk and how they faced the recession (or, as they put it, the “retail apocalypse”).

For fans of Gilt, there are fun tidbits and anecdotes, such as how they came up with the name that is  synonymous with online sample sales, scrambling to find a seat for Madonna at an event, and how their first model, a friend, got a cheap salon blowout and a free department store makeup application before the inaugural photo shoot. As they note in the book’s preface, “Gilt’s story, and ours, too, is ongoing. There are many chapters still to write.”

One of our favorite aspects of the book? Proceeds benefit the National Audubon Society and Dress for Success. What do you think are the most important keys to success when building a start-up?

In ABC's "Scandal," Kerry Washington stars as Olivia Pope, a behind-the-scenes "fixer" for Washington, D.C.'s troubled elite.

As fans of Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, we were eager to see Shonda Rhimes’ latest creation about a Washington, D.C., crisis-management expert. We were even more intrigued when we learned the show was based on a real-life woman, Judy Smith, who was a behind-the-scenes fixer on everything from the Iran-Contra scandal to personal disasters, such as former D.C. mayor Marion Barry’s drug bust and the Monica Lewinsky-Bill Clinton foofaraw. In the ABC’s Scandal, premiering tonight, Kerry Washington plays Olivia Pope, who deals with similarly sensational situations.

Washington says she was grateful to have Smith, a producer on the show, on set and available as a research resource to supplement her reading and the documentaries she watched for an insider’s view of the Capitol. “Setting the show there is exciting because D.C. is the nexus of power for so many different industries and so many different fields,” Washington says. “From show to show, who walks in our office is completely unpredictable, whether it’s somebody in the military, a politician, somebody in the corporate world, the labor movement, a celebrity, a sports figure. You never know who is going to walk in the door.” In the eight-episode series, Pope’s clients include a madam, a gay Congressional Medal of Honor winner and a White House intern.

The star of such films as Ray, The Last King of Scotland and For Colored Girls, Washington, 35, has found the faster pace of TV to be “a different level of intensity,” and a bit of an adjustment. “On a movie, you’re doing 18 hours but three pages of dialog, here it’s 10 pages,” she says, adding that she keeps her stamina up by taking care of herself. “I drink a lot of water, eat right, and exercise in the few hours that I have off. I do a lot of Pilates. I have a nutritionist.”

She was drawn to the character’s multi-faceted yet flawed personality. “Shonda writes real people, people who are three‑dimensional, fully realized human beings, and that is a joy for any actor, because so often we are having to create the three‑dimensionality of a character,” Washington says. “But when it’s given to you, it’s such a treat. I really love playing a complicated woman.”

She also loves getting to show off her toned figure in her character’s classy, subtly sexy wardrobe. “We chose a very specific palette for her, very soft colors,” she says. “Olivia’s so tough and strong that I wanted her color palette to be softer and more feminine to balance out that power. You try to match the personality of the character with the clothes.” As for her own fashion sense, Washington says, “For me, style is really fun.”

What D.C. scandal shocked you the most?

Photo credit: Craig Sjodin/ABC

The Ayity Totes are made from earthquake relief tents from Catherine Edouard Charlot's native Haiti, and 50 percent of the proceeds go to her project of building a Haitian school.

On rainy days in New York City, it’s common to see broken umbrellas languishing in trash cans and littering the sidewalks — a friend of ours even has a Tumblr account dedicated to umbrella mortality. So we were intrigued when we heard that Catherine Edouard Charlot collects dead umbrellas and transforms them into handbags and other fashions in her Brooklyn studio. In fact, all of the Himane Sustainable Designs accessories and fashions are made from upcycled items or repurposed materials.

Charlot collects umbrellas to make designs such as the Badia VeVe Harmony bag ($95), the Erisna duffel ($275) and the Corai “Koray” travel bag ($350). She even created a little black dress and a wedding dress made from 18 umbrellas sent to her from Philadelphia’s Dutch Umbrella sharing program.

Men’s shirts and suits become dresses, tops and jackets. She also recycles tarp from construction sites into bags, and uses “any other recycled materials I can get my hands on,” including organic hemp and PET fabrics made from plastic bottles. Visits to local factories, designer studios, thrift stores and end-of-season sales also produce materials for Himane Sustainable Designs.

Earthquake disaster tents from Charlot’s native Haiti can now be seen in the Ayity Totes ($78), available in light gray or beige, or with a vegan leather bottom. Charlot plans to build a school in Haiti, and 50 percent of proceeds from the Ayity totes will go to that project, while 20 percent from every Himane Sustainable Designs sale goes toward this goal. “This is something very close to my heart and I would like to see it happen,” Charlot says.

Any item on the apparel or accessories page of the Himane Sustainable Designs site can be made upon request. Some people contact Charlot to have clothing of sentimental value recycled into wearable items. “I call it ‘The Wardrobe Surgery’ or ‘Memory Keeping’ for those who send me their lost loved ones’ clothes to upcycle into gifts for family members,” she says.

Though Charlot describes herself as self-taught, she studied fashion in Haiti and, after moving to the United States in 1994, she took some additional classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). In 1998, she launched her custom design business, named after her mother, Himane, who died in 2006. Charlot’s mother taught her not to waste anything. “As she used to put it: What is trash to you can be gold to someone else,” she says. “She was always collecting things around the house to donate to those who did not have much.”

It wasn’t until 2004 that Charlot came up with the idea to use old umbrellas to create totes and handbags. “On my way home from a meeting, I got caught in the rain and had some items ruined,” she says. “I was in search of waterproof materials to make a tote but the fabrics I found were a little bit too expensive and I did not want to spend that much money. One Saturday while doing my weekly cleaning at home, I found an old umbrella long forgotten in the bottom of my closet. I took it, removed the fabric and made my first umbrella tote.”

Charlot also accepts umbrella donations. “This past year I have been receiving quite a few and also I have some great supporters collecting umbrellas for me as well in the streets of New York,” she says, adding that one person collected 297 umbrellas. “I am so happy to see other people supporting what I do.”

What do you do with old clothing and accessories?

The last time viewers saw Joan Harris, played by Christina Hendricks, she was announcing the impending arrival of a baby to her husband, stationed in Vietnam.

We’ve had to wait an agonizingly long 17 months for the return of Mad Men due to contract negotiations with creator Matthew Weiner. So it’s with eager anticipation that we await the two-hour March 25 premiere of Season 5 at 9 p.m. on AMC to find out if Don Draper (Jon Hamm) is really going to marry his secretary and what unhappily married Joan Holloway Harris (Christina Hendricks) is going to do about the baby she’s expecting, thanks to her on-and-off secret relationship with her boss, Roger Sterling (John Slattery).

“A lot happens to Joan this year. The bad always comes with the good,” she says, declining to give details due to the gag order on the cast. But she does have a few things to say about the Joan-Roger dynamic. “It’s a very layered relationship,” Hendricks says. “It’s been going on for years and it’s gone up and down and she’s seen him in love with other women and going through marriages, and yet they care very, very deeply about each other. It’s very complicated. I think there’s a respect and an understanding and a deep friendship that can only happen when you’ve known someone for so long. Obviously there’s passion between the two as well. It’s an emotional cocktail.”

During her long break, Hendricks kept busy by appearing in the movies Drive, I Don’t Know How She Does It and Struck by Lightning, a forthcoming comedy written by and starring Glee’s Chris Colfer, playing his father’s new wife. She went to England to make Bomb, a ’60s-set movie about how a nuclear threat affects a family, playing mom to Elle Fanning, and guest starred on Body of Proof, which stars her husband, Geoffrey Arend.

Hendricks says she has Mad Men to thank for the diversity of roles that now come her way. “Before I played Joan, I would quite often get cast as the sort of quirky, goofy, awkward best friend type, which is probably a lot more like I am,” she says. “People couldn’t imagine me playing strong characters. But they believe that I can do that now and so it’s kind of nice.”

As Mad Men moves into the second half of the ’60s, fashion trends are changing, but Joan won’t deviate too far from her classic curve-hugging style, Hendricks says. “Colors and fabric change but Joan knows what looks good on her, so she won’t change dramatically,” she says. “She likes a very put-together look. I don’t think she’s burning her bra,” she laughs, adding that Joan’s style has influenced her own. “I wear a lot more pencil skirts and when I go out, I like to be put together. Sometimes there are cocktail dresses that Joan doesn’t end up wearing, and every once in a while I’ll borrow one for an event. But at home for every day I have my jeans and a blouse on.”

What are your predictions for this season of Mad Men?

Photo credit: Frank Ockenfels/AMC

Mountain-bike racers Lisa Priestley (left) and Heidi Volpe take Club Ride Apparel's Bandara (right) and Short Shot tops out for a test ride.

We’ve complained in the past about the dorkiness of serious cycling attire for women, so we were happy to report in the current issue that we had seen an improvement among some manufacturers in fashion awareness for women cyclists. Now, we’ve discovered Club Ride Apparel, which brings its own unique style to your road and trail adventures.

Club Ride is a relative newcomer to the biz as a 5-year-old, but worth seeking out for its cool, street-inspired wear. The women’s line offers only four styles in various colors, but if you’re yearning to cowgirl up, you’ll love the snap pearl buttons with hidden, high-quality backup zipper and Western yoke on the Bandara wicking jersey ($89.99).

We did an off-road ride in Sun Valley, ID, wearing the Bandara on some sweet single track — the shirt was comfortable and functional. It allowed lots of unrestricted room to maneuver the bike. There are two zipper pockets to keep ID, cash and keys secure.

Club Ride jerseys finesse that line between formless sack and skin-tight racing jersey. The panel-cut sides give the shirts enough shape to allow for a nice silhouette.

Other styles include the Long Shot (long sleeves, $94.99), which provides excellent sun protection. This one you can pass off as civvy clothes, so if you’re a commuter and have a short, not-too-sweaty trip to the office, no need to do the Superman change. The similarly styled Short Shot ($89.99) has short cap sleeves; and the Dayz-Eez ($79.99), which is a sleeveless hoodie style with a two-way zipper.

Who wants to wear gear that screams “I RIDE 24/7,” no matter how much you love your bike?

Photo credit: Michael Darter

Elle Macpherson hosts "Fashion Star," a new reality design competition with a twist.

If you’re like us, you’ve coveted a great jacket or gorgeous dress while watching a reality TV fashion competition. Fashion Star has the instant-gratification solution. Premiering on NBC March 13 at 9:30 p.m., “The show is just as much about shopping as fashion,” says Elle Macpherson, creator, host and executive producer. The 14 contestants will vie for the approval of judges from Macy’s, H&M and Saks Fifth Avenue, where winning designs will be on sale the very next day after the show airs.

“It’s for every woman and every pocketbook,” says Macpherson. “The selection of retailers we have allows people to tap into the look that works for them or is best for their lifestyle.” She’s quick to differentiate Fashion Star from other style competitions. “It’s not another Project Runway,” she says. “We’re not looking for somebody to create a couture dress for the red carpet. We’re looking for great product, easily accessible, something that relates to most of America.” Designers who don’t sell their fashions to retailers will be up for elimination each week, and the winner of the season’s competition will create collections for all three retailers.

Having founded an eponymous lingerie company 22 years ago, the Australian supermodel knows a thing or two about launching a line, and brings that experience to the show. “How do you mix commerce and creativity, build brands through marketing, advertising and creative design? That’s what’s exciting for me,” says Macpherson, who tapped Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos, all with their own fashion lines, to mentor the competitors.

Mcpherson says she favors classic clothes with a bit of a twist and “an eclectic mix of things from the ’70s to rock and roll.” She considers herself a die-hard “jeans girl,” and has a closet full of them in every style and length, to wear with everything from flats to heels to boots.

At 47, the mother of two boys, ages 14 and 9, says that as she’s matured, “I keep it really simple. I don’t define myself through my clothes or makeup or hairstyle.” Her approach to beauty starts with overall well-being. “I don’t have time to fret about the exterior,” she says. “I’m much more interested in what’s going on the inside. My focus has always been about being strong and healthy and feeling well.”

Her regimen includes drinking a lot of water, sleeping seven hours a night, staying active and eating organic, pesticide-free produce. “I surf even though I’m not very good, and I ski, water-ski, play tennis. And I laugh a lot,” she adds. “I’m at peace with where I am.”

We agree that beauty goes hand-in-hand with health and is an ongoing process —  but when it comes to fashion competitions, we’re shamelessly looking forward to the immediate gratification of buying what we like right away. Do you like the idea of purchasing winning designs immediately after seeing them on TV?

Photo credit: John Russo/NBC

Teri Polo was one of the many celebs at the star-studded celebrity gift suites.

So many gift suites, so little time — that’s how it was in the days leading up to the big weekend of film awards (including Oscar night). We made the rounds of the pop-up lounges set up throughout Los Angeles to shower celebrities with freebies and services while supporting a variety of charities.

“I love being a part of this,” says Holly Robinson Peete, whose HollyRod Foundation for families living with autism and Parkinson’s disease was one of the nonprofits represented at the GBK gift lounge, along with the assault- and rape-survivor support project Drawing Hope International, the Worldteam Foundation against human trafficking and Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation, which raises funds to fight juvenile diabetes. We also caught up with actor Teri Polo as she tried on some gorgeous crystal drop earrings from Karen McClintock, snagged a sleek insulated bottle from Tkaro and raved about the soy candles from Milena’s and the spa products from TEI Spa, which is donating 5 percent from sales of its Oscar Gold Sonic Spatula for skin to a battered women’s shelter.

Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist) loved the organic body, face and hair products from Gilly’s Organics. We loved Vani-T’s natural and organic cosmetics, the jewelry and scarves made by Guatemalan women for Chick Boss, Julep’s toxin-free nail polish, the innovative handicrafts from the Artisan Group collective, Gorreana’s organic teas and i-Wipey’s antibacterial cell-phone wipes. Through March 31, those who use the code ACADEMY100 get $100 off Max Mirani MOVE “mobile closet” luggage.

At the Secret Room Events suite supporting the Humane Society, we loved the pendant-turned-discreet-reading glasses from Blinks, and the pretty jewelry, from Lolo’s crystals to striking Mujus baubles made from fallen Amazonian tagua nuts. And ArteStile makes the prettiest tweezers we’ve ever seen.

Roger Neal’s Style Hollywood suite, benefiting Safety Harbor Kids and Andy Transplant Foundation, had some cool jewelry too, including the build-your-own modular magnetic rings and bracelets from ULINX, and Chloe + Isabel, a favorite of former VIVmag cover model Marcia Gay Harden.

Debbie Durkin’s Eco Oscars, supporting Beat Liver Tumors and the Fur Fitness Foundation for pet-obesity awareness, offered a wide range of cool items from plush Minky Couture blankets to Shaklee natural cleaning products. As for items that give back, Sonas jeans, made from reclaimed denim, donates 10 percent to animal rights causes, and Huggrz Boot Wraps is currently donating 25 percent of online sales to the event’s charity partners when you use the code OSCARS.

At the Alive! Expo Green Pavilion — which partnered with Fortunate Angels, Safety Harbor Kids, Only You…Can Save Energy, Project Green and Fashion Hope — highlights included Diamond Girl bracelets and InstaFOODS International, promoting its Kids Feeding the World initiative.

Our last stop was ON3’s Official Presenter Gift Lounge at the Independent Spirit Awards where celebs were showered with beauty items, including sulfate-free Wella Professionals hair products, Tree Hut‘s limited edition, ruby-infused shea sugar scrub and Votre Vu‘s botanical skin care. Other items included Carlos Falchi totes, Bowers & Wilkins premium headphones, Crunch gym memberships, a weekend for two at the Ritz-Carlton New York and a one-year unlimited AMC movie pass. We especially loved the assortment of underwire, plunging, strapless and adhesive bras from Fashion Forms, the perfect solution to all our what-to-wear-under-that problems  — even if we’re not slated to accept an Oscar in our finest gown.

What’s your favorite buy that supports a good cause?

Photo credit: Tiffany Rose