The newest entry into the sports apparel industry is green from the ground up. Started by a coterie of former senior management staff from Patagonia and Nike, Nau is a fashion-forward line of dresses, jackets, and pants made from recycled polyester, organic cotton, or polylactic acid (PLA), a renewable fiber that comes from corn.

But the brand's eco-cred goes much further than fabrics. To reduce their environmental footprint, Nau's four stores (what they call "web-fronts") carry limited stock to keep each shop small, thereby saving on heating and electricity and cutting down on unnecessary shipping. Shoppers order from the Web via an in-store kiosk. The company also donates 5 percent of each sale to one of 10 environmental or humanitarian organizations that customers select at checkout. Who knew shopping could feel so good?