For many of us, the holidays are a source of anxiety, and not only because you have to explain your alternative lifestyle to Aunt Flo, but because you feel pressured to buy a bunch of crap for people who already have homes overflowing with consumer goods that are unlikely to disintegrate between now and Ragnarok. If buying gifts gives you the sweats and makes you feel bad about yourself and American society, what can you do? Perhaps working some good or green gifts into the mix is a step in the right direction. You’ll feel less guilty in terms of your contribution to a landfill, for one. Here are a few ideas to jog through before setting out on a holiday shopping spree—all good or green to a degree, except maybe the chocolate.

I dig giving gifts from Oxfam America Unwrapped to friends or family, for several reasons. One, they’re a pretty great conversation starter—as in, “Guess what? I got Grandma a goat for Christmas.” And for folks who have everything, or don’t have much and don’t want more, giving something from Unwrapped helps us thoughtfully acknowledge how much we mean to each other without a trip to the mall for a return or an awkward what-happened-to-that-sweater moment. What’s the deal? Basically, you’re making a targeted donation in the loved one’s name to one of Oxfam’s programs around the globe addressing poverty, hunger and social injustice. Your friend gets a card—someone else gets something he or she needs. You can choose from more than 60 gifts: Donate $30 toward a vegetable garden, $30 for miracle trees, $12 for manure (throw in a gift of soap for $12) or $1,500 toward rebuilding a primary school. Oxfam has an unparalleled reputation for getting money to the right places. The New York Times Bucks Blog has more charitable giving ideas. If you’ve given from Unwrapped before, you’ll be pleased to find that there are more gift options this year.

Nau is so green it hurts. The company is 100% sustainable, uses the labor watchdog group Verité to monitor all of its overseas factories, purchases carbon offsets for shipping actions, and every single item it produces is fully recyclable. Two percent of each Nau purchase is donated to a charity of the consumer’s choice. This season, it came out with Nau bags for commuters, like this one, 100% sustainable and available for $225 at Connect and Uncle Dan’s stores in Chicago. Perfect for your yuppie cousin in Frisco.

The cell-phone charger your brother left hooked up is stealing electricity and doing nothing with it. Get him the JuiceBar Multi-Device Pocket Solar Charger, $40.21 through cableorganizer.com, which is basically a battery that you can charge with the sun or from your computer’s USB. It taps into a clean energy source—as in, the sun—but it takes about 12 hours to fully charge that way. It comes with 12 of the most commonly used adapters for cell phones, iPods, MP3 players and gaming systems. There are some cheaper solar-charging batteries out there—dig around online.

If you want to help loved ones slay the power vampires around their computer or home entertainment center, help them hook up to an intuitive surge protector (it cuts off the juice to idle current-sucking electronics when they are not in use) like Bits Limited’s Smart Strip, $28.59 at cableorganizer.com. It could save you more than 260 watts per hour.

Some of the organic bars I’ve bought lately tasted like five dollars worth of dirt (Newman’s Own Dark, wha’happen?). But Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate just released a peanut flavor that satisfies my habit with its caramelized Valencia peanuts and hint of sea salt. Consider it a little reward for you just being you. $3.95 at Whole Foods and Kramer’s.

Developed in Brazil by Espirito Brasilis, an ecologically and socially conscious organization that supports independent Brazilian artists, designer Carla Tennebaum’s compressed recycled paper “puff” can be used as a stool or table—or simply to make your guests feel like inadequate, uncouth consumers. $185 at MCA.

Picture it: hundreds of vintage couture clothes and accessories along with fine jewelry and timepieces up for grabs. If this sounds like a dream, get thee to Leslie Hindman’s vintage couture and accessories auction to make it a reality. Preview the pieces (from a Lord and Taylor equestrian suit to a fur-trimmed Deco opera coat) before they’re gone for good. The previewing takes place today until 6pm and tomorrow from 10am-5pm. Then bring the big out the bucks for Sunday’s auction at noon. Browse the complete collection online.

Our need for Agent Provocateur underthings is year-round, but this event, featuring a live model in the window, lasts just one day. FYI: If you like what you see in Lady Gaga’s new Bad Romance video, you’ll definitely dig the classic piece the model is sporting. Feed your frisky desires and enjoy the sweets and bubbly from 2-6pm tomorrow.

You can’t have a party without guests. For the entire month, Claudia Kleiner’s Malabar celebrates its third birthday by offering a 10% discount on everything (including sweaters, scarves, cocktail dresses and more).

Inescapable pop culture phenomenon Twilight and its marketing machine has triggered an onslaught of inspired looks for salivating tweens, teens and maybe even adults. Hot Topic and Nordstrom have both issued collections (see samples from Nordstrom’s above) of shirts, charm necklaces, cardboard figures and lunchboxes emblazoned with Edward and Bella’s faces and phrases like “Bet you can’t read my mind.” Despite my personal Twilight obsession, I can’t get behind anyone (be they 13 or 30) wearing these clothes. I can, however, understand the appeal of some of the actors’ onscreen looks, such as Bella’s cozy parka, Edward and Jasper’s sleek jackets and aspects of Alice’s bohemian, vintage-inspired layers (bell sleeves paired with cropped vests and such). Want to get your own Twilight look, without buying the cash-in collections? Check out G-Star for similar men’s styles, our vintage store round up for Alice’s look, and find the exact replica of Bella’s parka by Jack BB Dakota at fredflare.com.

“I want my clothes to be your friends,” Diane von Furstenburg told a couple hundred guests at Neiman Marcus last night after models donning looks from her winter and resort collections had finished struts down the catwalk. “I want you to reach into your closet for my clothes when you want to feel good.”  In a charming thank-you-for-coming wrap-up, the woman who made wrap dresses an eternal gotta-have-one item explained that nothing makes her happier than hearing a woman say she was wearing a DVF piece during an important event that marked a new beginning in hlife—like a marriage proposal, or a successful job interview. “And no matter how old or young you are, there are always new beginnings,” she added. The crowd-pleasing collection had a characteristically happy DVF vibe: jumpers, dresses, tunics, pin-up style bathing suits and cardigans came in ethnic prints, polka dots, bright-hued sequins, flowy chiffon and hot pink. And just about every look—minus the giant, over-the-top bow turbans—looked as wearable as DVF’s ubiquitous wrap dress.

More bad news for the West Loop: This morning I received an e-mail from owner Allyson Holleb of handbag boutique Bess & Loie announcing the closing of her store at the end of this month. Next week (Thursday 12, 5–9pm), show your support by stopping by for the closing party, where items will be marked as much as 90% off. Fixtures and furniture will be available, too, but make sure to bring cash for that stuff.

In addition to the discounts available now through closing day, the major consolation is that while Holleb is shuttering the doors of her West Loop location, she’s still planning to stick around in other brick-and mortar-boutiques by hosting a self-described “shop-in-shop.” For her first stop, she’s bringing her bags to former neighbor, Lincoln Park newbie Erin Gallagher’s eponymous store (Erin Gallagher, 2034 N Halsted St). Keep an eye on Holleb’s website (where she’ll continue adding new merch) to find out more about these upcoming shops in a shop.

In this week’s “Almost perfect” issue, I said State Street needs a better selection of stores. And guess what? Crain’s just reported that a bunch of new stores have signed leases to be a part of Block 37. We already knew about Zara, Anthropologie and Puma opening in the space, but the new list includes Sephora (which will be a big competition for the Ulta down the street), GNC and L ‘Occitane.

Yes, these seem like typical mall fare, so what’s more exciting about the list is the addition of a few local shops in the mix. Local designer Michelle Tan is opening a second outpost of her namesake boutique in the mall’s second level. Other local-owned businesses slated for Block 37 include Bleeding Heart Bakery, Comic Vault, Alternatives Shoes and a second location of Claudia Kleiner Malabar Collection.

Of course, with a foreclosure lawsuit filed against its developer, the mall’s opening (currently scheduled for later this month) could get pushed back. Kleiner seems optimistic, though, and tells us she’s hoping to be open by December 1. “I love the development [of the mall],” Kleiner told me in an e-mail. “It looks fantastic and is going to be a totally different mall than what Chicagoans are used to, this will be the first to showcase ‘hometown talent’ designers stores, so it won’t be only big national retailers, and we are so proud to be part of that.”

While we have our fair share of great vintage stores in the city, one thing we don’t often find is a vintage show where shop owners, designers  and shoppers in-the-know find deals and inspirations. Thank God for the arrival of the Chicago Vintage Show, an offshoot of Manhattan’s popular edition, which takes place this weekend at Plumbers Hall. The event features 30 vintage textile and clothing vendors selling the original looks that inspired today’s runway fashions. If you’re willing to pay $10–$25 extra, whet your whistle at the preview party from 6-9pm Friday night; otherwise, stroll in Saturday from 10am–6pm or Sunday from 11am–5pm. Pay $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

While everyone is out rushing to get their last-minute Halloween costumes, you fellas can invest in an item that has a lot more longevity than that Michael Jackson get-up that’s costing you a small fortune. I just put in a call to the local Brooks Brothers to find out how many of the $1,000 Mad Men edition Brooks Brothers suits they have left in stock. The answer: one! But don’t fret just yet. You can try to place an order online (sizes 36 and 39 are still available) if another guy beats you to the punch tonight.

It was a night full of surprises at this year’s Fresh Faces fashion show presented by Gen Art. The event, which showcases Up-and-coming Chicago designers, served as the grand finale for the city’s Fashion Week. There were glorious highs and a few lows that made for an interesting affair. Read more »

Friday night got a little warmer as Horacio Nieto debuted his spring 2010 collection of men’s and womenswear at EnVent. The runway layout placed a linear rectangle in the middle of the room for the models to navigate through and a massive dynamic screen projection turned the cozy wooden palace into a fierce theatrical event. With the right combination of music, atmosphere, and positive energy, Nieto successfully executed a charming experience that left the public wanting more. Read more »