Looking your best might not always be the best thing for you. Today’s society is extremely fashion and style conscious. Unfortunately, clothing designers and stylists aim to please by creating unique looks that might not always be practical or even comfortable.

The look of the season shows runway models in high platform heels and tight skirts or pants. Models have perfected the runway “walk,” but the popular looks and accessories are frequently impractical and could create leg, back, and spine or neck problems. “Sometimes I see a woman walking down the street with high heels and a two-ton bag, and I want to stop her and make her aware of what she is doing to her body,” said ACA president Dr. Richard Brassard.

Women generally wear high heels to complement an outfit, not for comfort, but some might not realize that these shoes can cause serious discomfort in the feet and can also exacerbate back pain. High heels alter the balanced position of a person’s body. When a woman wears high heels, a new dynamic equilibrium occurs. Dr. Brassard compared the musculoskeletal system to a mobile, hanging in dynamic equilibrium, each part balancing the other. If one part becomes ‘fixed,’ the whole system will compensate with a movement or restriction. Essentially, wearing high heels for any length of time increases the normal forward curve of the back and causes the pelvis to tip forward. This alters the normal configuration of the pelvis and spine necessary for the body to maintain a center of gravity.

“The legs are the foundation of the musculoskeletal system, and a person standing flat-footed or bare-footed would be completely balanced,” said Dr. Brassard. “While standing, the hamstrings are taut and both parts of the pelvis are stabilized so that the support is normal. By bringing the heel up, you encourage the shortness of the hamstring muscles.”

Women and men alike fall into the fashion trap. However, women, more than men, tend to wear clothes that are too tight. Stylish tight tube skirts and tight pants can be attractive, but are often too restrictive. Clothes that are too tight throw a person off-balance, and simple everyday tasks such as bending, sitting and walking become difficult. “Tight clothes restrict a person from moving comfortably, resulting in poor posture and misalignment of the spine,” said Dr. Brassard.

Another unhealthy fashion statement is the use of heavy purses, backpacks and handbags. Women and men tend to carry too many items in one bag, or briefcase, and are often not aware of the potential health risks associated with toting an excessive amount of “stuff.” Carrying a bag with detectable weight-more than 10 percent of your body weight-can cause improper balance. When hiked over one shoulder, it interferes with the natural movement of the upper and lower body. “The person carrying the bag will hike one shoulder to subconsciously guard against the weight, holding the other shoulder immobile,” said Dr. Brassard. “This results in the unnatural counterbalance movement of one shoulder and little control over the movements of the arms and legs. Even worse, the spine curves toward the shoulder.”

The U.S. environmental movement conjures up images of electric cars and solar-powered homes. Al Gore, too.

But fashion retail?

Yes, say industry experts, as a growing list of fashion-savvy companies embrace green products. Everything from recycled polyester socks to backpacks geared with solar panels to company efforts to reduce carbon emissions is evidence of the growing trend, they say.

The outdoor apparel chain REI, for example, sells organic T-shirts and men’s button-up shirts made of hemp. Target now shelves it stores with eco-friendly bookcases and organic cotton dresses and blue jeans. Voltaic Systems makes a backpack with three water proof solar panels that can generate four watts of power. The device can recharge cell phones, cameras and mp3 players.

“Eco-friendly is a direction in which many companies want to go if they are genuinely concerned about the environment,” Mark Messura of the trade group Cotton Inc., recently told the Web site Inside Bay Area. “There’s also is a segment of the industry that views this as the latest fad to market products.”

Retail giant American Apparel, lauded for years for its labor practices, has jumped on the solar-powered bandwagon by manufacturing all its clothing in one downtown Los Angeles location, thus reducing the environmental impact of its clothing production. The production method reduces travel time between its plant and stores, which saves gas and helps reduce carbon emissions, industry experts say.

Other companies, for example, pay up to $400,000 in annual salaries to their employees to “keep flying back and forth to China,” Dov Charney, American Apparel’s chief executive, recently told Apparel magazine. “That adds up too,” he told the magazine. Companies nationwide are finding that environmentally responsible strategies can result in sustainability. More and more, the proof is found in firms’ bottom lines. A growing number of consumers are shopping for socially responsible brands, numerous studies show.

American Apparel recently started pairing its 70s- and 80s-inspired clothing with recycled fashion. This past fall, the chain opened California Vintage, which couples some American Apparel staples like T-shirts and leggings with secondhand clothing purchased at vintage clothing outlets. The idea was born when some American Apparel employees noted the basement of the company’s 800,000 square-foot location in downtown Los Angeles held mounds of vintage clothing. There weren’t enough clothes to fell a thrift store, Mathew Swenson, American Apparel’s brand manager, told the Los Angeles Times. “So we hired some girls and they started shopping, going to rag housed and small thrift stores.”