Meaningful Purchase - August - mata traders top

Later this fall, Grand Rapids is on schedule to open its very first Anthropologie. About a year and a half ago when I heard this news, I almost jumped out of my chair with excitement. Anthro has been my favorite store for as long as I can remember. I never made a trip to Chicago without stopping there to paw through the sale rack (it's way to expensive for me to ever pay full price), I obsessively watched their website for mark-downs (they happen every Tuesday morning at 5am - I said I was obsessed), and I even followed some Anthro-themed blogs for a short time (indeed, there are entire blogs dedicated to shopping at just one store).

But, as you are probably anticipating, my love for Anthropologie has waned over the past year. Partly, I think it's because it has become increasingly more popular and well-known. (One of the things I always loved about it was that very few people in my community would shop there or had even heard of it, so I always felt special wearing one of their pieces.) But mostly, I can no longer support their various unethical practices. When I first started this project, I figured that giving up Anthropologie would be really difficult. Now, I don't even really enjoy looking at their catalog when it comes in the mail. Oh, I still think their clothes are beautiful, don't get me wrong. There are just too many other things wrong with the company for me to be excited about it any more. (I would encourage you to take a look at those three links if you have the time.)

My meaningful purchase for August did not come from Anthropologie, but I think it manages to capture some of their style that I have always admired. My husband likes to tease me for having an addiction to 'flowy tops'. He is right, of course, and this top is no exception. I bought it in Chicago at the Andersonville Galleria. It was made fairly in India and sold by Mata Traders.I love how the body is full and blousy, but the square neckline gives it some structure, so it doesn't just look like pajamas. The colors are bright and the print is vibrant. It looks great with skinny jeans. I don't miss Anthropologie when there are beautiful and ethical clothes like this available. In fact, I think I'm going to add this top to my Christmas list.

Meaningful Purchase - July - american apparel tank

OK, let's talk about American Apparel for a minute. On one hand, I love that they are made in the USA, sweatshop free and embody a simple, easy fitting, casual style. On the other hand, I abhor their marketing that exploits and objectifies women to an alarming degree (just Google it and you'll see what i mean). So, while they don't exploit workers in third world countries, they do exploit young women (and some of the women in their ads look really young) in this country, contributing to the increasingly problematic standards women are given for beauty and sex.

So which is worse? I suppose you could argue that the women in the American Apparel advertisements at least have a choice in their exploitation, while the workers in third world countries are given very few, if any choices. But that doesn't really sit well with me (not to mention the fact that the CEO has been hit with multiple sexual harassment lawsuits over the past 10 years, which doesn't exactly suggest the promotion of female empowerment).

In the end, what it comes down to for me is awareness and willingness to speak up. Getting American Apparel to change their marketing tactics sounds like a lot easier job then, say, getting The Gap to move all of their production to the United States. I know of various petitions floating around the web to be signed that denounce AA's marketing, or you could send an email to the company. Of course, for many, boycotting probably feels like the best option, and I don't disagree with that either. There's a lot about the company to celebrate, and a lot to be disappointed with, for sure.
In the meantime, you can check out this floaty, flowery top I bought from them last month. I hope it will be a very versatile piece that I can wear alone in the summer, under a blazer for teaching in the fall, and even with a chunky knit sweater in the winter. I like how it mixes an 80's color palette with a vintage - almost 'old lady' style - print, but the cut is fresh and modern.

I think I'll go send that email now...

The Life Cycle of a Cotton T-Shirt

I came across this article earlier this summer and bookmarked it because I thought it would be helpful to share on this blog. The data was complied by an organization called USAgain who are making an effort to reduce the amount of clothing and textiles sent to landfills every year.

Here are a few key facts:

• The production and transport phases of one t-shirt weighing approximately 6 ounces produced in India uses: 700 gallons of water, .22 pounds of fertilizers, .01 pounds of pesticides and 1.2 pounds of fossil fuels.
• Washing and drying one t-shirt 50 times, produces 18.3 lbs of Co2 emissions.
• Currently, Americans send 85% of their used or unwanted clothing and shoes to landfills, meaning only 15% are being recycled or re-used.

Information like this often feels overwhelming to me, especially considering I have to multiply all of those stats by the ridiculous number of t-shirts currently sitting in my drawers. And this is just the environmental impact. It doesn't even touch the fact that that one Indian-made t-shirt was probably also produced in an unsafe and under-monitored sweatshop and the impacts that has on individual and community health.

Sobering facts for a dreary Monday morning. Ignorance is bliss. But it doesn't make the world a better place.

Meaningful Purchase - Husband's Jeans Edition - good society denim

So, my husband is rather tall... and rather thin. This poses numerous problems for him when purchasing clothing, particularly pants. When I started this project, I included him in it as well. However, as you might suspect, there are far fewer options for sustainable menswear out there than women's. In fact, I don't believe we have successfully purchased an item of clothing for him yet this year. Well, you can imagine my excitement when one of the only fair trade organic denim distributors, Good Society, came up for sale on Pure Citizen... for 50% off! We had been burned ordering pants online for him before, so we were hesitant. But they had a slim fit style that claimed to have a 34 inch inseam. So, we tried it.Low and behold... these jeans fit him better than any other pair he's ever purchased! He put them on an instantly a smile came across his face. Jeans that don't fall off without a belt... and don't reveal his shins when he sits down? A miracle.

Paris Shoes - bensimon

You can always spot an American tourist in Europe by their shoes. Europeans have fantastic style in general (most of the little kids in Paris were dressed better than me), but they have particularly good taste in shoes.
I picked up a pair of these simple sneakers at a Bensimon boutique in the Marais neighborhood in Paris. I love how light and seamless they are. They look especially cute with shorts.
To be honest, I haven't been able to find conclusive information about Bensimon's environmental or labor practices. This online boutique carries them and they claim certain standards. And they have a US outlet that reveals some of the company's history here.

Paris Scarf - merci

Paris in the spring is truly everything you'd imagine it to be. It was almost cliche how beautiful it was. We really packed our itinerary full, so we didn't have much time for shopping. But Paris, like most European cities, still thrives on small neighborhood stores, shops and boutiques. So, it's easier to find places that practice fair trade and fair labor and are even eco-friendly. One store I had read about that I knew I had to go to is called merci. Here are some pictures we took inside the store. They sell everything from clothing to linens to stationary. Most of the items there were way out of our price range, but I did pick up this beautiful coral scarf (which seemed to be 'the' color for spring in Paris.) It's so light and floaty, it's almost transparent. And it adds such a great pop of color to my mostly grey wardrobe.But here's the amazing part. The owners of merci donate ALL of their profits to a co-op for young women in Madagascar. Yep. You read me right. All of their profits. Merci, indeed.

Meaningful Purchase - March - curator by she-bible coat

My husband and I took advantage of some insanely cheap plane tickets and decided to go to Paris for spring break this year. Since there is always a chance of rain during the spring in Paris, I needed a lightweight coat that would keep me warm (but not too warm) and relatively waterproof. Enter this funky number that has this huge collar/scarf detail around the neck that kicks it up a notch from just being a simple (boring) black canvas coat.
There are tons of different things you can do with this collar detail. I love it! Since I started this blog I have had a really good time searching for eco and fair trade stores on the internet. There are actually way more than I ever would have thought! This jacket was made by one of the brands that I saw and instantly loved, Curator by She-bible. They have an effortless and timeless style while still being up-to-date and funky.
I actually first found and eventually purchased this jacket at a different retailer, ecolissa. One of the things I love about these online boutiques is that you know who owns them and they communicate with you personally. I think that personalized shopping experience is something we really miss out on with all the 'big brands' and 'big box' stores that sell most of our stuff today. We have to find our 'shops around the corner' on the internet now. I'd still prefer to be able to walk into a neighborhood store and say hello to the people who make and sell the things I buy, but this is the next best thing.

Meaningful Purchase - February - del forte denim

Jeans. Could there be a more difficult-to-shop-for wardrobe staple? Well it becomes even more difficult when you try to find jeans that weren't made in a Chinese sweatshop. I think this is why for so long, I just didn't bother. I have been aware of the problem of sweatshops in the denim industry for a long time. In fact, there is an image from a PBS documentary that, ever since I first saw it, I have not been able to get out of my head. These beautiful girls use clothespins to keep their eyelids open so they can work extremely long hours without falling asleep making the jeans that I buy without even blinking - many of which I don't even wear and instead keep piled up in the back of my closet. I simply can't support this any more. There is a store in my city that sells fair trade denim, but none of their styles fit me right. So, I started looking online. Now, let me be clear. Fair trade, sweatshop free, organic denim is not cheap. If there's one thing I've discovered since starting this blog, it's that shopping with a conscience is not easy, especially on your bank account. (Which is why one of my larger goals is to buy less, way less.) Since these jeans are an investment that I hope will last a long time, I was looking for a pair that were classic straight and easy fitting, nothing with a low rise or skinny leg. Well, mission accomplished! These jeans are made by Del Forte Denim. They fit exactly how I wanted them to: relaxed and easy. And I really like the deep indigo color of the wash.
I bought them from Nancy's Gone Green, which is a great little online boutique that sells new and vintage eco-friendly clothing and accessories.
They were a little too long, so I had them tailored and viola! Jeans I can wear and feel good about on the outside and the inside. Finally.

Meaningful Purchase - January - skunkfunk jacket

In Michigan where it's freezing for what feels like 9 months out of the year, most of the time I'm wearing a large puffy extra warm jacket filled with feathers. But all that bulk was leaving me craving something more simple and streamlined (not to mention fashionable). For my birthday, my friend Sarah had given me a gift certificate to a new store in downtown Grand Rapids called Lee and Birch, which has a kind of Anthropologie style and is owned by some cool local female entrepreneurs. Perusing their website, I came across this jacket and was instantly enamored.

It's the perfect blend of toughness and luxury. It's soft and comfortable, not restricting. It fits well over my winter sweaters, but it's light enough that I can even leave it on inside and just make it part of an ensemble. But here's the awesome part: this jacket looks and feels (basically) like leather, but it's actually made out of recycled plastic bottles! How cool is that?
The brand skunkfunk is among the few out there who have managed to successfully merge innovative fashion design and socially and environmentally conscious practices. Check out their standards here!