Your Daily Thread » Fair Trade

Sustainable Wears

Guest Contributor — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:04:22 +0000

Your go-to summer outfit, put together with eco-friendly brands and products.

Fashion is so much more than just clothing; it is a form of self-expression. What better way to express your eco-minded self than with organic apparel? Designers in all price ranges are turning out amazing collections of eco-friendly wear and fair trade construction.

Loomstate

A designer dedicated to bringing green and style together, Rogan Gregory is the founder of upscale organic line Loomstate, made from natural fibers and of eco-friendly materials. This silky top is gorgeous and will keep you cool in the heat.

Banana Republic Heritage

White denim is the way to go this summer. These skinnies are the perfect addition to your outfit and can easily transition from day to night. Banana Republic’s Heritage collection makes sure no chemicals are used during the construction process. All dyes and materials used during construction are tested to make sure that they are safe to be released into the environment!

Alkemie Jewelry

Husband and wife team Ashley Lowengrub and Dara Gerson created a line of jewelry that is environmentally conscious and socially responsible. Alkemie uses only reclaimed materials in their construction and all items are hand produced right here in Los Angeles. Their cuff bracelets are to die for!

TOMS shoes

You’re missing out on a huge trend if you don’t have a pair of TOMS. With every pair you buy, TOMS donates a pair to a child in need somewhere across the globe. The company is on a huge rise with artist hand painted shoes and vegan options. Try the leopard print ones!

Hint: convert your look from day to night by kicking up your heels. TOMS now offers wedges, and even wedding shoes! Or, if you have enough pairs of shoes, try TOMS new eyewear, which help fund sight-saving surgeries and eyeglasses to people globally.

Article written by Guest Contributor Daria Akhten.

Images via Alkemie and Loomstate.

Related Articles

Rising Tide Fair Trade

Alissa Pittenger — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:18:39 +0000

A rising tide lifts all ships! Rising Tide Fair Trade makes waves to demand and support fair trade in the fashion industry. They create eye-catching, one-of-a-kind bags using re-purposed scraps of cotton and vintage quilts finished in cruelty free leather (from naturally deceased animals). Rather than mass production, each one is produced in a woman’s cooperative, which has a lower impact on the environment. All artisans for Rising Tide Fair Trade earn a fair wage, 60% more than they would in a factory job.

These purses are extremely well made. Not only do they wear the beautiful and unique Kantha stitch, a popular motif in West Bengal, India, but are the most durable bag I have seen to date. Buyers everywhere desire to stock these in their stores and boutique shops.

Rising Tide Fair Trade has offered our readers an online discount of 20% off. Please visit rtfairtrade.com and use YDT20 at checkout.

Photos courtesy of Rising Tide Fair Trade and Etsy

Related Articles

Eco Citizen Steals

Sara Roderick — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:31:39 +0000

You have the right to “high quality, fair trade and classic fashion design,” so says Eco Citizen. Look beyond the traditional allure of clothing trends and styles, and instead, take a peek at these fashion-forward pieces made by the people, for the people and on sale now. ecocitizenonline.com

Related Articles

Monday Musts

Sara Roderick — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:45:25 +0000

Prettycity.com has partnered up with SHAPE magazine to kick off their 2^nd Annual Green & Gorgeous campaign, with an eco-fabulous event set to take place Wednesday, June 9 from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Environment Furniture Showroom in L.A. Get gorgeous with complimentary spa and salon services, makeovers, an eco-SWAG bag and more! This must attend event costs $10 for admission, but be one of the first 50 people to subscribe to EcoStiletto and then register here with the code “eco” to get in free.

…

Got a passion for eco-fashion? If so, join Indigenous this Friday evening (June 11, from 7 to 11 p.m.) at the Agura West Hollywood to celebrate 15 years of Fair Trade Fashion. This is a Guest List Only event, so you must be one of the first 250 people to RSVP. For details, please visit their blog or contact matt@indigenousdesigns.com for more information and to RSVP.

No related posts.

This Is Not IKEA

Sara Roderick — Thu, 06 May 2010 06:53:18 +0000

This Is Not Your Typical Furniture Store

Love Ikea prices, but hate the idea of buying mass produced items that your best friend, and his friend, and his friend’s friend already own? Delve through the many unique, vintage pieces at thisisnotikea (TINI), and rest assured you will find something unique. Why? Items like this ridiculously fun mini jukebox radio/tape player may be marked at 20-70%.

Location: 515 S. Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 (between Third St. and Wilshire) Date/Time: Open Tuesday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. & Friday-Sunday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Web: http://www.thisisnotikea.com/wordpress/.

We’re Passing This Sale On To You…

Make mom’s day with music, mimosas, mini-quiches, cupcakes and of course, shopping! Em & Co is hosting a Mother’s Day Sale Event with 20% off regular-price clothing, 15% off all jewelry and 5% off sale-marked merchandise. Why? Buy a gift for mom (or for yourself – we won’t tell) and you’ll receive free bouquets, photos & more!

Location: EM & Co, 7940 W. 3rd St., LA, CA 90048 Date/Time: Saturday, May 8 and Sunday, May 9. Store hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily Web: http://www.emandco.com.

Sale After Sale

Burning Torch’s eco-luxe collection made from vintage pieces is going on sale in Los Angeles this Saturday. Browse through their garments and listen to a DJ spinning tunes in a relaxed courtyard setting. Why? With all of these festivals lined up, you could use some festive attire.

Location: 1738 Cordova Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007 Date/Time: Friday, May 7^th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 8^th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Web: http://www.burningtorchboutique.com/.

Play Fair & Party

Ten Thousand Villages in Pasadena is holding a World Fair Trade Day Resource Party . Speak with experts on the importance of fair trade and check out some of their home design, skin care, food and beverage products – all perfect gifts for mom! Why? Life may not always be fair, but shopping can be.

Location: Ten Thousand Villages Pasadena, 567 S. Lake Ave. Pasadena, CA View Map Date/Time: Saturday, May 8 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Please visit the Fair Trade Resource Network to RSVP Web: http://pasadena.tenthousandvillages.com/

Santa Monica Has Festival Fever

Don’t waste your weekend indoors; get out and get festive at this weekend’s Santa Monica Festival! There will be music, dancing, food, shopping and visual arts. Best of all: the event will follow a zero-waste policy. Ride your bike be entered in a raffle to win a new bike. Why? YDT will be there, so it’s the perfect opportunity to stop by and say hi!

Location: Clover Park, 2600 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405 (map) Date/Time: Saturday, May 8 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost: Free Web: http://www.arts.santa-monica.org/events/SantaMonicaFestival.html.

-Image via Blackburn & Sweetzer

Related Articles

Green Glamour Pops Up in Silver Lake

Tracy Hepler — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:11:18 +0000

Silver Lake can add a new eco-fashion boutique to its neighborhood listing—at least for a few days. Online eco-show room and boutique Green With Glamour has launched a pop up shop off of Rowena in what use to be an ice cream shop.

The pop up carries a mixed collection of eco-fashion designers like EcoSkin, The Battalion and Stewart & Brown (all local designers) plus fun accessories like Kayu bamboo sunglasses (a company that donates a portion of their profits to alleviate blindness), Refind Originals (clutches made from recycled leather), Fair Trade jewelry, tote bags made from old sails, organic pillows, Alot to Say Undies and more.

Plus with the holidays around the corner, it doesn’t hurt that the boutique is offering 20%- 50% off of its goodies in store and 20% on online no matter where you are.

The shop is only open until November 15^th so take advantage of the deals while you can.

During the rest of the year Green With Glamour operates a show room, personal green shopper service and online boutique and blog.

Visit www.greenwithglamour.com to learn more and to go green and go stylish.

Use discount Popup20 online to redeem your discount online.

Related Articles

Free The Slaves PSA

Jaclyn Mullen — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:30:45 +0000

The 2009 Freedom Awards took place last Tuesday October 13th at the University of Southern California raising awareness for modern day slavery.

And in 2009, you’d think slavery would NOT be an issue our world would be dealing with but we still are which is why Fair Trade is so important. Check out the PSA below and visit www.freetheslaves.net to learn more about putting an end to modern day slavery.

Related Articles

Fair Trade Shopping Roundup

Connie Wu — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:59:32 +0000

With more and more people plugged into the Internet these days, we love that we’re seeing Fair Trade e-commerce options emerging on the web, making it easier than ever to shop for socially sustainable fashion, food, and accessories online. (Find our more about Fair Trade at TransFairUSA.org.)

With a click of a button, you can easily access stylish, design-oriented, and unique products made under safe working conditions, by employees paid appropriate wages.

Some Fair Trade shopping sites we recommend bookmarking:

ShopEquita.com: A family-run e-commerce site founded by two sisters, Equita also has a bricks-and-mortar location in Pittsburgh. This design-conscious shop showcases green, sweatshop-free and Fair Trade products for the body and home, including fashion, footwear, skincare products and home decor. You’ll be charmed by the adorable Speesees Children’s Hooded Bear Jacket, pretty FIN Oslo dresses, and Fair Trade Divine Chocolate. YDT readers are in luck – Equita is offering a discount! Get details at the end of this post.

Beklina.com: We’ve featured fair trade boutique Beklina before, and for good reason – this stylish site carries beautiful clothes you’ll covet and that your conscience can also feel good about. You’ll find delicate sweaters, stylish totes and handbags, and precious accessories by the likes of Rachel Comey, Linda Loudermilk and Ashley Watson.

…

Ten Thousand Villages: There’s a treasure trove of handmade gifts and home decor to be found at this online
store, including a beautiful recycled aluminum Serving Bowl, a handmade Baul Drum from India, and a cute Olive Wood Heart Paperweight. One of the world’s largest Fair Trade organizations, Ten Thousand Villages sources handmade products from artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Product sales help create jobs and pay for food, education, healthcare and housing.

Fair Indigo: Fair Indigo works with a handful of factories and co-ops that pay more than minimum wage and provide health and education benefits, sick pay, and air conditioning for their employees. Fair Indigo carries a variety of women’s and men’s clothing and accessories, including Fair Trade socks from Osage, Iowa, to recycled Indian sari bags made by women in Delhi, India. We also love the Mikado print Envirosax reusable shopping bags, and you can’t go wrong with the Men’s Rib Zip Jacket.

Global Exchange Store: The Global Exchange Fair Trade online store feature products from around the world, “with fair prices for consumers and fair prices paid to producers.” They carry wonderful children’s gifts, such as colorful Animal Puppets from Brazil, as well as lovely jewelry, such as the Matahari Silver Hoop Earrings. Just in time for Halloween, you can even pick up a Fair Trade Action Trick-or-Treat Kit, which comes with organic chocolates and postcards with information on the Fair Trade movement to share with others.

Have a favorite online Fair Trade store we haven’t mentioned? Share with us in the comments below!

ydt Deal Alert: Get 20% off regular-priced items at ShopEquita.com with code ydt20fairtrade, valid through October 18, 2009.

Related Articles