A Slender Instrument Used for Making Holes in Cloth

One of my readers recently educated me about the wonderful world of Bodkin. I immediately began to explore the line and discovered beautifully crafted clothing made of sustainable materials. The aesthetic of the company is described as "architectural modernism: Good, smart design. With comfort at its core". The clothes are all made in the US using sustainable fabrics like post-consumer recycled polyester, salvaged textiles, organic cotton grown in the US and weaves from collectives in India. In 2009 the line was honored with the Ecco Domani Sustainable Design Award. The founder Eviana Hartman has done everything from working as a fashion journalist to playing drums in a band. She brings an incredibly diverse and versatile life experience that shows in each of the line's garments. The pieces are intelligent, convertible and unexpected (take a second look to discover subtle details). Below are some of my favorite pieces from the Autumn/Winter 2010 and Spring/Summer 2010 lines. All photos by Tina Tyrell.

Autumn/Winter 2010

Drapes to die for. I want to know where I can get a pair of these shoes!

Assymetrical pleating.

Hood!

A feminine pocket detail is the perfect touch to this tomboy look.

Spring/Summer 2010

Great bunching at the bottom of this simple pullover.

A lilac shirt dress with an unexpected slit at the waist!

The perfect jersey dress.

Sweat pants that are acceptable outside of the house!

Genes or Jeans?

My old roommate and good friend recently sent me a link for charming website featuring eco-conscience denim. I was thrilled, because denim with heart and soul can be very hard to come by. Monkee Genes were developed by Road Team, a company based out of the United Kingdom. These jeans are sweatshop free, made of organic cotton with no pesticides or chemicals used. In July 2008 Monkee Jeans was given the Soil Association organic standard and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). You can read a brief explanation of what this accreditation means here, but I suggest going to the Soil Association website to find out more. My favorites from the line are the Light Bamboo Supa Skinny and the Inky Black organic denim Supa Skinny and Skinny Jeans (both seen below). Hope you enjoy this new adventure in jean shopping!

Vintage Shopping Advice

I was reading an interview of Emily Schuman (the girl behind Cupcakes and Cashmere) on Danapop, and I came across some great advice for vintage and flea market shopping. I have devoted several posts to vintage, thrift and Ebay shopping, and I realize that it can be intimidating to sift through piles of stuff at flea markets and thrift stores. I hope Emily's advice helps you all conquer your fears!

Danapop (dp): I’m a horrible shopper at flea markets or stores where a lot of sifting and sorting through bins or unorganized racks are involved…what can you recommend for someone like me to look for at flea markets?

Cupcakes and Cashmere (c&c): I would say that you should think about what it is you’re looking for prior to showing up to shop. For a newbie to vintage shopping, start with boots, belts and bags since figuring out your sizing with clothes takes a while. Also, when in doubt, find a stylish girl and keep an eye out for the booths that she visits and the things she scopes out.

dp: What are key things to check out when shopping for vintage items?

c&c: I’d say quality is the most important thing since no matter how cute something may be, if it falls apart a week later, you’re out of luck (I learned this the hard way with a vintage Gucci purse that turned out to be fake). Always check the soles of shoes, the straps and closures on bags and all parts on clothing to make sure there are no rips or stains.

Shop 'til you Drop!

Any girl or boy that loves fashion inevitably loves shopping! But what do you do with all those plastic and paper bags you get from every store? I always feel so wasteful walking around with five bags from each store I have shopped at. My solution has been cute reusable bags. I realize that this is not a new trend, everyone from Marc Jacobs to Gap has designed hundreds of cute reusable totes for fashion forward folks everywhere. I want to share with all of you some of my favorite totes! My absolute favorite is the Le Pliage by Longchamp. It comes in various sizes, shapes and colors, and folds into a small little square that fits perfectly into your purse. I carry the 121/4X12X71/2 inches because it is big enough to carry as an everyday tote too. I use it every time I travel and when I was in school, I could fit all my books in it. I also love the Want Organic for JCrew Mirabel day roll bag. It is made of certified organic cotton and sustainable leather from Norway. It rolls into itself so that it can fit into your suitcase or purse but it is large enough to fit a laptop, and it comes in four basic colors! I also love the classic boat and tote bag from L.L.Bean. It comes in four sizes and eight fun colors. It's a prep classic that will never go out of style, plus you can get it monogramed. What makes it even better is that it is made in the US (Brunswick, Maine). These classics (and any other cute totes you can find), will have you shopping in style for years to come. Now get to shopping!

Longchamp.com ($145)

Jcrew.com ($145)

llbean.com ($25-$38)

Bicycle Post #2

I have a love for cute and fashionable blondes on bikes! So here are a couple for your viewing pleasure. I hope they inspire you all to ride in style!

I love the use of texture in her outfit from the lace-like scarf to her updated tweed coat all the way down to her worn leather bag. Plus, I want her basket!
Source: www.copenhagencyclechic.com

Look at that amazing poncho! I want one to wear when I ride my bike!
Source: www.copenhagencyclechic.com

A Few Days Late

RIP Alexander McQueen. We all miss you. In memory I would like to highlight one of my favorite shows by McQueen: his Spring 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection. He used a video projection of the Earth and lined the runway with stuffed animals, including many endangered species. The designs evoked nature through animal inspired prints and textures, and varied florals. In program notes he explained that he had been thinking about the negative affects of industrialization on our Earth and Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest. The message is so important and the collection has stuck with me. It is necessary that bold and relevant designers like McQueen use their art and talent to convey important messages to the fashion world at large. Read the Vogue review and view the entire collection at Style.com. Here are some of my favorite pieces from the collection:

Green is Sexy

I discovered this neat new green website while reading the article about Rachel McAdams in the January issue of Vogue. I was so inspired by the way she lives her life, out of the spotlight, riding her bike or walking everywhere and living with the earth in her heart and mind. She and some of her closest friends started a website called Green is Sexy, to help educate people about lowering carbon footprints. The website is incredibly comprehensive,insightful, inspiring and absolutely adorable. I hope that all of you will go check it out and support the tremendous effort of these beautiful and sexy women. Go get sexy!

Bicycle Post #1

Bikes! What is not to love? A fashionable form of transportation that is good for the environment and gives your legs a great workout (so they look fab in mini skirts)! My best friend Nick built me a beautiful 1972 Centurion a couple of years ago and it immediately became one of my favorite possessions. I often come across pictures of fashionable folks on their bikes and I have decided to start posting them here. Hope you enjoy the ride and much as I do.

This man is so adorable. The epitome of a stylish bike rider! I want a red satchel just like his for my bike. It is the perfect accessory and I love that he highlighted it with a matching red scarf.

Picture from Sartorialist

Etsy

In an earlier post I mentioned different places to get second hand and vintage items. One amazing website I failed to mention is Etsy. This site is great because it is a much smaller scale than Ebay (meaning it is easy to search on), but still has a huge variety. You can shop for vintage, handmade, supplies or even shop by a seller's name. You also have the option of shopping locally (support your economy and the enviornment)! My friend Abby just recently started her own vintage shop called Leather Lace and Velvet Vintage (search the sellers for leatherlaceandvelvet). She has already added some pretty incredible items, including a vintage tank covered in wolves (which I am lusting after). Another fun thing about Etsy is that you can purchase one of a kind hand made crafts and even clothing. My friend Yu Yu is a clothing designer and sells some of her designs through Etsy. You can check her sweet duds out at FreeApples (again, search for this name under sellers). Enjoy the search!

Jade Nails

Who What Wear just did a beauty post highlighting pretty green nails for fall. They listed several different brands of nail polish in varied shades of green. There were some great brands on the list including OPI and Chanel. Sadly, there were no Eco-friendly suggestions. But, have no fear, I have found several shimmering (and matte) shades from mint to neon green. My personal favorite is a pretty shade of icy mint from SpaRitual called Delight. I discussed this company in an earlier post because they carry nail polishes that are vegan, DBP, formaldehyde and toluene free and the glass bottles are made of 50% recycled materials. Another great choice is a vegan, water based nail polish from Suncoat called Apple Green (#21). No Miss also has a sparkly shade called Jenson Beach Jade which is Vegan, and does not contain, formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl-pthalate or camphor. What a perfect way to go green!