One Scarf at a Time

I was recently contacted by the lovely folks at Cambodian Threads. It thrilled me to learn about the company and to have a new friend in the fashion world. Cambodian Threads provides fair trade silk scarves made by the Heng family in Cambodia. This family of artisans practices the ancient craft of hand weaving silk in a sweat-shop free environment. Because of the great skill and time that it takes to craft each of these one of a kind scarves, the family is only able to produce 50 a month. These exclusive scarves range from $15 (on sale) to $26 (full price). They are very affordable, high quality and beautiful.

Through the support of Cambodian Threads, the Heng family has been able to turn their craft into a livelihood. For each scarf that the company sells, they purchase school supplies for ten Cambodian children. Cambodian Threads keeps a simple website that has a brief description of the company and its vision, scarves are also available for purchase on the site. The founders of the company have a fabulous blog that has detailed descriptions of their travels in Cambodia, the Heng family and the members of their village, pictures, and updates about the company. The stories are detailed, interesting and very inspiring and are worth a read.

Cambodian Treads was kind enough to send me a blue-gray scarf and I am completely smitten. It is light weight, drapes well and is perfect for spring, summer and fall weather. My roommate and I are going to put together a little photoshoot with the scarf, so come back soon for pictures! And visit Cambodian Threads to get yourself and every one on your Christmas list a special and affordable gift, that gives back!

Clean and Dry

I love dry shampoo! I have a very busy schedule and do not always have the time time to wash and dry my hair in the morning. Dry shampoo or hair powder is the perfect solution for girls on the go who want to keep their hair looking and smelling fresh and clean. Dry shampoo works wonders on long road trips, music festivals, and traveling in general. Here are a few organic and natural alternatives (some of which I have tried).

Lulu Organics makes a Hair Powder that is USDA Organic, Oregon Tilth Certified Organic and Talc free. The company creates all products using raw materials from fair trade co-op in Iowa. The packaging is vintage inspired, cornstarch-based and biodegradable and absolutely lovely too boot. There is also a travel size available for $9.50. I can't wait to try this product!

$40

I personally use Federic Fekkai's Au Naturel Dry Shampoo. It is made without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, petro-chemicals, and phthalates. I like that it is scent free, when I tested some of the other dry shampoos at Sephora, I found the scents to be too overwhelming.

$23

Another option is Gentle Dry Shampoo With Oat Extract (Non-Aerosol) from French company Klorane. The company is dedicated to plant research and use with non-endangered plants and with cultivation that is easy on the eco-system. This dry shampoo is formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, phthalates, GMO and triclosan. It received Allure's Best of Beauty Award for the category of dry shampoo.

$18

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