July 2014 archive
Why Buy Organic Clothing?
Stylishly Eco-Friendly options are growing. Here are 4 reasons to consider stocking organic in your closet as well as your refrigerator.
Being Eco in Style!
When I first started writing a magazine article on organic clothing, my own knowledge of Eco-friendly apparel was limited to the two pairs of organic cotton leggings that I bought through a group buying site only because they were a great price. I’d never considered the merits of buying organic clothing before, but after researching it for the article, I was a convert. Here’s why.
Reasons to Buy Organic Clothing
-The Environment
It takes an enormous amount of fertilizers and pesticides to grow conventional cotton. Did you know that cotton crops use 25% of the world’s pesticides? The insecticides used on cotton crops are among those the World Health Organization lists as the most harmful to humans. Not exactly what we want leaching into the soil and water! Organic cotton, hemp and bamboo crops don’t use these toxic chemicals, making the planet healthier for all of us.
-The Workers
Organic apparel is more likely to be made in the U.S. or with overseas fair trade labor. This can mean prices that are slightly higher than fast fashion retailer prices, but I was pleasantly surprised that the prices don’t seem too outrageous (that group buy deal I found was two pairs of leggings for $19!).
-The Snowball Effect
As demand for organic apparel rises, so too will the options available. So by buying organic clothing, you’ll be taking part in a movement that will mean more organic crops grown and more organic clothing sold.
-Style
When I think of organic clothing I think of things that could only be worn to yoga or an outdoor festival. And it’s true, there are plenty of hippie-chic, ultra-casual organic clothing for sale. But as awareness about organic clothing grows, the choices are growing too. I learned that Synergy organic fashions are sold on Ruche and Modcloth, and they’re really cute as you can see in the slideshow above. The photos shown in this post are from Prana, another fashion-forward organic retailer with a variety of styles available.
After I wrote the article I was inspired to start switching my wardrobe over to more organic clothing. Guess how long that lasted? Less than a week later I was at Forever 21. So maybe it’s more realistic to start adding organic elements to my closet slowly, like with another pair of organic leggings!
What do you think about organic clothing? Do you own any?
Photos courtesy of Prana, used with permission.
The Evolving Style of Irish Dance Costumes
Today we’re talking about style within a sphere that I feel passionately about-Irish dance. I’ve touched on fashion in Irish dance in my previous posts, but this time I’m going to let some experts tell the story via video. These are two of my favorite Irish dance documentaries. They’re full length, so don’t feel like you have to sit through the whole thing to get the gist of what it’s about but also don’t be surprised if you can’t stop watching!
This video is part of a six-part series showing different aspects of the Irish dance world today. This episode highlights dressmakers and the importance of style in Irish dance.
All six episodes in the Jigs & Wigs series are available on YouTube. Each one focuses on a different aspect of Irish Dance and I highly recommend them all if you want to find out more about the history and evolution of Irish dance (or just want to see some more cool costumes and dancing).
The following documentary, “Strictly Irish Dancing,” is also worth a watch. The second section takes a look at the glitzy appearance aspect of Irish dance.The extreme costumes of Irish dance champions have been the subject of many debates and exposes. In the Irish dance world, it’s a heated debate and bans against younger dancers wearing makeup and sparkly costumes have gone into effect. “The irony of the situation is, they all want to stand out but they all end up looking exactly the same,” former Riverdance start Breandan de Gallai says in the video, regarding the fake tans, stage makeup and extreme sparkle.
But in the film, multiple-time World Champion Claire Greaney defends her sport against those who call it a beauty pageant, saying, “People are so quick to judge and are always judging Irish dancing more like judging a book by its cover, not really taking the time to get past the exterior of us and getting into actually understanding what we do and, like, the work that goes into what we do.”
Claire contends that although top competitors spend thousands to stay on top of trends, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s about the dancing. “In Irish dance, the makeup, and wig, and costume and everything is literally for first impressions. Your result has nothing to do with how you look and it’s about your talent, the technique that you’re doing onstage, your performance.”
I love seeing the different costumes, each one totally unique. Yes, styles change and many people lament how far Irish dance costumes have fallen from the traditional designs and simple cuts. But sometimes that’s a good thing. The older, stiff-paneled, velvet dresses were heavy, hot and hard to dance in. So some of the changes aren’t purely for aesthetic purposes. If dancers don’t like the highly made-up, extreme-costumed look, they can always design a look that works for them. That’s what I love about Irish dance-there is freedom for a dancer to choose what to wear for a dress and hair, how much they want to compete (or if they just want to perform or dance recreationally). There really is room for everyone. And that goes beyond style-there is room for people of all ages and sizes to take part, but that’s a whole other post in itself.
What do you think about the evolution of style in Irish dance? And if you find any Irish dance videos you love, please send them my way as I love to watch them.
Friday Featured Fashionista: Colette
I’m thrilled to introduce you to this blog’s first ever Featured Fashionista! Colette Meller started a new job as a Key Account Manager for Darcie Kent Vineyards in California this summer, a job that brings her all around the Midwest meeting with distributors. I met Colette when we worked in the same building (which was until recently when she got her super hip new job). One day I asked her the story behind her leather belt studded with antique clock faces. I was expecting a quick “Oh I bought it at ______ boutique” answer, but instead she told me this story:
When she and her boyfriend were living in Colorado, they found a stray dog on the side of a busy road and rescued it. They were able to reunite the dog with its owner, who happened to be their nearby neighbor. The grateful neighbor invited them to dinner, and Colette’s signature style reminded the woman of herself in the 1970s when she’d been a country music singer. She took Colette into her closet and gave her a bunch of her vintage country star clothes, this clock belt and black dress included. Now that’s a back story worth telling.
This outfit is especially perfect for Colette because she says she is obsessed with clock towers. Since she travels for work, she takes photos of clock towers she finds in different cities. Her favorite so far? One in Philadelphia.
Colette is a truly wonderful person and it was a joy getting to know her at work. I hope she gets to rescue more dogs and meet more former country stars.
I asked Colette a few questions about her style:
What inspires your style?
“I’m inspired by the places around me. Growing up I loved soft clothes with earth tones that had movement and comfort. In fact I didn’t wear denim until college because I didn’t like the abrasive, inflexible fabric. As I grow older I like to think that professional settings inspire me to push myself intellectually and aesthetically. I draw a lot from architecture and strong lines that reinforce my power as a professional. ”
Describe your style:
“My wardrobe draws a lot upon my inherent thrift in a family that taught me too much money on clothes was an unneeded extravagance. It has changed a lot throughout the years, but what remains the same is an obsession with strange pieces that confuse people. K-12 it gave me a reputation of being frumpy, but I’m happy I stuck with it.”
What are your favorite places to shop?
“I found the most fantastic pair of 60s styled pink kitten heels at Goodwill. If you hit it at the right time you can get any professional or nightwear piece, courtesy of tasteful suburban women who love to make room for new clothes. But all of my fun clothes are cat shirts and short dresses from plndr.com.”
Don’t have a 70s star’s’ closet to raid? Don’t fret, you can still steal Colette’s style!
Want to be a Featured Fashionista? Tell me why you’d be fab for the feature.
Caro Nan Baskets: Treasures from the 60s
Uniquely made purse baskets from the 1960s
I’ve gotten so much great reader feedback on my post about Caro Nan baskets that I had to do a follow up. It’s so amazing to hear from people from all over the country who have beloved vintage Caro Nan baskets and their unique stories behind them. The uses are varied too-toy boxes, lunch pails, picnic baskets, purses and even a little child’s step stool (though I hear that basket didn’t hold up so well!). What I find so fascinating about these baskets is how ubiquitous yet little-known they are. The designers ran a small home workshop, but they really cranked these things out in the 1960s. Yet few purse or vintage aficionados have ever heard of Caro Nan. Most seem to stumble across the name only when they become an owner of one of the purses or, like me, meet someone who carries one.
A reader was kind enough to send in these photos of her own Caro Nan basket, which depicts a preciously retro scene of a little girl amongst flowers. Isn’t it amazing that each one of these baskets is exclusive in its design and no two are the same?
How do I know if I have a Caro Nan?
The lid of the basket is inscribed with a note indicating that it was custom made. Note the Caro Nan signature in the lower left-that’s how you know a basket is indeed a Caro Nan. I haven’t seen any Caro Nan copies yet so I’m not sure if any were made, but if there is any question if it’s genuine or not, just check for the signature since every basket was signed.
I’m still waiting to find one of my own, so hopefully someday soon one will appear in an outfit post!
Welcome, Aubrey!
Something special happened to me last month-I became an aunt for the first time! Over July 4th, I flew to see my new niece. She lives across the country from me so she was almost a month old when I met her.
I’m admitted biased, but I think she is pretty wonderful. She already has some great talents perfected including wiggling, smiling, yawning, sticking her tongue out and looking around so it’s obvious how smart and talented she will be.
I was reminded of a high school friend who told me that after her brother had a baby, their close-knit, small-town family stopped watching TV altogether and just sat around the living room staring at the baby. After spending a week with my niece, I totally understand (although I do admit that while I was there I did watch the first episode of Call the Midwife and possibly got hooked).
I got teary off and on the whole plane ride home. How can someone so little, who just came into existence, now command so much importance in my life?
How can I build a relationship with her as she grows, even though I can’t see her frequently?
In Aubrey’s honor I’m also announcing a new corner of my blog, Little Paperdoll, a section dedicated to kids’ fashion and activities. If there’s something you’d like to see there, I hope you’ll let me know!
