Late Summer Splurge Urge

At the moment Mata Traders has lots of lovely dresses (and other stuff) on sale! Thank you @ Leah Wise for the reminder. I'm not buying anything because of stupid self-control, but you should do it on my behalf...

Exterior Lingerie

A comfortable corset alternative, on sale for $34.28. According to the listing, this garment is the result of "silkscreen printing on high quality fair trade T-shirts made of 100% organic cotton." I love an exaggerated waist-to-hip ratio, but I love being able to breathe significantly more. This shirt seems like a good compromise.

Golden Mahogany

// fair-trade poncho in "Hazelnut" //

Warm shades of brown wear especially well through the late months of summer into early fall, mimicking the colors of the harvest as it ripens and fades. Perhaps that is melodramatically poetic and I'm getting ahead of the current season... but I swear, the hazy heat does this to me! A certain amount of sunshine is nourishing.

// handmade porcelain owl pendants //

// vintage sheer dress //

// handmade glittery lingerie set //

// vintage silk pencil skirt //

Le Blusine

Italian fiber artist Micol Magni makes beautiful work clothes, for sale in her shop Le Blusine. She explains her design ethos with poetically utilitarian language: "About a year ago I began to think about how many beautiful occupations there are, related both to the world of work [and] personal passions. [...] I have used different suits, aprons, jackets... at home, in the studio, in the shop, in the garden or on the way!" By contrast, Micol's comment on her aesthetic impulses is brief: "The minimalism and simplicity are the two elements that compose all my work."

I love the soft shapes and natural fibers that characterize Le Blusine, as well as the domestically rough-and-ready concept. Imagine if Indiana Jones were a woman who owned an orchard and made big batches of jam every summer...



Click each image to be led to the source, and/or connect with Le Blusine on Instagram & Facebook.

Amanda Moss

I just got introduced to Canadian brand Amanda Moss by The Clothes Horse. Rebecca explained, "Amanda Moss wrote me about her dresses saying her design checklist was two questions: Can I wear it to a wedding? Can I ride my bike in it? I was completely sold." Me too! The pieces are beautifully understated, and I enjoy both weddings and bicycling. Can someone please have a Tour de France-themed wedding? And then invite me to watch them get married? Kthx.

Underpants Ahead

// $7 pattern //

Karen suggested a roundup of cute panties, and I was like, "Okay!" Yup, that's the entire backstory. Unfortunately, browsing undies is a bummer because 99.99% of the models are really thin and pale. Can we plzzz get some diversity up in here?! Anyway, I decided to focus on artisanal, US-made, or fair-trade options (although one pair is merely organic).



Clockwise from the top left: Fair Isle, yellow, delicate floral, red heart butt, & lace side detail. Background by Evelyn Flint and rosebud by Audrey.

// $45 //

// $28 //

Oakland Indie Fashion

Early Saturday afternoon, my friend Bree and I went to an open house at Armour sans Anguish. There were racks and racks of beautiful clothes, both vintage stock and AsA's own pieces. I enjoyed looking at all the different fabrics and designs; textile craft is wonderful. Not to mention that everything was on sale!



Bree displaying a pastel AsA crop top for me. I can't help but picture myself wearing it over a swimsuit and cutoffs, hanging out in the sun by a river in Humboldt County. As I've mentioned before, the idea of an outfit can easily sow the seed for a daydream. This particular fantasy is not entirely out of reach--maybe I will cajole X into a mini road trip.

Back to Oakland: two guest artists were set up in the space as well.



Whitney Sharpe of Latch Key showing off her excellently creepy finger necklace, which was modeled on her own pinkie. (See two more photos of Whitney here and here.)



Tawny Holt (the head of Armour sans Anguish) and Kelly Bechtold of Girl on a Motorcycle discussing Instagram tactics, with Kelly's handmade bags behind them.

That's all! I didn't take as many photos as I expected to, but for a good reason--I was distracted by actually being there. What can I say? Life gets the best of me sometimes.

Orca Whales // Five Finds

I spoke too soon about my "Five Finds" idea. Making digital collages is very time-consuming, and definitely not something I can manage every day. Maybe it'll be a fun project for when I have a few extra hours. I tend to load myself up with assignments and expectations until I collapse, which is definitely not healthy. My mom's writing teacher always says, "Under-commit and over-perform." I am trying to learn how to do that instead. But I didn't decide to ease up on myself until after playing with pictures of orca whales:



Background texture from a Missoni dress (made in Italy), multi-whale t-shirt (vintage), and ceramic whale pin (independent artist).



Wooden wall hanging (vintage) and Stella McCartney dress (made in Hungary, a member of the EU).

If you find marine mammals intriguing, go learn more about the infamous "killer whale" on National Geographic! Here's a majestic parting shot, via NOAA Photo Library:

Feathery Fringe // Five Finds

I'm starting a new feature called "Five Finds", somewhat inspired by "Five Things" on Cupcakes & Cashmere. My goal is to systematize posts that involve curation, collage, and ethical window-shopping, which are all processes that I enjoy. (Hopefully you enjoy them too!) Each installment will have a unifying theme. For the sake of alliteration, the first one is FEATHERS!

Throughout history, humans have envied birds' ability to fly. We've always had some rudimentary dominion over water, and the land is our comfort zone, but the great expanse above us remained out of reach until recent advances in modern aviation. The sky is also vitally important as the source of weather and navigational information (via astronomy). Birds' unfettered association with this realm of clouds and wind inspired the awe of ancient civilizations. Wikipedia has an entire list of "avian humanoids", many of whom are winged gods. Feathers symbolize the freedom to explore celestial mysteries without restriction.

// DualD FlipFlop //

Feathers are a natural decorative element, given that you can frequently find them on the ground. Beyond that comment, the mutual history of feathers and fashion is too extensive for me to describe. However, my hypothesis is that feathers have come to symbolize power and luxury as an extension of the dynamic described above. Anyway... the five featured items are bolded.



Blue dress (made in France), silk shawl (fair trade, shown here as a dramatic cape), and misty forest. Then there's the junior prom version:



Pastel pink dress (made in America), watercolor feather (independent artist), fuchsia feather, and flock of birds. Lastly, not in a collage but all on its glorious own, allow me to present this angelic leopard-print creation (made in Italy):



Yup. Leopard-print feathers. I am sooo into it. I also considered this prim Erdem Brenton dress (made in Italy), but it's just not as fabulous.

Scarf City

This is a sponsored post.



ModCloth is launching another "Make the Cut" contest. (Remember the last one?) This time they are seeking creative prints for "an item that lends itself to a stylish twist: the scarf!" The winner will receive $500 and have their design produced by ModCloth. Friday the 30th is the submission deadline, and community voting will begin on June 9th (which is a Monday).

Scarves are an accessory that I love--they easily add pizazz to otherwise un-jazzy outfits--but I already have a billion of them. I even found a couple on the side of the road recently. Nevertheless, I would be happy to acquire any of these...



Roughly clockwise from the top left: $26 soft purple, $76 beige zigzag, $280.90 floral Greek, ~$42 beige and yellow (a lot like this vintage one), ~$64 recycled sari, $26 lipstick red, and $245 magenta print. Background: Good Night San Francisco by Jason Jenkins.

I didn't put the best one in the collage. It's this ruffle-y beauty by Issey Miyake:



($224.50.) I am strongly reminded of Issey Miyake's F2014RTW presentation. The brand demonstrates consistency but evolution.

Retro Reproduction

Ella Moss sent me a link to her recent article, "Fashionable Finance: The Costs of Trending", which provides insight into a brand's perspective. For example: "Following trends is in itself a past-oriented term - companies and corporations cannot afford to 'follow' any movement in fashion." Good point--one that's equally salient for bloggers. Describing the surge of vintage-inspired styles, Moss writes, "The primary design is already there, and in the wake of nostalgia [...] entire companies can devote themselves to revived styles as well as putting an innovative new twist on them." Which leads me to Bernie Dexter...



I came across this dress in a Portland boutique. I love the quirky Americana feel of a tomato print--it reminds me of grilling burgers for Labor Day, which is something that I've never done but read about plenty. Although I was charmed at first sight, I would have moved on quickly if the sales girl hadn't enthused to me about the brand.

Bernie Dexter features US-made pinup styles, designed by a burlesque dancer's daughter, with a professional background in modeling and makeup artistry. Miss Dexter explains, "My first collection was truly inspired by a few of my most treasured vintage pieces. I have had a few vintage formal gowns I loved so much, but there never seemed to be a time to wear them and one was too delicate to wear. So I decide to turn my favorite vintage formals in to wearable day and sun dresses that you can dance, shop, or just feel pretty in."



I want to revisit "Fashionable Finance" for a moment. The article's conclusion deals with moral manufacturing: "Now, an increasing selling point for trends is towards a more sustainable, ethical future, which may mean higher cost for the consumer and producer, but a better quality in clothing and better conditions for the workers themselves." Brands like Bernie Dexter, driven by a passionate artist who supervises the realization of her vision, help to build this sustainable, ethical future.

Stripes & Stuff

I love Leah Wise's ethical fashion blog, Style Wise. She also has a curated vintage shop called Platinum & Rust, a name that has always appealed to me. It sounds like a dystopian wedding theme. Anyway, every so often I look through P&R and this time the findings were particularly cool.



The "Beetlejuice Blazer": YES.



I snagged the picture above from an Indiewire article called "5 Things You Might Not Know About Tim Burton's 'Beetlejuice'". Usually I wouldn't bother mentioning that because it's just a screenshot from the movie, but this "5 Things" piece is shockingly interesting, like maybe the writer did actual research?! Good things happen when you pay for content, people. (Fuck you, Huffington Post. But I digress...)



It's weird that this post is so blouse-heavy, since shirts are probably the article of clothing that interests me least.

Things I Spent Money On Recently

This pretty lady is October Rebel, wearing the Mata Traders "Edie" dress. (To quote Style Wise, "Mata Traders is a fair trade clothing company dedicated to empowering women.") I ordered that very same dress a couple of days ago. I'm not a big online shopper, and it was an unplanned purchase, but...



(From Singin' in the Rain, one of the all-time best movie musicals.) I was innocently browsing the Mata Traders website, trying to figure out something to post here, and I encountered that adorably swingy "Edie" dress, discounted from $80 to $20! Irresistible. My total came to $26.94 including shipping and tax. I almost feel bad about getting such a good deal, since Mata Traders is a company that I actually want to support.

Another impulse buy was three Paolo Bacigalupi novels at Powell's Books ($28 even). I've read The Windup Girl a few times, and it's a truly excellent sci-fi thriller. I didn't know that Bacigalupi had written other books, not least because I have a hard time remembering the guy's name. So anyway, I saw some of his newer work stacked on a sales display. Suddenly I was overtaken by a need to own Pump Six and Other Stories, Ship Breaker, and The Drowned Cities. I don't regret this either. I know I'm gonna read those books over and over again.

Everything else I've spent money on in the past 2-3 months falls into one of these categories: gas, groceries, or occasional lattes. Oh, and my train tickets. By the way, I'm home! Portland was great, but I missed my pets and my own space.

Ethical Mama Style

Indigenous, purveyor of sustainable, fair trade clothing, is having a Mother's Day sale! 25% off when you enter the code "MOM25" at checkout. This fiesta extends until tomorrow (May 5th). Another exciting bonus is free shipping, which may be something that Indigenous offers all the time?! I can't quite tell, but I always get juiced about free shipping. Unfortunately, the prices are still out of my range, but here are some items that I would want if I were a mom, that I in fact already want despite my lack of children:



I also really like the peachy blush "Sunny Day Dress". More things should be a color that I can describe as "peachy blush".

Shopping stuff aside, I want to give an early shoutout to moms in general. There are a lot of different ways to go about parenting, some better than others and some just different, but nurturing the next generation is always an incredibly hard and important job. Although nowadays there are many men who participate in child-rearing, women still do the bulk of that work. Feminized labor rarely gets the recognition it deserves, and motherhood is no exception. Y'all are rockstars! Some of the kindest, wisest people I know are the moms in my life--especially my own. I love you, Mommy.