Portland Fashion Week: Sustainable Independent Style

Portland Fashion Week wrapped up October 24th, and we were happy to be able to take in a few shows. Portland has long boasted a creative urban environment, so it made perfect sense for the city to jump into the fashion arena in 2003 with the first Portland Fashion Week. In a city known as the country's "#1 Sustainable City" and where many citizens have strong ties to nature, P-Town naturally chose to go with a theme of sustainability in fashion. Now the second longest running fashion week on the West Coast, PFW is specifically targeted towards eco-friendly and independent designers.Though following sometimes chaotic organization, this years PFW showcased an amazing selection of designers and styles for the upcoming Spring/Summer 2008 season. Not only eco-friendly, there was a general trend towards color, comfort, and wearability. Soft cleanly-cut pieces from the collections designers like Sameunderneath and Lizzie Parker will easily transition off the runway and onto the street this spring.
Pieces were bright and cheerful, with simple shapes and contours.We're looking forward to next season, but in the meantime we'll be featuring some of our favorite PFW designers. The Photographers were there and they've captured some great styles in their slide show.

Independent Designers Reach Out During Breast Cancer Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, the time when many organizations come together to increase our awareness of breast cancer and encourage women to partake in early detection tests. For some time, the American Breast Cancer Society, Relay for Life, and many other organizations have joined with businesses of all kinds to offer stylish and chic products in support of breast cancer research. You have undoubtedly seen the hundreds of offerings this month for pink varieties of nail polish, lipstick, candles, pants, shirts, flower bouquets, and more. As many of the products have a high cost and the percentage of profit donated to the chosen fund often seems low, it’s easy to become both overwhelmed and unaffected by the promotions.

We’re happy to note, however, that big businesses aren’t the only ones teaming up for a cure this month. Independent designer fashion boutique MadieDeluxe, with its usual array of handmade and original bags and purses, is offering simple and sleek Pink wristlets and clutches. MadieDeluxe has partnered with the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Foundation, and is offering silk bags embroidered with the word “Hope.” Ten percent of the proceeds will go to the foundation. Shop MadieDeluxe to find out more.

Sustainable Fashion from Elroy Apparel

We’ve just discovered a new line of sustainable clothing that we love. Elroy Apparel is created by indie fashion designer Leanne McElroy. Created especially for the sophisticated health-conscious woman, this Canadian line features simple clean shapes with a feminine fit.

Leanne McElroy, a native of Vancouver, says her fashion sense began at the young age of 13. She began sewing her own garments to create pieces she couldn’t buy, later enrolling in the Helen Lefeaux fashion design program.

As a strict vegan, McElroy was easily swayed towards sustainable fashion when “organic” and “apparel” began to appear together. Wishing to give women the choice to put something healthy on their skin, McElroy saw that organic fashion centered primarily in the areas of yoga clothes and loungewear.

She set out to create style conscious fashions made from organic materials that women could wear in all aspects of their lives, whether at home, work, or play.

Elroy Apparel combines elegant, sleek shapes with natural materials like organic cotton and bamboo. We love that the pieces look like and sophisticated - perfect for polished career wear – and yet are casual enough to thrown on with jeans for an easy weekend. Shop Elroy Apparel at Paper Doll Independent Clothing Boutique.

Handcrafted clutches and bags from MIYO Design

Coming from a family craftswomen and seamstresses, Malia Okamura of MIYO Design has a long history of handcrafting bags and purses. With a degree in Applied Design from San Diego State University, Malia now puts her talents to work creating original purses, clutches, and accessories under the name MIYO Design. Her boutique bags are fun and functional, and her clutches are one-of-a-kind.

We love the red Record Clutch – made from actual vinyl. The former album is making a come back as a fashion adornment, and we couldn’t be happier to rock and roll with it!The vinyl Polka Clutch has hand-painted shimmering pink dots and a handcut bloom accent as decoration. Summer may be over, but the colorful Poppy Bag is just the right splash of bright to liven up your fall wardrobe and remind you of those luscious summer days at the beach. Small details and handcut flower petals make this bag a conversation piece.
For more great accessories that will make you smile, check out MIYO Design.

How to wear your ballet flats

Audrey Hepburn couldn’t have looked cuter when wearing dainty little flats. This year, the tiny shoe trend hit big when women began embracing the anti-wedge. You don’t have to be a prima ballerina to enjoy the comfort and youthful style of the ballet flat, but it was original dance solesters who brought back the ballet-style shoe. Now a wardrobe staple, the heel-less shoes were originally popular with older women because of the comfort they provided.

Modeled after the light leather slip-on shoes that dancers would wear, the flats began to rise in 2004. With the growing trend towards leggings and skinny jeans, original dance shoe makers like Repetto began taking their ware off the dance floor and into the street. Simple, elegant, and easier to walk in than the sexy stiletto, flats were quickly embraced due to their versatility and easy transition between daytime comfort and nighttime flare.
Evening Flats
It may seem counterintuitive to dress up your look by dressing down, but ballet flats are sophisticated enough to take you out at night and comfortable enough to keep you dancing. Choose flats in metallic colors, satin fabric, or with sequin details to spruce up a black wrap dress or pair with a shiny skirt.
Date Flats
You can look cute and flirty without feeling to girly if you wear flats with your next date attire. And it’s so much easier to stroll down the street, guy in hand, if you’re not worried about twisting your ankle in your new stilettos. Choose a bright color for your shoes – one that will complement your top and purse without matching the color exactly. Pick a different shade in the same color family to look right on, or adorn yourself in opposing colors and risk looking like you dressed in a rubbish bin. Complete the look with tight dark jeans. For an extra eye-grabber, pick flats with a pattern, embroidered detail, or buckle.
Afternoon Flats
For a lazy Saturday or an afternoon outside, choose a sunny shade like turquoise, yellow, or pink. Keep the patterns simple, and wear loose comfortable attire. A flowing skirt or tiny capris both look delicate with flats and are easy to move in during your afternoon activities.
Work Flats
Perfect for on the job, ballet flats are much more modern than your last pair of pumps. Choose basic black for more conservative attire or a solid color in a jewel tone for more creative work environment. Flats made from suede or canvas are great in the office and work well with slim pants or A-line skirts.

Social Atelier's Human Barbie Shirt

Right now we’re loving Social Atelier’s Human Barbie shirt. This “Body Image” tank targets are perceptions of women’s beauty and our obsessions with image. When 19% of American college women are bulimic and cosmetic surgery has never been more popular, it’s easy to see that in the United States we are deeply concerned with appearance. Tragically, our ideals often stem from unrealistic idols, such as the body shape of the beloved Barbie. In a culture where girls and young women are bombarded with images of rail thin supermodels, many of our impressions are female beauty are unrealistic. The Human Barbie shirt points out that if the blond bombshell was flesh and blood, her stats would be 39” – 19” – 33”. There numbers are preposterous for a real woman to obtain, as evidenced by the fact that the average adult female measures 36” – 30” – 41”.

As we question whether it’s our interiors or exteriors that are more important, Social Atelier offers up this shirt from their 2007 collection. A collective of aware fashionists, Social Atelier uses clothing to illustrate devastating truths in our society. For this season, they are focusing on genocide in Darfur, and they have chosen to send 15% of their profits to the Solar Cooker Project. The project works to improve the conditions of women living in refugee camps by alleviating the need for them to go out and seek fuel. The designers behind these sleek 100% organic cotton tees have focused on a number of issues in the past, including AIDS, poverty, global warming, and gay marriage. They have also hosted an Ethical Night Out launch party for their line.

Why We Don't Shop for a Cause

Lately, it seems that many top consumer brands are reaching out to we as consumers by connecting with our conscience. Now, it’s not enough to have a stylish product and a great corporate marketing campaign. The big brands are aligning themselves with social issues as well. We see it everyday: from the multi-company consumer campaign (Product) Red – aligning top names like Apple, Gap, Emporio Armani, and Motorola – to the ever-present breast cancer campaign, big brands are hoping to make big bucks while also doing some good. It seems like an ideal setup for the semi-conscientious consumer. Spend money on brands you love while contributing to campaigns targeting everything from global AIDS awareness to a healthier environment. However, so many prominent companies have taken on a cause that consumers now come to expect it from all. This would seem like a step in the right direction to many, but in fact, as shoppers we now suffer from consumer cause fatigue. A recent study suggests that the number of shoppers who have purchased a product after learning it was associated with a cause has been dropping. Only 14% of the shoppers surveyed now purchased a more expensive but socially significant product, compared to 28% in 2004. The number of consumers who are telling family and friends about these products has also fallen. In a world where the best form of marketing is still word of mouth, socially aware shopping may have met its match. If you're still willing to intentionally spend more to purchase an item where a small percentage of proceeds benefit others, the list of companies with a cause continues to grow.
See more: Denim for Immortality and Breast Cancer Support

Olive & Eggplant: Etsy Finds

Wide Strap Fitted Top by Treehouse 28 $45

Monochromatic Bubble Dress by Neneee $68

You don’t have to spent hours at the mall to get the latest fashions. In light of this fall’s top fashion colors – olive green and eggplant purple – we’ve picked out our favorite pieces by indie fashion designers and creators. Each of these pieces by an Etsy seller is relaxed, comfortable, and fun. We can’t wait to do some fall shopping!

Swamp Grass T-Shirt by Circular Accessories $26

Olive Leaves Print T-Shirt by Lucha Workshop $16

To read more about why you want to add olive green and eggplant purple to your wardrobe this fall, check out Olive & Eggplant: Two Essential Colors for the Fall.

Hummingbird Scoopneck T-Shirt by Stevester $25

Lilies and Butterflies T-Shirt by Stevester $25

Olive & Eggplant: Two Essential Colors for the Fall

Warhol Dress by I Clothing $116

We love olive green and eggplant purple because they are true autumn colors. These more nuanced shades of this fall’s top colors look great in combinations with other brights and neutral hues. But most importantly, they can stand alone. Pair these complexion-flattering shades with your daily staples to update your wardrobe for the fall fashion season. We've picked out some of our favorite pieces by indie fashion designers to get you started.

Gentle Fawn DIVDE Shirt $50

Green is one of the easiest colors on the eye. Not only is it a soothing shade, hues like olive and sage gently remind us of our natural environment. Long associated with fertility, the color is worn best in the autumn months as a muted earthy tone. Think olive, moss, avocado, or army when choosing your shades. The fall greens in your wardrobe should go well with earthy warm tones like reflections of gold and mustard or khaki and oak brown.

Daydream Dress from Peel $138

To tell if the shade is right for your skin tone, stand near a window or some form of natural lighting, and grab a mirror. Hold the garment up to your cheek. Does your skin look warm and glowing, or does it look a little pale and sickly? If you get compliments, your shirt’s a keeper. If your friends keep telling you how tired you look every time you wear your new green turtleneck, toss it.

Mabel Dress from Dace

Shades of purple look great on everyone. From gorgeous velvet to luxurious jewel tones, shades of purple stand out in essential accessories and flourish in full outfits. Dusty eggplant purple looks good in knit blouses and soft cotton dresses during the day; deep midnight purple makes a bold statement in autumn evening wear.

Roberta Dress from Dace

Darker gothic purple is mysterious, and rich wine purple is bold. Purple can present an air of either childhood whimsy or sophisticated glamour. Brighter bolder hues are excellent in small details like mauve tights with a grey t-shirt dress or an amethyst purse and shoes with brown slacks and a white blouse. This season, purple tunic dresses are especially popular and an easy choice for simple dressing.

Crochet Tee by cinderloop $58

Read More: Olive & Eggplant: Etsy Finds
Learn More: Purple Passion - This Fall's Top Color

It's a Wrap! Dresses for Everyday Style

Wrap Dress by Yu Clothing $152

Sometimes it’s hard to stay in style and look good when fashions change so frequently. But with the popular wrap dress, women of all body shapes can look chic and sexy while at work or on the go. The wrap dress highlights your curves, offering the illusion of a small waist and an enhanced bust. We’ve sought out the best indie designed wrap dresses to show how versatile and fun the wrap design can be.

Victorian Stamp Dress by Hype $179

When trying on your next dress design, make sure the fabric isn’t too thin and clingy. You want to portray curves, but not highlight bumps, bags, and wrinkles. Also do a modesty check in front of the mirror; you should take note of whether you can look down and see all the way to your bellybutton, and you should lean forward once or twice to find out how well your wrap dress wraps.

Empire Wrap Dress by Samoy Lenko $200

A good wrap dress will have enough fabric to cover your legs and derriere when a gust of wind hits. If not, you may want to make good use of a safety pin or two. That said, wraps come in all different fabrics and prints, offering excellent possibilities for both a fun day at the beach and a classy cocktail hour. Support handmade and fair trade with these stunning styles.

Organic Cotton Cap Sleeve Wrap Dress $39

Etsy Find: Handmade Eco-Friendly Fashion from TiinaTeaspoon

We love the adventurous fashions from UK designer and photographer TiinaTeaspon. Her work is combines the best bits of bohemia, a masquerade ball, theatrical costuming to create unique fashions that are sure to turn heads at a party. Each of her pieces has character, and you’ll never have to worry about arriving at a party wearing someone’s matching dress. A graduate of the London College of Fashion, not only are these pieces original and handmade, but she creates her works from reclaimed cotton, eco-friendly bamboo jersey, and natural dyes. We love the loose free look of her dresses. Check out her website or blog, or go shopping at her Etsy store.
Kolme Dress $625
Mustikka Dress $1,325

Cutesy Little Designs for Your Office

Today’s cutesy little designs were picked in honor of those who have to go back to school this month (and for the rest of us who are forever looking forward to another new week at the office.) Each of these little animal creatures will make your work experience a little lighter and brighter. And maybe even a little more productive at times.
Cutesy 1) Now you can bring your pet to work and not suffer the mess. These dog and cat staplers are eco-friendly office products from See Jane Work. Eco-friendly staplers? That’s a new concept to us as well. Apparently, the dog and cat stapler can attach up to four sheets of paper at a time without traditional staples. Once you slide your papers inside, the Staple Free Stapler punches through the sheets to create a tiny tab that holds the sheets together. Lightweight and portable, these little pets are perfect for your home, office, and school. $9
Cutesy 2) These animal critters are the latest toy craze in Japan. Called Hop Pops, your desk will instantly become more inviting once you have a cute duck, panda, frog, monkey, or bear sitting next to your computer. They bob their heads along with sounds and vibrations, making a tense work moment instantly lighter. Available for $17 each or $88 for all six.Cutesy 3) You don’t have to be a UNIX lover to adore these little penguins. What are they? A USB flash drive of course! The penguin head lifts up to reveal the jump stick underneath. At 1 GB of memory for $34, these adorable critters seem like a reasonably good deal. The only tricky part might be ordering one off the Japanese website. Cutesy 4) Our next find is a little more whimsical. A spider screen cleaner is probably not on top of your office supplies shopping list, but how could you smile at the concept? With soft velvet bellies, the spider, caterpillar, or fish attach directly onto your computer monitor. When you need to clean your screen, simply pull on the retractable cord and wipe the dirt away. $6.99
Cutesy 4) Our final cutesy find combines two workspace essentials: a pencil sharpener and a paper shredder. Granted, these little elephants can’t handle massive internal memos, but they’re just the right size for shredding credit card receipts and little pieces of important paper. They even have suction cup feet to hold them in place. $7.99

Can you afford eco-couture? Linda Loudermilk designs green for the stars

As we’re constantly reminded, living green and stylish is not always synonymous with cheap. Because of the higher cost of producing environmentally friendly or organic materials, environmentalism and luxury now go hand-in-hand. The truly hip and fabulous, and those who don’t mind spending a little green to wear a little green, are fueling the trend towards eco-couture.
Linda Loudermilk is a leading fashion designer with a flare for the natural. Outfitting celebrities like Jane Fonda, Debra Messing, and Jennifer Beals, Loudermilk applies her high fashion skills to textiles made from sasawashi, bamboo, sea cell, soya, and EcoSpun fabric. Her creations have been described as channeling nature’s punk energy and feminine grace. Her brand of clothing bears the “Luxury Eco Stamp of Approval,” given to products with a high degree of aesthetic design and luxury quality that also come from a carefully reviewed, environmentally friendly manufacturing process. Loudermilk mixes her exotic fabrics with sophisticated silhouettes and surprising design twists. Not only are her creations earth-friendly, many bare the colors of terra firma, draw inspiration the creatures that live here, or follow the shape of waterfalls, rivers, and forests.
While most of us won’t be digging into her duds any time too soon, Loudermilk deserves praise for leading the trends towards bringing environmental awareness and sustainable style to society’s elite list.