Autumn is here. Crunchy leaves are on the breeze, monarchs are abundant in the butterfly weed and grey clouds are bringing cooler days. All of this has me ready to embrace the darker colors + cozier touches in my wardrobe. Bon has long been one of my favorite inspirations for artfully simple dressing + this season is no different. The style that is singularly Bon comes in large part from the fact that many of the pieces they carry are offered year after year. What a confirmation that a wardrobe can be built slowly...confidently...for the long term...and not take itself too seriously.

These are my autumnal notes:

• navy on navy :: dark denim + indigo play well here
• tiny, cozy red touches :: yes to cozy neckerchiefs + cheerful socks
• warm wheat + deep olive create rich combinations with navy
• winter whites feel warm + light
• tie on the whimsy :: bows + bandanas add elements of unseriousness + humor
• classic pieces can be interesting + can be happily worn for a long, long time

I love recognizing pieces I already have in my closet in my inspiration! It's so lovely to feel as though the pieces I've been drawn to still excite me. Pulling out my 15 year old plaid, wool scarf...shaking out my olive pants...affirming that $4 pajama shirt purchase from the thrift store...it's all really beautiful...and sustainable in a world full of fast fashion + quickly changing trends. Brown + burgundy (pure late 90s) are the colors the industry is bringing forward this season, but there is something really beautiful about thinking that navy is what's speaking to me this season...again.

Love,
Jane

Not only is each element of LWN designed + made with intention, the styles have a timeless quality. The colors are playful, and the fabrics look to be the sort that you reach for again + again.

LWN garments are made with local dead-stock, repurposed + upcycled materials. Labels + trims are made with the fabric leftover after pattern cutting. Mixed fiber fabrics are avoided to maximize the ability to recycle them after they are no longer useful as garments. Even zippers are avoided to minimize waste.

Small batches are designed + sewn in Los Angeles where factories can be visited daily. Fair, living wages + good working conditions are prioritized.

All lovely photos via LWN. Find this + other ethical brands here, when you need them.

Things of quality have no fear of time.

From growing food to minimizing packaging at the grocery store, mending to shopping secondhand, line drying clothing to borrowing books from the library...living lighter on the planet is a daily consideration.

I believe in its good intention, but the tagline, "Less, but better" always hits me wrong. It sounds like a recipe for discontent...an endless quest for better with a trail of castoffs laying in its wake. That kinda feels like my default setting, and I'm looking for a better way to live. Less + enough are my touch points for more compassionate living that considers living things + the planet. 

I came across the statement, "Things of quality have no fear of time" today, and it sounded right. It actually brought me back to the things I already have that are standing strong over time...things like my B-sides jeans that are just the right fit for me. The quality, weighty, 100% cotton, denim is still going strong after years of wear. The same fit is still available (+ still feels current), so I've been able to collect a few colors over the years.

My midcentury army pants + jacket have to be my wardrobe's best examples of quality standing the test of time. These favorites came with evidence of wear, but the fact that there is still more wear in them is deliciously interesting to me. 

I'm also intrigued by the quality of items that were designed decades ago + have been selling well enough to keep them in production over time. I've always loved these classics that don't seem to go out of style, but I think these pieces look especially good on me as I get older. In Maine this summer, I was able to try on a quilted vest by Utility Canvas that I've admired for probably 25 years. It's one of those things that was an instant "yes", and I'm certain I'll be wearing it for a long, long time.

And finally, if an item has the quality of being treasured enough, it will endear itself to the special care of mending, repairing and reinforcing so that it can continue to be worn. My army jacket came to me with holes + the need for new buttons. The time I've spent stitching it has only increased the quality of my connection with it.

In line with my quest to reinvigorate my love for what I already have (if you've been around for a while, there are probably a lot of repeats...but that's kinda the point, right?), here is a little list of the things already in my closet that I'm loving for autumn:

• quality that I buy on repeat:
  • those B Sides Jeans :: Plein is my fit 
  • cozy sweatshirts :: Domi + Perfect White Tee are my faves 
• quality that has already stood the test of time:
  • a soft, vintage blue bandana 
  • those vintage army pants + patched jacket
• quality that stays in production​
  • classic Blundstones 
  • Birkenstocks 
  • a quilted vest 

Love,
Jane