A few lovely items that would/do fit into my real life right now:

• a tiny bowl to replace the plastic case that holds my mouthguard 
• something light to wear out to pick strawberries for my breakfast before work
• anything flavored with taro
• a book for discovering
• one piece that would see me through these warming days
• a little truth for my bumper
• a speaker to make our favorite tunes portable

Hope your days are filled with sunshine + warm breezes!

Love,
Jane

I've been on the hunt for some good trainers for over a year now. My old trainers' soles are completely worn through in a number of places, so I feel good about replacing them. I tried a number of different pairs that just didn't work for a number of reasons. Finally, however, I've found my match. This new model from Veja is pretty great...so I thought I'd share.

I tried their previous trainers + they just didn't fit my foot very well. The knit uppers on these hug my feet better. They are comfy + supportive + of course they have all the eco-credentials + innovations Veja keeps coming through on. These shoes are mostly made from plant-based materials + recycled plastic bottles (in Brazil). 

I've replaced my completely worn through socks with these GOTS-certified, organic cotton, Pact socks. My old socks were the old version of these socks + they lasted for years. I really love these.

And...I am really enjoying these organic cotton, made-in-Los Angeles leggings from Mate. I have a pair of the shorts too. The weight of these is great for the warmer months + I've been wearing them happily + often both for exercising + for lounging. They are a great alternative to plastic leggings.  :)

Love,
​Jane

Today is over 80F + the bugs haven't come out in force quite yet. I've been dreaming of having two of these chaise lounges to move in + out of the shade. A peace towel would add a little extra cushioning. When the back rests are down, they could act like benches for all of us to eat outside.

I can imagine wearing this breezy white ensemble just anywhere + adding the sweatshirt when the evening gets cool. The diaphenous, Doen dress would be a lovely barely there layer for lounging in the backyard + could be tucked into pants or shorts as well (love a versatile piece). The Cydwoq sandals would go with everything I want to wear in warmer the months to come. Just dreaming.  :)

Hope you are enjoying a beautiful day where ever you find yourself.

All lovely photos via links.

Love,
Jane

No Nasties = fair-trade certified + 100% organic cotton
Carbon neutral product + packaging.
Apparently it can be that simple.

All lovely photos via No Nasties.

Lovely images via Elizabeth Suzann.

Love,
Jane

The Simple Folk makes GOTS certified, organic cotton clothing for babies, children + adults. Their pieces are made in Peru. GOTS certification comes with regular residue testing + on-site auditing/inspections throughout the supply chain, certifying not only that the cotton is organic + free from toxins, but also that working conditions include:

• ​no forced labor or child labor
• ​freedom to organize & bargain collectively
• ​safe, clean working environment
• ​living wages
• ​time off + no excessive hours
• ​​no discrimination

All lovely images via The Simple Folk.

I mostly stick with my homemade lip balm, but when I am (was) out + about I don't (didn't) like using my finger to apply it. Before the pandemic, I bought a locally naturally-dyed, secondhand top (that's a great mouthful) at a local shop + noticed Poppy & Pout sitting near the register. The lovely woman ringing me up pointed out her favorite + I bought it.

The balm smells lovely (even for this increasingly fragrance-sensitive person). It moisturizes well + stayed solid throughout the summer. Poppy & Pout's lip balm is made from beeswax + sunflower oil sourced in the USA, organic coconut oil from the Philippines, essential or natural flavor oils + a drop of vitamin E. It is made in the USA + packaged in a paper tube.

Now it's almost gone + this is the moment I'm most happy that it comes in that paper tube. I'll rip it up a little + add it to our compost bin. (yay!)

Next up...MeowMeowTweet (because that's what I came across next). And also, it is made in New York from almost all certified organic + fair-trade ingredients. Cost-wise, these lip balms are a bit more pricey than some drug store brands. The paper tube, natural ingredients + traceable production are all good reasons for this, but they also contain a lot more product.

Compare:
Regular lip balm :: 0.15 oz
Poppy & Pout :: 0.3 oz
MeowMeowTweet :: 1 oz

That means that I'd need to buy seven tubes of regular lip balm to equal the amount of balm in a single tube of the MeowMeowTweet balm. I'd have seven plastic tubes to discard too. Just a little perspective.  :)

Love,
Jane

There are a bunch of places to find fair-trade, organic cotton or hemp tees these days...and that is worth celebrating! I feel like I come across these basics often, but I also wonder if I'd remember where to find one when I needed one. So I decided to collect them here. This post is linked toward the bottom of our ethical brands page (for when we might need it).

As usual, we start with these reminders: ​
-The most ethical t-shirt is most often the one that we don't buy.  :)
-When we find ourselves in need of a new-to-us t-shirt, a thrift store is a great place to start the search for a sturdy 100% cotton one. 

The most common fibers used in tees today are polyester + cotton. Even recycled polyester is non-biodegradable plastic which sheds plastic microfibers with each wash. Cotton is often sprayed with chemicals that directly effect the land + the farmers that grow it. Thankfully organic cotton has grown in popularity. Growing organic cotton, however, is not easy...and it demands a lot of water.

Organic cotton can be sourced in one country, spun in another + milled in a third. By the time an organic tee is sewn, transported to the warehouse + shipped to the store or our house...it is probably better travelled than we are. It's exciting to see people care about how + where the fibers in the clothing they design are grown, processed + sewn. It's hard work to trace the journey, since the bulk of the industry has moved overseas. Many brands just don't seem that in touch with the fluctuations in the supply chain. Harvest + Mill is a great example of a brand who takes the time to know the places, people + conditions a tee comes from...from seed to finished product.

Growing new, organic cotton for each new tee is a resource-heavy endeavor involving water, land + labor resources. Innovations in recycled cotton are exciting...and the fact that a tee can be made with 100% recycled cotton (no new fibers added) is a breakthrough. Everybody World offers these innovative tees.

Hemp is another fiber focus for sustainable t-shirt makers. Hemp is a more naturally resilient crop than cotton requiring less water, chemicals + fertilizers. Hemp restores soil health rather than depleting it. It makes a sturdy, long-lasting fiber as well. Jungmaven makes hemp/organic cotton tees.

The working conditions of the garment workers who put together our clothing are of great importance. We know that our purchases factor into the paychecks of all the hands who touched that t-shirt. It's exciting to know that there are people designing clothes with the entire process in focus. Fair-trade certifications bring credibility to ethical labor claims.

While all of these factors are wonderful, we can't lose sight of the fact that even organic cotton, hemp + recycled cotton require land + power + water + transportation + human resources. These processes create waste too. Just how many t-shirts does one person need? Can we wear the ones we have longer + wash them less? Can we borrow or trade? Can we find a secondhand tee instead? Just a few things to consider before going any further.  :)

The tees collected here:

• are fair-trade certified or made in the USA
• are made from organic or recycled cotton 
• cost less than $50 
• are mostly from brands that offer "women's" + "men's" tees which, as always, refers more to sizing than gender

christy dawn :: organic cotton, made in los angeles
coyuchi :: organic cotton, fair-trade certified
everybody world :: 100% recycled cotton, made in the usa
harvest + mill :: USA grown organic cotton, made in usa
​industry standard :: organic cotton, made in los angeles
​jungmaven :: hemp/organic cotton, made in usa
​known supply :: organic cotton, fair-trade certified
​outerknown :: organic cotton, made in usa
pact :: organic cotton, fair-trade certified

I neglected to check if I'd already written a fair tees post until I was finished with this one. (I had.) Anyway...reading over my previous (now deleted) post let me know that this is indeed an update. Some of the brands listed in the previous post no longer make their tees with fair wages in mind, some have raised their prices + this time I decided to use fair-trade certification as my measure of working conditions. So...I'm posting this update with gratitude to the humans who run these brands with farmers, garment workers + the environment in mind.

​All lovely images via links.

Love,
​Jane

Altar is a retail shop in Portland, Oregon that carries goods made by independent manufacturers + artists in North America. Alter Houseline consists of clothing made in the USA from deadstock fabrics + provides sizes small through 6XL.

All images via Altar Houseline.

Refashioned by Sass Brown highlights designers around the world making clothing out of upcycled materials. Inspiring.