Knotted Beauty

A few months ago, I mentioned on Instagram that I was spending the afternoon taking pictures of a few scarves that my mom had crocheted. Thankfully, after a couple of hours of photographing, I got to see the results of my efforts and I was actually pretty happy with how they turned out, so I wanted to share a few of them here as well, because this is not a frequent occurrence in this camera-challenged girl's life.

Like I mentioned, the scarves were all crocheted by my mom, after learning this beautiful new stitch called "Solomon's knot", as a way to use up some of the yarns we have around the house and to stay busy during her long commute to and from work.

The reason I was photographing them is because we decided to list them on Etsy. As much as we love a handmade scarf, we really don't need so many of the same, and we'd rather share them with others who will appreciate their beauty and softness just as much as we do.

Besides, after seeing how beautiful this pattern looks, I've requested a larger, shawl-sized scarf, that I can drape over my shoulders and wear during all 4 seasons, not just the 3 colder ones that these scarves are perfect for. To this day though, I'm still debating what colour or yarn I'd like my shawl to be crocheted with (maybe one of these neutral, lighter yarns that we have in the shop?), which always seems to be the hardest choice for me when it comes to handmade projects. Usually, when I pick the material first, I know almost instantly what I would like to make with it, but when I pick the project first, I have the hardest time settling on the material.

Does this only happen to me? What is the hardest choice for you when starting a new project? And also, speaking of Etsy, what are your favourite shops there?

PS: Naturally, I had my whiskered assistant along with me for the picture-taking, to make sure everything was in order!

Alterations

A few weeks ago during a long weekend, I finally got a chance to pull out my sewing machine and do a little bit of sewing. It was the first time in over 2 years and it felt so good. I am not experienced in any way at the sewing machine - I think I sewed less than 10 times in my entire life - but I grew up around women who sewed, and have always had a deep desire to learn.

Since I only had about half a day free, I picked two clothing items that needed some very simple alterations. It felt so good to start and finish something in the same day, since I already have a few in-progress projects that have been waiting patiently for me.

The first item was an ill-fitting dress that was both too short and at the same time had a neckline that was hitting quite low - that is, when the straps actually stayed on. With a loose elastic neckline and armholes, even the slightest movement caused them to slip off my shoulders. This was a quick fix, even for me: I shortened the straps by about 2cm, and now I have a longer, tunic-style top (instead of a dress) that I can actually move in and that stays in place.

The second item was an eco-friendly dress that I bought online. As is the risk with online shopping, I couldn't see all the details clearly, and once it came in the post, I found the actual cut of the dress was a bit odd for me: the sides were extended about halfway through the length and ended with pockets that pointed out. This too was a pretty quick fix by cutting out the extra material.

It was so great to take a bit of time to sit and work at my sewing machine again. Even better, I managed to fix some items that I hadn't worn yet, so with just a couple of hours of work, I technically added two pieces to my closet. I hope to be doing more of the same this month while I'm on vacation from work because my mending and finishing pile alone is overflowing, not to mention that list of new projects I'd like to tackle.

I'd love to know, do you sew or would you like to learn? If yes, do you prefer to fix and re-imagine ill-fitting items or to work on new projects from scratch?

Brilliant Style

Fashion has been on my mind a lot lately for a few reasons, but mostly because when the temperatures outside are far below zero, I can only think and dream about beautiful clothes. The ones that I actually put on are far less so, and generally in layers upon layers of whatever will keep me the warmest possible.

This post-holidays period is the time of the year when I've had enough of winter yet I know spring is still far away, so my sartorial dreams have been filled with looks that fit within a fine balance of warm and comfortable but also ladylike and in either light or bright colours - to compensate for the dark days that refuse to let us see the sun too often.

dress / cardigan / coat / Brilliant Earth ring / Brilliant Earth earrings / boots / nail polish

The people at Brilliant Earth contacted me recently to ask whether I'd like to participate in their Personality Style Challenge and, after giving it some thought, doing a bit of research and falling head over heels with both their jewelry pieces and their sustainable ethos, I realized that I would really enjoy to take part in it. I was already aware of the company, but didn't know much about it other than the fact that they are the experts when it comes to ethically-sourced engagement rings and diamonds. Now I've loved learning more about them and, as a business school graduate, I can appreciate a great mission statement, so their mission to "transform the jewelry industry one diamond at a time...through sustainability, transparency and compassion" honestly sends chills down my spine.

At first, I wasn't sure what personality I would fall under, so I looked through some of my favourite Earth-conscious online shops  - the one thing that I did know was that I wanted this outfit to be entirely eco-friendly. Picking items that caught my eye here and there, I was hoping that something would come together naturally and, funny enough, that is exactly what happened with this look: the drop waist silhouette of the dress, the classic plaid coat and the rib knit cardigan were all details that I really loved and I thought they matched perfectly with the vintage-dress-and-thrift-store-shopping kind of girl described in the challenge.

Disclaimer: I was contacted by Brilliant Earth to be a part of the Personality Style Challenge. However, I am not being compensated for this post, and all creative freedom and opinions are my own.

Below Freezing

Last week we were spoiled with a few mild days (read: above 0 Celsius) but this week the temperatures have dipped way below freezing, somewhere in between the -20 and -30 degrees (Celsius) marks.

• Frosty windows •

Thankfully, I don't have many plans to go out in this cold and I'm content to just witness these rather sunny days from the warmth and comfort of home.

I did have to step out on Monday though, and in order to face the day I took out my warmest coat, layered as much as I could, and found comfort in the chunkiest infinity scarf that I have - in fact the only infinity scarf that I have (so far!) and that I actually knit myself!

Fall Closet Basics

Last year around this time, I wrote 'Autumn Basics', in which I rounded up clothes that I thought would contribute to a versatile eco-friendly fall wardrobe. This year, instead of combing through countless online shops to find the 'ideal' items, I was inspired by Vicky's post to look inside my own wardrobe. The premise is still the same as last year - to be more deliberate about my clothing choices - but I'm more realistic by not looking to buy anything new, which is neither a necessity nor a possibility for me right now, and rather focusing on getting the most wear out of - and in the process, falling back in love with - the clothes I already have. To me, this is just a different way of making my fashion choices greener: no new purchases means no added waste, and wearing my own clothes more means no wasted space for items that just gather dust. So, here are a few of my basics that are in constant rotation during these months when the weather gets ever colder in anticipation of winter.

1. Lightweight scarves Since I always seem to skip on adding just the right piece of jewelry to my outfit, scarves are generally my accessory of choice, and I'm happy to have these ones in rotation before I have to switch over to the thick, woollen ones.

2. Stripes and 3/4 sleeves To be honest, stripes are basics year round in my wardrobe, and in combination with a 3/4 sleeve, they work so well for the in-between weather of this season. Lucky me, it just so happens that many of my 3/4 sleeved tops are also striped (or maybe vice-versa?!?...the addiction goes deep :P).

3. Bright orange I just got this sweater in September, and even then I could already tell that it would be one of my fall staples. Most of my outfit ideas revolve around it these days, and I think it will be the cheerful bright spot in an array of clothes that keep getting darker as fabrics get thicker and warmer.

4. Brown shoes In all fairness, many of my shoes are brown - somehow, the black version just doesn't seem as appealing when I try it on - but I think they will bring a particularly 'autumn' feel to my outfits.

5. Blazers Over the years, I have amassed a good selection of them and they're just the right choice when I'm looking for a more dressed-up version to a cardigan or lightweight jacket. I like that they're primarily light-colored to balance out the darker tone of most of my cold-weather-appropriate wardrobe.

What are your fall basics this year? I'd love to know!

Grey Area

By the time spring comes, I'm more than ready to give up dark colours altogether, though it's generally just a phase that passes with time. This year though, I seem to be more determined to keep my wardrobe light and bright, months after the cold season has passed; this might have to do with the fact that the clothing rack in my room that's visible all the time has shown me just how many dark pieces I actually have and got me a little irritated with them. So now, with the exception of a couple of basic black pieces, I'd be happy to do away with the colour this season - and maybe even further on - and replace it with softer alternatives. One of my favourites these days is grey, and after a little time spent online window shopping, I found quite a few eco-friendly pieces that I'm sure would get a lot of wear in my wardrobe.

1. Studio JUX Wool Jersey Cardigan in Grey Melagne, €79.95
2. Fair + True Sustainable Racer Back Vest Top, £39
3. Beyond Skin Madison Sandal in Grey Faux Suede, £86
4. Jigsaw London Green Label Drape Neck Jersey Dress, $98
5. Elsom Organic Cotton Slouch Shorts, £88, £56
6. Monkee Genes Organic Cotton Classic Skinny Sateen Jeans, £55
7. Indigenous Designs Angle Tunic, $72
8. Sosume Scoop Neck Tee in Taupe, $95
9. Broken Doll America Skirt, CAD$96

Online Spree: French Dressing

I don't often find myself in situations like this, but about a couple of months ago, I found a sale that I couldn't resist: Pure Citizen - the eco-friendly counterpart to discount sites like Gilt Groupe and HauteLook - was having 50% off on Ethos Paris items. This is one of the brands that I discovered when I first started looking into eco-fashion and although I really liked their collection, for a long time I didn't know where I could find pieces from it. With this sale, I managed to get two tops and a dress that are perfect for spring and summer as well as great examples of some of my favourite fashion elements of this season: lots of white, with some bright pops of colour.

Honeymoon Top (yes, another striped top!!) - I have long documented my love for stripes on this blog, and have admitted to owning more striped pieces than any person would need. I like fun colour combinations, but the appeal of classic black-and-white - or maybe navy-and-white, I keep looking at it, but I'm still not sure which one it is exactly! - is undeniable. Other lovely details like the three-quarter raglan sleeves with beautiful laced detailing close to the edge made it impossible for me to say no to this top.

Venus Dress - To be honest, I was a little surprised to see that this dress was actually a taupe colour rather than white as I had thought from the picture on the site, but I liked it regardless. Sadly, I do have a few issues with it: even though I got the smallest size available, it is too big on me - both too large and too long - but on the bright side, it's nothing that a little patience and help from my mom can't fix. I'm planning on taking it in a little bit because I really do love it - the bright pattern, beautiful neckline and front pleating are all reasons why - and hope to wear it all summer long.

Anemone Top (no longer available, sorry) - I have been craving lots of white for my wardrobe lately, and this top definitely filled a void. Once again, the neckline is just lovely, and all the seams - the horizontal back seam, the front seams that create flattering pleats, as well as the sleeve seams - are perfectly placed and subtle enough to require a careful look to be fully appreciated - and that's just the kind of thing that I like best.

Luckily, when I was gathering images for this post, I found out that the label recently opened up an online store, and after a quick look through I can definitely say that these will not be, by any means, my last Ethos Paris purchases!

• Model images via Ethos Paris, Pure Citizen •

Multitasking Fashion

To me, having a green wardrobe is not only about buying organic or vintage garments, but also about creating a functional wardrobe with lots of potential for remixing. I want to be able to make the most out of the clothing I have rather than constantly buy trend-based clothes that will most likely be out of style in a few months' time. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not as adventurous and creative with my clothing as I'd like to be. That is one reason why I'm always looking for videos and images that show multiple ways to wear an item, to help get me some inspiration for my own closet. Today, I wanted to share some of them, in hopes that they'll be just as inspirational and help you get the most out of the clothes you already have - and so, be on your way to creating a functional and, most importantly, greener wardrobe.

Scarves are probably my favourite accessory and though there are endless articles and videos on different ways to wear them, these are my 2 favourite ones:

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf in 4.5 Minutes by Wendy of Wendy's Lookbook

50 ways to wear a scarf by Sydney of The Daybook 

 • Images via How Does She •

As it turns out, a skirt can be worn in many different ways too:

Profresh Guide to 1 Skirt 24 Ways by Profresh Style

And finally, the possibilities with a round piece of fabric seem to be practically infinite:

20 Ways To Transform A Piece Of Fabric Into A Shirt, Skirt, & Dress by Chriselle Lim

Last week-end, I discovered Chriselle Lim's fashion videos, where she shares plenty of tips about how to create a functional - and fashionable - wardrobe. After watching just a few of them, I was inspired and filled with ideas about how to improve my own wardrobe. These are just some of the ones that I liked best:

• What To Wear When Travelling - Repeat & Rotate
• 7 Basic Pieces 14 Looks
• Back To School - Bring Your Summer Wardrobe Into Fall

I'd love to know, what piece in your wardrobe do you think is the most versatile?

Sartorial Motivation

It's no secret that I'm wishing winter away, even though it's been the shortest and mildest one we've had in many years. I can't even contain my excitement when I think of spring and I'm looking forward to everything that it's about to bring with it: pastel colours, green grass and flower buds, along with longer and sunnier days! Clearly it's quite hard to think about winter still, and almost impossible to get motivated to put together nice, cold weather outfits, so I need all the inspiration that I can get. Many weeks ago, I stumbled upon this new (to me) sustainable fashion brand, Studio JUX, and their Fall/Winter 2011/2012 collection photos are just what I needed to see. Now that spring is getting close, I'm ready to let go of the thick knits but keep the colour palette of sandy neutrals and colourful accents, with fewer dark colours.

Mint is everywhere these days, and I think this picture shows that men can take on the trend just as effortlessly as women do.

• All photos via Studio JUX •

The Green Academy

Sadly, I found the red carpet of this year's Oscars to be a little underwhelming. To be honest, there weren't any dresses that I really loved, just a few that I liked. What made me much happier was finding out that there were quite a few eco-friendly gowns making their appearance.

Missy Pyle in hand-dyed organic silk Valentina Delfino: From reading Alicia Silverstone's blog, The Kind Life - where Missy occasionally guest posts - I knew that she is on a journey to becoming vegan and living eco-friendly, but I didn't know she took the challenge to the red carpet. I thought her dress was such a breath of fresh air in a sea of colourless gowns.

Natalie Portman in 1954 vintage, reused Christian Dior: Red was a popular colour on the red carpet Sunday, and Natalie's dress was my favourite take on the trend. The cut and print make for such a classic combination and she - a long-time vegan and environmentalist - carried it beautifully.

I have to say that these dresses weren't originally among my favourites, but when finding out that they are eco-friendly, their appeal to me increased significantly!

Livia Firth in custom, recycled PET fabric Valentino: She is the creator of the Green Carpet Challenge, and did a great job of getting many designers on board the project, using eco-friendly options for the gowns they created.

Meryl Streep in custom, eco-certified fabric Lanvin gown: Her speech was one of my favourite moments of the entire show, and she joined Livia in the Green Carpet Challenge with this gold dress.

• All photos via People •

Winter Adornments

We are lucky to have had a much shorter and milder winter than usual so far, but that doesn't mean that bundling up is not required. Even if the Canadian groundhog predicted an early spring, the temperatures are still quite frigid, and I never venture out without a warm winter scarf. Needless to say, they have been on my mind a lot lately, and with a little inspiration from J. Crew's Holiday catalogue, I decided to find a few fashionable and cozy combinations that would do a great job of protecting any eco-minded girl from the elements this season.

• Original image via J. Crew •

1. Lowie Handmade Fingerless in Mint, £38, £20

2. People Tree Pom Pom Scarf, £40, £8

3. Lowie Multi Pom Beanie in Mint, £40

4. Loomstate Organic Willoughby Scarf, $150

5. Lowie Bow Headband in Yellow, £22

6. Hessnatur Gloves (not available anymore, sorry)

7. Eka Nordic Hat, $39

8. Lowie Chunky Merino Snood in Red, £68

9. P.L. Hand-Knit Organic Cotton Legwarmers, $70

Awards Nomination

The new year is in full force by now, and so is the awards season. I like to keep up with many of the shows, if not for the actual awards, then for the beautiful gowns that make their way down the red carpet. Though there's plenty of oohing and aahing over some of the designer duds, I'm often left dreaming of beautiful eco-friendly dresses getting their chance to shine bright at these prestigious affairs. I thought this black, organic sateen dress by WISB would be a great contender for any event's best-dressed mentions.

PS: Livia Firth - Oscar winner Colin Firth's wife - is now in the third year of a challenge to wear only environmentally-friendly garments on the red carpet - known as the Green Carpet Challenge - and she's blogging about it too!

New Again

A few days ago, one of my favourite bloggers, Aya from Strawberry Koi, talked about her love for fancy dresses - vintage ones, in fact. To be honest, I am not an avid vintage shopper, mostly because I wasn't exposed to it growing up. The "vintage" that I knew were just clothes, neither fashionable nor of good quality, that people wanted to get rid of. Over the years, I've learned how wonderful vintage can actually be and through Aya's post I discovered some lovely Etsy vintage stores: AdoreVintage, SwaneeGRACE, and DearGolden.

• 'the right choice' peasant top • 'dance to my tune' full skirt • New England Aster floral print dress •

Now, though I am still on a learning curve - I have yet to buy any true vintage pieces, especially online - these shops are helping me cross over; after all, buying vintage is an important part of creating a sustainable wardrobe, as it follows the 3 Rs of envionmentalism: reduce, reuse, recyle.

• summer plumeria dress • Papillon de Nuit dress • rose print boho blouse •

These are all pieces that I fell in love with while browsing the stores, and though they are not all my size, I've learned that small sizes are not as hard to find as I had thought; in fact, my 2 favourites of the bunch - the pink skirt and the black butterfly dress - are both small enough to fit me!

A couple of pretty-but-not-very-practical pieces too:

• I Thee Wed dress • cropped bra top • 

Do you buy vintage fashion online? If so, what are your favourite stores? I'm still learning and discovering, so I would love to check them out!

*Photos via AdoreVintage, SwaneeGRACE, & DearGolden.

The Milky Way

A while ago, I found myself on the Youtube homepage looking for some interesting videos to watch, and this one immediately caught my eye; I had never heard about fabric made out of milk before, but after watching the video, it definitely makes me want to know more about it, and maybe even try to find it somewhere - if it's even available in Canada. It's a short video, but very informative.



Have you ever heard about or found milk fabric? I'm very intrigued!

Online Spree

A few days before Christmas, I found out - on Twitter - that Flora & Fauna was having an incredible sale - 75% off everything, and an additional 10% off using a coupon code. I decided that it would be a great little Christmas present to myself and ended up buying 5 items that I just received last Monday, January 3rd. I immediately tried them on and to my surprise, everything fit perfectly - a very rare occurrence even when I shop in-store. Given my positive experience, I thought I'd share my purchases as well as my opinions about them.

Think Tank (not available anymore, sorry!) - Out of all pieces, this is made in the thickest fabric. It is one of those items that hits below the hips for me, and the straps are quite - but not too - long. I really like the side pocket, I think it adds a very nice touch to an otherwise simple top.


Bikini Bra in White (CAD$24, CAD$6): This is actually an off-white colour and the perfect size for a small girl like me. I was very happy to notice that even though the top is such a light colour, it is double-layered and therefore not see-through. It will be great for pool days in the summer.

Honey Bee Dress in Gray (CAD$100, CAD$25) - This is now the first long sleeve dress that I own. It has an assymetrical hemline that is shorter in the front and longer in the back and drapes beautifully. Truthfully, the front hemline is a little shorter than I had expected, but nothing too much or that some layering can't fix.

Rossia Dress in Purple (CAD$100, CAD$25): This is a low-back dress - my first of the kind - but quite wearable actually. I like that it has a high neckline in the front and a reasonably long hemline that balance out the revealing back. Covered up with a cardigan or blazer, it becomes quite the conservative choice. The slim fit creates a beautiful hourglass silhouette.

Honey Bee Tent Top in Black (CAD$80, CAD$20): This has to be my favourite of the bunch and it has to do with the fact that it is incredibly soft. I had to get a size up since mine wasn't available anymore, and so I could almost wear it as a dress, especially with its asymmetrical hemline - shorter on the sides, longer in the front and back. Its "tent" shape makes it wonderfully loose and creates a beautiful drape.

All in all, I'm extremely happy with my order - that came for a grand total of below CAD$100, including taxes and fees! Ironically enough, all of the items are mostly black and dark-coloured, which is not typical of my usual preferences, but I think they are versatile pieces that will blend seamlessly into my wardrobe and allow me to slowly build my eco-closet.

*All photos via Flora & Fauna Boutique.

2011 Look Back: Outfits

This year was filled with many new experiences; one of them was taking outfit pictures and sharing them here on the blog. It's been a great accomplishment for me, for many reasons: for one, it took me out of my comfort zone and pushed me to be more adventurous with my fashion choices; also, as a rather shy girl who becomes increasingly awkward in front of a camera - even when the photographer is a member of my family - building up the courage to share these pictures was a big step forward. Since these outfits are some of the ones I'm most proud of in 2011, I thought that with the year coming to an end pretty soon, it would be nice to take a look back at them.

You can read more about these outfits here:

• The First
• The Second
• The Third
• School Uniform
• Mild November

Basic Autumn

Whenever I go into a store, I unfortunately pick whatever catches my eye and rarely take enough time to think how that particular item fits into my wardrobe. Lately though, I have been trying to be more deliberate with my clothing choices. In addition to my closet edit challenge, I went online-window shopping for a "dream" selection of basic pieces that would help me create a versatile autumn wardrobe. Though I don't have the budget for these pieces right now, I still put a lot of thought into them, an exercise that helped me learn more about my style and preferences - knowledge that I hope to apply for future purchases.

1. Dagg & Stacey Cambridge Coat, CAD$388
2. Laura Elizabeth Jewelry Elm Earrings in Gold, $112 (Real leaves!!!)
3. Amour Vert Tanu Red Peace Silk Blouse, $99
4. Matt & Nat Barnes Bag, CAD$245
5. Del Forte Dark Blue Wide Leg Laurel Organic Jeans, £135
6. Hovey Lee Yakima II Bracelet, $55
7. Viridis Luxe Bamboo Drop Back Cinch Waist Dress, £143
8. Elle Plain Bamboo Tights in Black, £10
9. Jackpot Presta White Cotton Shirt, £45
10. Curator Darling Dress in Oxblood, $150
11. Komodo Moira Organic Cotton Hemp Skirt, £55
12. Branch Fair Trade Knitted Snood Scarf, £25
13. People Tree Orla Kiely Teacup Skirt, £70 (Teacup print!!!)
14. Beyond Skin Kenzi Black Faux Suede Heels, £124, £76
15. Mudd & Water Newport Breton Style Knit, £59
16. Elroy Apparel Brya Jacket, CAD$110
17. Jackpot Manitha Cotton Cardigan, £98

• A few pointers that I kept in mind while picking my favourites •

I can truly see endless possibilities with these items, but I wanted to put together a few outfit ideas that I'm most excited about:

Edit Your Closet

Recently I've become more interested in the idea of creating a well-edited closet: one that is not overflowing yet still has plenty of options available for me to get dressed quickly, all while keeping it eco-friendly as much as possible. With this thought in mind, a few weeks ago I decided to tackle the task of editing my own closet and it proved to be quite a fun & freeing experience.

• Though still quite full, I can now see - and wear! - clothes that I didn't before • 

My goal was to remove all the clothes that I didn't plan on wearing in the coming weeks, leaving plenty of space for the rest and thus, creating a manageable "temporary" wardrobe that would make it easy to pick well put-together outfits. In order to keep the length of this post within reasonable limits, I decided to show just how I did it now, and leave the discussion of why and what I hope to get out of it for a later time.

How I pared down my closet:

• First, I took out all the special occasion pieces that are not in constant rotation.

• For similar items - colour or print - I chose just some of them to keep close.

• Then I packed away out-of-season items that I won't remix into my wardrobe anytime soon.

• For lack of space, I folded all the clothes that I took out and stored them in my suitcase.

I plan on rotating items once I have exhausted most combinations possible and no longer feel inspired by the clothes I have out or when the weather forces me to add some thicker layers.